Overboard [VHS]
Fluid presentation and thematic cohesion are not necessarily something one expects in abundance from a man famous for breaking fruit with a sledgehammer, but even by the balding one's standards,Gallagher's Overboardis just that, flailing aimlessly for a little less than an hour. Granted, his Reagan-era political humor can't help but feel dated, since itisdated, but even his other bits feel less spirited than usual. What's presented as sketches on American excess quickly descends into foreigner bashing and dead-tired observations on the differences between men and women: men don't like to ask for directions, women spend a lot of time in the bathroom, yadda yadda yadda. The funniest stuff here is unintentional: audience reaction shots so ridiculously over the top that they must have been staged. When you think of it, there you have the most astute commentary on American excess: a standup comedian who not only tells his audiencewhento laugh buthow.--Bob Michaels