By Nate Parker | TV | March 10, 2023 |
By Nate Parker | TV | March 10, 2023 |
Mel Brooks is a comedy legend. Shows and films like Get Smart, The Producers, and History of the World, Part 1 solidified his role in American entertainment for the past seven decades. No matter what, his place in history is secure. That’s good, because History of the World, Part 2 wouldn’t do the trick. It’s not bad. It’s just not great, with certain limited exceptions.
Maybe it would’ve hit differently if it weren’t for Drunk History. Part 2 is much more like the show than Brooks’s original film in both skit form and duration. The 6-season show, featuring host Derek Waters and a bevy of increasingly intoxicated storytellers educating viewers through sketch comedy, set a bar Part 2 can’t quite clear, though it does sometimes limbo under it in an entertaining way. It’s not bad, but rarely attains Brooks’ trademark comedic genius. That’s okay; for every Young Frankenstein there must be a Dracula: Dead and Loving It to balance the universe.
When Part 2 succeeds, it’s thanks to a stellar cast. It seems every still-breathing comedic actor of the last 4 decades shows up sooner or later, along with more recent talent like Dove Cameron and Charles Melton. The 3 most frequent players are the real MVPs here; Wanda Sykes, Ike Barenholtz, and Nick Kroll elevate most of the best sketches, though even Sykes can’t save an episodic Shirley Chisholm sketch parodying The Jeffersons. She makes a much better world-weary Harriet Tubman. Barenholtz is entertaining as a detoxing Ulysses S. Grant in search of a drink, and Kroll kills it as both Judas and an announcer for Hitler on Ice. The savage venom in his voice for the latter bit is sheer perfection. My other favorite sketch involves Kumail Nanjiani pitching the Kama Sutra to prospective publishers. It’s only about 3 minutes long, exactly what it needs. The only one I’ve genuinely hated is the second episode’s opener, which involves American soldiers getting sick on D-Day. I skipped right through it and, if you’ve got a weak stomach for watching people vomit, you’ll do the same. The cast is more diverse than Brooks’s original, Gregory Hines aside. It works to the show’s benefit; J.B. Smoove, Ronny Chieng, and Tyler James Williams are responsible for most of the remaining laughs, though Johnny Knoxville’s Rasputin also deserves a shout-out. Part 2 is a Brooks production through and through, proudly Jewish, and pulls no punches in terms of profanity or joke material.
History of the World, Part 2 earns more than a few chuckles and even if it’s not must-see television it’s still worth checking out. Mel Brooks is a goddamn national treasure approaching his 100th year on this spinning globe. Every minute he’s still with us deserves celebrating. All 8 episodes are now available on Hulu.