DVD Review: Rob & Big - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (Uncensored)

The thing that makes Rob & Big so fun to watch is the fact that they are so down-to-earth. In this age of glammed up reality TV personalities on shows like The Hills and Newport Harbor, Rob & Big clad in jeans and t-shirts have an air of normalcy about them. Granted, they live in a beautiful house and have great cars, but they seem to know how lucky they are.

Like all reality TV shows, some of the situations presented are a bit contrived. In an episode titled "Do Work," after Rob has a nightmare about dying, Big Black practices evasive driving. How many times have we seen that on television? However, the two still make it funny as Big Black works on his martial arts skills and takes on two attractive females in paintball wars. Sometimes you get the sense that Rob & Big are playing to the camera (throwing birthday cake all over the house?), but it only adds to the appeal of the show.

As immature as Rob & Big are, they come across as two caring guys. When their dog Meaty gets into the garbage and ingest chicken bones, they both become noticeably concerned when the dog has to undergo surgery. When Meaty gets lonely, Rob tears down the skate ramp in his backyard to make room for Meaty's new Mini horse companion, named well, Mini horse. These guys also love their families. One episode on Rob & Big - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (Uncensored) that can't be missed is "Mississippi," when Big Black takes Rob to Sylvarena, Mississippi, for the Boykin family reunion. The guys overdose on southern cooking, southern living, and Big Black's crazy Uncle Jerry. Uncle Jerry is hilarious! A trip to a Tampa skatepark with Steve Berra and Bam Bam and the season two finale "New Cars," where the guys have people competing for Rob's UAV, are also standouts.

Rob & Big - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (Uncensored) has some amazing skate sequences and they use the theme song from The Courtship of Eddie's Father to open the show. I've been humming that one since I watched the DVD set. I bet if they released that song now, it would be a hit. Rob & Big has a lot of truly funny moments, particularly during season two when the series hit its stride. Most of the laughs come thanks to Big Black who carries this show on his enormous shoulders. Watching a 400 pound guy try to skate with a G-string, eat copious amounts of chicken wings or collapse the furniture is always good for laughs; Rob just feeds off the humor that Big Black provides by virtue of his outgoing personality. What shines through most though, is that Rob & Big are truly best friends having a great time together, and that's what makes Rob & Big - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (Uncensored) so much fun to watch.

Rob & Big - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (Uncensored) special features include: commentary by: Rob Dyrdek, Big Black, Jeff Tremaine, and Ruben Fleischer, deleted scenes, skate tutorials, Meaty puppy footage, bonus Mini footage, the music video for "Dirty Girl," bonus Uncle Jerry footage and the option to censor audio.