Having dabbled in stand-up comedy in my youth, there were a few key performances that inspired me; Eddie Murphy's Delirious and Raw concerts, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Eddie Griffiths and Bill Hicks. If I'd seen Jamie Foxx back then, he would have been added to that list.

Jamie Foxx isn't really known as a stand up comic on this side of the pond, but in the States he's made a name for himself on shows such as In Living Color and The Jamie Foxx Show. Apart from being a comic, he's also a serious actor with roles in movies such as Booty Call, Any Given Sunday and Ali. What isn't that well known is that he is also a gifted musician and singer.

As all concert movies, there is no plot at all, just a stage. From the opening monologue involving a fear of the Taliban to outlandish tales from the sets of the various films that he has done, its pretty funny stuff. Foxx then goes on to his experiences in Africa and the differences between black Americans and native Africans. The humour continues as Foxx keeps the very amusing antidotes and observations coming right to the very end. With spot on impersonations of celebrities and a very skewed look at Hollywood, Foxx takes it all in his stride.

A lot of the material is quite aggravated and the observations might be off-putting to some as Foxx tends to really fortifies the stereotypical people that he has met. Some might be offended by the language and rawness of the humour, but if you look beyond that its obvious that Foxx's humour is based on the experiences that he has enjoyed. Much like Eddie Murphy in Delirious, (where Murphy mercilessly ridicules his entire family - drunkard father, disciplinarian mother and insane, barbeque obsessed relatives) its obvious that the victims of the humour are also the people that Murphy is closest to, and Foxx carries much the same sentiment.

Also much like Murphy, Foxx does a string of impressions which are total spot on (including how they walk!). In amongst menagerie of impressions are such gems as Shaq as the president, LL Cool J's behaviour on the set of Any Given Sunday, Foxx's meeting with Prince and the strange alien phenomenon that is Jennifer Lopez's arse. However, when Foxx takes to the microphone as a singer and sings whilst during impressions of other singers is absolutely spot on. As I watched this film on DVD, its prudent to point out that there are some additional items on the disc which are not included in the main show and out of these, there is more evidence of the singing talents (whilst being outrageously funny) of Foxx called Comic's Guide To Soul.

Crass, crude, but very funny, Jamie Foxx : I Might Need Security is a great show piece of comedic talent. It shows Foxx's energy as an entertainer and the ability to really work out an audience. Some parts might be a little to geared for American audiences, but that's to be expected as it was filmed in February 2002 in Oakland California. Still, it does come highly recommended for anyone who enjoys stand up comedy (just make sure that you watch the extras on the DVD)

Score 8/10