THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON
(not rated)
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
It’s been two years since Christine Campbell got divorced, traded in by her husband for his “new Christine.” She continues her self-centered life, juggling dating (a black man, no less, which she seems to think is a victory), her ne’er-do-well brother and smart-talking business partner. Oh, and there’s her kid in the mix as well, but she only sort of pays attention to him.
WHAT I LIKED
I was a huge fan of “Seinfeld,” I was very aware of the “Seinfeld” curse that followed its stars around. Julia Louis-Dreyfus managed to get a hit sit-com with this show (following the lukewarm “Watching Ellie,” which not a whole lot of people actually watched).
This show doesn’t just retread Elaine Bennett, which makes it stand out. Plus, Julia Louis-Dreyfus isn’t afraid to tackle the issue of her age. Yes, she looks fantastic for her mid-40s, but she is getting older. This is great for some comedy gold.
The season was a bit of a slow-starter, but once I warmed up to the characters, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. It doesn’t try to teach us anything. Instead, it revels in the characters’ unpleasantness… which is one of the keys to the greatness of “Seinfeld.”
Yeah, I liked “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” I even liked Wanda Sykes in the show… and I normally can’t stand her.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The third season of “The New Adventures of Old Christine” was a casualty of the recent writer’s strike, and that’s a shame. The show was really hitting a stride mid-season. Unfortunately, it ended its season with only ten episodes, and that was a real bummer.
DVD FEATURES
Nothing. Not even special features. Though, to be fair, this appears to be par for the course in exclusive WBShop.com titles.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her post-“Seinfeld” career.