Laugh-In

Vince Vaughn does a solid for four up-and-coming stand-up comedians in Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show. The film is nothing more than a document of Vaughn's tour, during which the five-man troupe played 30 shows in 30 nights all across the country. Unlike, say, Jerry Seinfeld's Comedian, which had a lofty purpose of trying to bring meaning to the life of a stand-up, or even, say, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, this film doesn't seek to do anything but give exposure to these four rising talents and show the group having a good time performing. Along the way, you meet the guys' families (which tries to explain where their comedy comes from) and hang out as the guys prepare to take the stage. Special guests appear, including Jon Favreau and Justin Long, plus Peter Billingsley (from A Christmas Story), who is not only one of the film's exec producers but also Vaughn's best friend. Some of the comedy hits and some misses — Ahmed Ahmed seems to be the most consistent performer — and there's an extended section about the guys supporting victims of Hurricane Katrina (the movie was shot in the fall of 2005) that is a bit of a downer, but mostly, this is a fun film. Is it as funny as the trailer would have you believe? No. Is it worth running to the theater to pay $10? No. Is it as bad as Vaughn's most recent comedy flicks, The Break-Up and Fred Claus? Thankfully, no. But if you're a fan of stand-up, this is an enjoyable 100 minutes. I'm giving VV's WWCS a B.