OnDVD: 'Funny People' arrives for the holiday

Rogen, Sandler and Mann in 'Funny People'

Judd Apatow has become the king of contemporary comedy directors with such films as The 40-Year-Old Virgin (arguably his best) and Knocked Up (his biggest commercial hit and most influential property).

Still, Apatow decided to try something slightly different with Funny People, ostensibly a showcase for Adam Sandler, but also a film that revealed some aspects of his background as a former comedian/writer who later found success on the other side of the camera and off the stage.

Funny People (Universal), which arrives on DVD this week, stars Sandler as top comic George Simmons, a man whose proficiency at making jokes and earning money takes precedence over everything else in his life. But when Simmons is diagnosed with a fatal blood disease and given only a short time to live, he decides to take stock of his life.

He becomes a mentor to an aspiring comedian named Ira (Seth Rogen), and Ira in turn encourages Simmons to revisit people he'd once known and dismissed. That leads Simmons back to ex-girlfriend Laura (Leslie Mann) and a re-evaluation of their past.

Others with limited but key roles include Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman and Eric Bana.

Just as Simmons and Ira think they've got things figured out, there's a new development, one that threatens to change everything and also something that forces Ira to examine things more closely as well.

Funny People has its share of characteristic Apatow jokes and routines, but it mostly eliminates the drug references of past works and incorporates more dramatic moments and sequences. It's also among the rare Sandler films where acting and reaction are more important than slapstick and caricature.

Fans who want all the extras, including interviews, bonus footage and other pieces, can get Funny People (2-Disc Unrated Edition) in both regular format and Blu-ray. Those who only prefer the film can get the single disc version.

Either way, Funny People represents one of Judd Apatow's bolder ventures, even if it didn't do as well at the box office as some of his and Sandler's previous releases.

Holiday choice

The seasonal production Four Christmases (New Line), which will be released on DVD this week, is a decent offering for anyone looking for a holiday film that's neither based on a past classic, isn't a remake or doesn't have a particular message.

Anyone who's ever been trapped at a bad family gathering during Thanksgiving or Christmas will empathize with Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon), a couple who've spent much of their time away from their rather oddball family members.

But unfortunately the weather and circumstances conspire to strip away all their excuses for not spending time with their families at Christmas. As a result, the couple wind up in several less than desirable situations over the course of the film.

While the plot isn't exactly stellar, Four Christmases is bolstered by some fine guest appearances from Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau and Dwight Yoakam.

There's also just enough humor and realism to make it a bit better than the average seasonal throwaway vehicle. It's far from a classic, but still offers a competent and reasonable story.

Western classic

If Laredo had debuted during the 1950s, when westerns were at the peak of their TV popularity, it might have become a staple and remained on the air for several years. But instead it was launched in the mid-'60s, a period when the genre was beginning to decline. Still, it enjoyed a good three-year run on NBC, and this week Laredo - The Complete Series (Timeless Media Group), a 12-disc boxed set, collects every episode and presents them in chronological order.

The first two years focused on the exploits of three Texas Rangers with vastly different personalities. Reese (Neville Brand) was a volatile, animated sort with a quick temper. Joe (William Smith) was a great tracker who'd formerly lived with Native Americans and also enjoyed brawling. Chad (Peter Brown) was a wizard with a gun and also enjoyed gambling and romance.

This unlikely trio were also the best Rangers in the group, something that annoyed their Captain (Phillip Carey) even as he regularly sent them to handle the worst incidents and toughest cases.

After two reasonably good years, "Laredo" tampered with the formula in the third season. They introduced a fourth character in Erik (Robert Wolders) and even a fifth named Cotton (Claude Akins), whose sensibility and personality was very close to that of Reese. They also started inserting more comedic and farcical elements into the storylines, blurring the traditional Western focus. The show soon lost a large share of its audience and eventually faded from the scene.

But the episodes from the first two years are a reminder that Laredo at its best was an above-average western series, not quite on the level of Bonanza or Gunsmoke, but still a very good program.