Written by Shawn ‘MalloMan’ Rourk

Russell Brand is fairly unknown in most circles in the U.S. entertainment industry, which is a shame. The dude's stacked. A  comedy material. It's what happens if Johnny Depp and Robin Williams had a baby and told him to stick a penny in the light socket.

In his latest DVD for Comedy Central (Russell Brand in New York City) he tears through a set of blistering comedy that even Dane Cook would have to take notes on. All while dancing around the stage dousing the audience in razor-sharp wit and charm.

Brand's only other mainstream appearances have been at the now infamous 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," two topics thoroughly covered in the DVD. The VMAs were likened to a “bloodbath” over celebrity gossip and backlash from the American public, including FOX News.

Yes, it seems America doesn't quite know how to handle Brand's brand of comedy. (Please forgive me for that.) At one moment, he's prancing around stage flapping his arm and humming like he fronted Jethro Tull; and the next he's on bended knee talking about “playing” with the Queen's private parts if he were ever to be knighted.

His tone flutters up and down like the knickers of an indecisive whore the day the troops come home, scuttering from middle-finger-waiving punkish attitude; to foppish British sarcasm.

But overall it works. His timing and pacing are so well done that you're never left behind. It's rather like he and the audience have their orgasm simultaneously at the crescendo of the show and then enjoys a nice cigarette as you bask in the afterglow.

The DVD overall is stripped down – even for a Comedy Central release – not much in the way of special features, just Brand walking around NYC with his camera man, doing random things to either make people see him, or introducing himself to the American folks. You do get the sense that he really does care about his fans in the states. I also like the fact that it has the opening monologue from the VMAs, because he references it for a good portion of his set. So if you were like myself and didn’t see the awards and didn’t see the “bloodbath” as he calls it, then you can have a frame of reference.

Unfortunately, this DVD suffers from the same problem mostly all comedy DVDs suffer from and that is watchability. Once the joke is blown, so to speak, you can't get it back. However, Brand’s off-the-wall antics and fast-talking British accent can make most Americans miss something the first time. So I would say you need to see this at least twice to get a full appreciation of it.

This one is a good renter. I give this an A , nonetheless.