Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth

There was a time when people didn't even know who Dave Chappelle was. Now that this incredible comedian is blowing up the spot, Half-Baked gets a re-release and Showtime is more than happy to give him another television special to rant on. Even though For What It's Worth is hilarious, it doesn't come close to Killin' Them Softly — his first crack at a stand-up special. It's almost as if you can tell that Dave is about to have a breakdown when watching him deliver jokes about having sex with monkeys and a homeless man holding a bus hostage through masturbation. Dave just isn't as comfortable and loose on stage as he was five years ago and it could because this was filmed as his Rick James bit became a national catchphrase. For What It's Worth was nominated for two Emmys, showing that Dave really could do no wrong when it comes to freedom of speech, touching on some rather sensitive subjects and personalities such as Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant with great comedic charm. Though not as good as Killin' Them Softly, this DVD is obviously essential for fans of Chappelle, but new admirers might want to step backwards before tackling this one. The DVD contains a lone extra of Dave fine-tuning his jokes in smaller comedy clubs as seen through a single stationary video camera. It's not terribly interesting to watch, especially given the fact that a lot of the jokes don't come off nearly as well as they do in the final performance, but when it comes to comedy specials on DVD, you should be happy you're getting anything. (Columbia/Sony)