Review by Guy Clapperton
Performed by Tim Vine | Written by Tim Vine
UK cert PG | UK RRP £19.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 61 mins | Directed by Steve Kemsley
Want something sophisticated, urbane, crafted, upmarket? Oh. Not seen Tim Vine, have you. The title of this show is “Punslinger” and that’s what you get, an hour of Vine stringing together gag after gag of punnery and one liners, most of which are unrelated to anything he was doing two minutes before.
And he’s very good at it. It’s solid stand-up and the majority of the gags hit the spot; if one or two fall a little flat he gets a bigger laugh by acknowledging them. It’s not as effortless as it look and he’s very candid about how it’s all put together in the commentary, to which you should definitely listen as he explains why a song is in a particular place, then gives a bit of an insight into why he said a particular section was too long.
If you’re into alternative comedy, or particularly structured stuff, or long observational anecdotes, this really isn’t the right DVD for you. If you’re happy with a relentless, energetic battery of quickfire gags and often unexpected puns from a perfectly engaging performer who is inoffensive in the best sense of the word, you’ll love it.
EXTRAS ★★★★ Commentary, Making Of feature and some comedy shorts from earlier in Vine’s career, couple of offcuts from the show. Extras get the four stars because when he’s off script and reacting with the audience he’s actually funnier than when he’s going through the actual show!