Standup comedy sketches should not be turned into theatrical releases. They offer nothing more than what can be viewed on the countless DVDs that offer the exact same fare. Oftentimes, drawn out for at least an hour and a half, they become dull. Still, the Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie rises above the odds and offers 105 minutes of hilarious jokes.

My pessimism toward standup comedy movies is that, up until this point, every one that I have seen have been terribly bad. Martin Lawrence's Runteldat was so unfunny and boring that I turned it off after half an hour. The Original Kings of Comedy was slightly amusing, but I lost interest after a while. It is not to say that these people aren't funny (though Lawrence didn't make me laugh once), but there is a huge difference between sitting in a live audience and sitting on a couch in my living room. So, when my best friend suggested that we watch Blue Collar Comedy Tour on Comedy Central, I was not very excited.

Basically, the movie is funny from beginning to end. Of course, all of these standup comedy movies are funny only to those who appreciate them; certainly, some people enjoy the humor of Martin Lawrence and Cedric the Entertainer more than the guys in this movie. Not me. Every single person in Blue Collar Comedy Tour has great jokes, and each one is better than the last.

Unfortunately, I do not remember who is who, but the comedians are Ron White, Bill Engvall, Larry The Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy. Foxworthy, the only comedian known really well, caps off the film with some of the best jokes, but thankfully is preceded by three other funny gentlemen... excuse me, hicks.

As suggested by the title and the presence of Foxworthy (and the other guys, too, of course, if you have heard of them), the jokes primarily cover hicks and other working class individuals. The good thing about redneck jokes (not just referring to Foxworthy's trademarked lines) is that it is very easy to laugh at them, whether you are one or not - because making fun of simpler people is great entertainment.

Of all of the standup comedy sketches, Blue Collar Comedy Tour was the only one that had me wishing for more. All four men are hilarious, and that is all that needs to be said.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.