Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger is the latest HBO special from the renowned comedian. This time, Rock's tour (his biggest so far) was performed all over the world (according to the intro, 141 shows across 8 countries and 4 continents), and filmed in London, Johannesburg and at the Apollo Theater in New York City. What's so unique about this fact is the clever approach the special's Editor took. Where other DVDs would stick to a single location, or maybe occasionally (very occasionally) switching between the different places, each stage will get pretty equal treatment, and the video will switch between the three places seamlessly and sometimes in mid-word. If you were just listening to the special, nothing would seem out of the ordinary, but watching it will have Rock's suit and the theater backdrop change quite frequently. One second you will be looking at his shiny black jacket, then suddenly he will be in his slim black suit with a white shirt, or maybe the navy blue suit with the black shirt. Rock's act (or the Editor's skill) is so refined that these transitions will only seem odd early on, but quickly seem quite natural, and often times amusing (like when he specifically mentions a city and you see that same clip three times with each city's name).

As far as Rock's Kill the Messenger act, fans and followers of the comedian should know what to expect: racial jokes, and lots of them. Since these performances took place during the 2008 Presidential Election, that is obviously a hot topic for Rock. But while he obviously favors (now President) Obama, he dings both candidates quite a bit. But he doesn't just stick to the candidates, he also takes a few shots at George W. Bush, claiming that W doesn't give a ... um... a word that I can't really say on a family friendly website such as this one. In fact, Rock exclaimed that if you were hanging off a cliff and all you needed to be saved was a ... let's call them lucks, then he wouldn't give you one. He would pull out a luck, act like he was giving one, but just put it back in his pocket.

Rock really hits his groove and returns to familiar territory when he gets into racial issues like his own personal neighborhood in Alpine, New Jersey. But he doesn't stick to race; sexuality is brought up when he talks about an actor who was fired for labeling a co-worker. Rock is adamant that not all "bad words" are actually bad, it's all about the context in which they are said. Much like most of the show, this rant is definitely hard to describe on paper, so I won't even attempt it, but it is definitely worth watching.

Rock's discussion on the proper use of words spills into interracial posse's, and the rules that apply. For instance, if you are white and you are hanging out with black friends and a Dr. Dre song comes on, it is okay to sing the "N" word. Because, there's nothing sadder than trying to sing along with Dr. Dre and having to mumble every other word like that.

Chris Rock actually covers quite a variety of topics in his special. Besides what is mentioned above, he will delve into the differences between a job and a career, having to pay for things that were once free (water and ringtones) and, most of all, the differences between men and women. It's all pretty good, and I think it is one of his better performances in quite a while. While he definitely sticks to the topics he is best known for, it's all new material that is fun to laugh at. I was a bit disappointed that there weren't any special features, but I quickly got over that since the show itself is pretty good. If you are already a fan of Chris Rock, or like stand-up in general, then Kill the Messenger is a good show to watch. Is it good enough to buy? I'm not sure, but it's worth seeing, provided you don't get offended easily or mind foul language.