Flight of the Conchords: S2 (DVD)

Took me 16 years to get the second season!

They're still from New Zealand, still in New York, still broke, and still outrageously funny.Not a lot has changed in the second season of "Flight of the Conchords," which is just fine because the brilliant writing and hilarious songs are only getting better. Sadly this was also the last season of the show (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement wanted to move on), but it sure makes you wish that the Kiwi band's fun could go on forever.Bret and Jemaine fire Murray (Rhys Darby) because he's spending all his time on the Crazy Dogggz, and instead land a gig on a commercial for women's toothpaste. But then a lawsuit is leveled at the Crazy Dogggz and Murray finds himself broker than ever, while the Conchords find that they may be in trouble with immigration.When the status quo is restored, Bret and Jemaine have a whole new host of problems: romance with an Aussie, forming a street gang, attempting to top the "Friendship Graph," falling in love with the same girl and trying to win her over with epileptic dog benefits, Garfunkeling, an addiction to hair gel, attempting to get Bret a girlfriend, and resorting to prostitution to pay for a new cup.And Murray's job becomes more complicated when the Prime Minister of New Zealand comes to New York, wanting to meet President Obama and open "New Zealandtown." And finally, Murray comes up with the ultimate plan for Bret and Jemaine's musical career...Finishing "Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Second Season" is a bittersweet experience, because it's one of those rare TV shows that ended when it was at its quality peak instead of dragging it out for dozens of seasons... and frankly, it leaves you longing for more like Bret longs for his own cup. Maybe if we're lucky, someday we'll get a "Flight of the Conchords" movie.The hilarity of the first season is a little more finely-tuned here, but mostly it derives humor from the same sources -- mostly from the flaky, mellow approach of the New Zealanders and their attempts to find love and musical success. The dialogue is tight and funny ("Are you a prostitute?" "No, I'm the guy who wears the giant condom"), and it maintains that deliciously wacky surreality that the best musicals have (there's an entire sequence inside MEL'S DAYDREAMS).And unsurprisingly, the music is FRIGGIN' HILARIOUS. It covers everything from opera to dance to hip-hop -- just consider "Sugalumps," a parody of the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" that succeeds in being a thousand times better. Jemaine and Bret sexily prance around a restaurant, singing about how irresistible their "sugalumps" are.And the songs tackle subjects like cannibalism, epileptic dogs, being "freaky" (pillow wings!), sensitive rappers, angel sex and prostitution ("You don't have to be a prostitute/You can say no to being a man-ho/a male gigolo!"). Each one is tightly-written, with lots of in-jokes and clever phrases. And the music videos are unbelievable -- one has ninjas, fencing AND a two-man novelty band.Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are absolutely perfect playing... well, more comedic versions of themselves. Jemaine is a slightly brasher, sensible sort, while Bret is a sensitive dreamer who can't talk to girls he likes. Darby and Kristen Schaal round out the cast nicely, as their naive manager and their one and only deranged fan."Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Second Season" leaves you rather sad as you leave Jemaine and Bret, but the journey is definitely worth taking -- wickedly funny, cute and gloriously well-written.

[This review is about the show, not Season 2 specifically] It's impossible not to love Jemaine, Bret and their manager Murray, and even the stalker Mel and the clueless, but utterly self-possessed Dave. A hilarious, deadpan show, interspersed with brilliant music videos that pay real respect to the genres from which they are drawn, while being brilliantly produced themselves. And the songs are actually all great songs, instantly hummable and spanning an incredibly wide range of genres, from Prince-styled funk to Beatlesque pop. From hip-hop to opera to metal to the new romantics. They seem to channel everyone from Barry White to Serge Gainsbourg to, in one very bizarre but hilarious sequence with Russian sailors losing body parts (done tastefully), Sergei Eisenstein cross-pollinated with Monty Python. And there is a whole episode dedicated to David Bowie, tracing him from his Ziggy Stardust days up through Scary Monsters. The humor is subtle, and having watched both seasons about three times each, I keep picking up little asides or throw-away comments, or even gestures that I had not previously noticed, but that are hilarious and add to the characterizations. It's a show for which repeated viewing pays off, and for anyone with catholic (not Catholic) tastes in music, it's a kick to try to identify the influences behind the various songs (one easy one is the Black-Eyed peas parody Sugar Lumps). And what I love about the show is the humor never calls attention to itself. It respects the viewer enough to "get it". Jemaine and Bret never laugh, in fact, they almost never smile. there is no laugh track. And you can learn just a little bit about New Zealand to boot. It's just a beautiful little show. Ok, I've written enough. Just watch the damn show.

I loved Season 1 of this offbeat, sharp, and charming show. The reviewers here who disparage the second season mystify me. This was mostly fine stuff. Season 2 offers some higher highs and some lower lows than Season 1, thereby creating a package that is about as good, but this set has two episodes far beyond anything done in the first season. Love Is the Weapon of Choice and Prime Minister can stand against any TV comedy anywhere. Other episodes, especially the first, were as good as any from Season 1. But these two especially were biting, frightfully clever, well plotted, and full of surprises. They are the most entertaining video I've seen in a long time. The Japanese karaoke was brilliant. I watched it twice in two days and, if anything, it was funnier the second day.Unfortunately, these two sparkling gems are followed by two undistinguished rocks that probably looked funny during the creation, but failed badly to amuse and sink like, well, stones. Predictable, tedious, and ugly, they overstayed their welcome long before their completely expected conclusions. (And having a guest star adds nothing if the tale stinks.) When making a story about lovable losers, the characters cannot be too lovable, nor can they be too pitiful. There is a delicate balance when the foolishness is just enough to be plausible but not too much to make us groan. These episodes crossed that line repeatedly.Four hours of glorious quality in five hours of material is a good deal. The deleted scenes were hilarious...good enough to stand on their own! Snap it up and enjoy!

Zehn neue durchgeknallte Folgen von, mit und über "Flight of the Conchords". Der Aha-Effekt der ersten Staffel bleibt aus, klar. Dennoch wirkt das Konzept der Serie nach wie vor erfrischend innovativ; insbesondere im Vergleich zum restlichen Müll, der im TV sein Unwesen treibt. Super witzig, extrem naiv, manchmal subtil, meistens überdreht, immer sympathisch und stets behaglich. Fünf Sterne für Bret & Jermaine. Und die Daumen gedrückt, dass sich die beiden doch noch zu einer weiteren Staffel hinreisen lassen.

I would give this a 5 star but the order came in wrong and was flights season 1 rather than season 2. Company was amazing and send the second one in instantly and allowed me to keep the wrong item sent. When I finally got the correct DVD the case came in broken. The DVDs work well though

I think the first season was much better. It's almost as though they are trying too hard in the second season. I found their musical numbers boring and the story lines mundane. I'm sad about that too because I LOVED the first season. Perhaps with more Mel or Murray it might have done better. I did really enjoy a couple episodes though, especially the alzheimer's one. It has it's ups and downs I guess but again, not as funny as the first season.

I am so happy to have found this and for such a great price. My husband loves Flight of the Conchords and he will be so excited to get this as a gift.

One of the funniest tv shows I've ever watched. So underrated. One of HBO'S best shows. Wish there were 10 more seasons.