Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer (2023 TV Special) User Reviews

A moment with Dave Chappelle

[lemasive · 6/10 · 16 January 2024]

This special is made for people who want to be Dave Chappelle's friend, it's a slow-paced monologue dealing with his own experiences and situations. While he is an excellent storyteller, it's not funny or engaging as the material is drawn out way too long.

I'm not a person who has heroes or looks up to people, but I think this special is made for those who like the concept of Dave Chappelle and want to spend time with him.

This special is a reminiscence of something one would find a good host at a party doing.

So the act itself is Dave Chappelle but much more tired and expected, there are of course some shock value in the act, however, it's something we know will come and the entire audience knows what is coming.

I recommend this special to those who are fans of Dave Chappelle, but if you're looking for a fun stand up you can probably find better.

The return of preachy Dave... Has some humor, but there isn't much.

[Airman87 · 6/10 · 5 January 2024]

Fortunately for comedy, The Dreamer and Chappelle once again go out of their way to prove no one deserves special treatment or should be off limits from being the recipient of a joke. Unfortunately for us, Dave spends a large chunk of this special for 'story time with Dave' rather than focusing on the laughs. The setups for many punchlines are often too stretched and segue into other life stories.

Preachy Dave is back, going on a long-winded and somewhat incoherent set of stories from Russian Mobsters to Lil Nas X. The ending of the special really ruined an otherwise typical set for Chapelle. It came off as a self-absorbed sermon devoid of humor. Chapelle is one of the GOATs, and it's disheartening to see him feel the need to flaunt such borderline narcissistic behavior.

I hope Dave can get back focused on his next special. Give us a comedian doing an hour of comedy ravaging everyone and everything, not a pastor preaching a life full of dreams.

Great comedy special

[grantss · 8/10 · 2 January 2024]

A Dave Chappelle stand-up comedy special, recorded in 2023 at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC. Chappelle reminisces about his start in comedy and the importance of having a dream. The Will Smith-Chris Rock incident also gets a mention.

If you know Dave Chappelle's comedy and his stand-up specials you know what to expect: un-PC, unfiltered, irreverent and nobody and nothing is above being the subject of a joke. This is no different as he boldly goes where no comedian has gone before.

Not laugh-a-minute, and his routines rarely are. He generally sets up the joke with a seemingly innocuous story before delivering a powerful punchline.

This is a bit more serious than normal as there are parts that are more thought-provoking and profound than funny.

His worst specials are where he tries too hard to be provocative, with his lines delivered for shock value more than for genuine laughs. Thankfully there's nothing like that here as his routine is quite smooth and unforced.

Great show.

Not his best

[jacob-mcbride17-53-695743 · 6/10 · 8 January 2024]

Upon seeing Dave Chappell had a new special out, I was admittedly pumped. I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not a huge fan. I've seen everyone of his specials more than once. This however, isn't close to being near the classic Dave Chappell standard we've come to expect. It started strong but fades pretty quick, that the sixteenth minute I'm constantly clicking to see how long is left so I can get through it. His joke telling in this is kinda lazier, and he's usually pretty poignant but here it seemed uninspired. This is almost feels like a quick cash grab. I'm not saying Dave is losing a step. I still think he's probably the GOAT. This one just isn't is his best. Skip it, and keep going.

Nice, but a bit timid for Dave Chappelle standards...

[imseeg · 7/10 · 1 January 2024]

Lovers are gonna love Chappelle and haters are gonna hate him indefinetely. The lovers are gonna see this show anyway and I can assure them that this is yet another solid performance, although a rather timid and non-controversial one.

Clocking at less than an hour this Netflix show can be divided in two parts: one being the usual standup comedy jokes which mostly features the slap Will Smith gave to Crhis Rock during the Oscars (old news?) and the atttack on stage Dave Chapelle himself endured. Fun, but no surprises there.

The second part is a story about having a dream. Kinda cheesy to be honest and not very funny nor making much sense, but okay, I always like to listen to Dave Chappelle ramble on about his thoughts, however incomprehensible they are...

Another fun filled Dave Chapelle perfomamnce, but a rather timid and laid back one for a change...

Dave Chappelle tests boundaries

[awsafzidane · 7/10 · 1 January 2024]

"You need to be wise enough to realise you are living in your dream.

And you need to be humble enough to know when you are in someone else's dream."

One of the weakest Dave Chappelle specials. But it doesn't mean that it's bad. It's still pretty good. Dave shares some nice stories with the audience. The final segment about dreamers was quite good, and a bit dark also.

But Dave doesn't dive deep into politics and there isn't much profoundness in his comedy here that can be found in his other specials. Mostly plays it safe. But he still does a fair share of jokes that will surely get this special some attention from the easily offended group of people (not the handicapped guys). But as a fan who considers Dave Chappelle to be a legend, this was a bit underwhelming.

"That's what men do.

Men make boundaries.

Men enforce boundaries.

Men test boundaries."

Un-Cancelable

[genious-35413 · 8/10 · 1 January 2024]

At this point, no review is going to make a difference. You're either going to like him or you're REALLY not going to like him because you can't allow yourself to like him. For fans of comedy and especially Chappelle, his opening bit is crafted perfectly - recounting how I got to meet a hero of his and how it relates to his ongoing views of people that say they want to be treated just like everybody else EXCEPT when it comes to jokes. Which, kind of makes them just like everyone else. It's time for people to stop getting so bent out of shape and enjoy and appreciate jokes about people - especially when it's jokes about your own kind. If you're somehow not sure whether to watch this - just give it a try and try to appreciate it for what it is.

Dude, just retire already.

[saradisc · 31 December 2023]

I'll be 45 this year and oh my god this was torture, worse than having to pretend to laugh and seem interested at what an 80 year old uncle will say at Christmas dinner. I laughed less than a random 10 minute tiktok session, which rarely makes me laugh.

Apart from his ability to tell a story, everything else is so off. And I don't mind a shocking but good lgbtq or disabled or whatever type of joke, but these jokes were so lame, he generally came off like a really grumpy old man who just has a problem with everything. I laughed hard with a line about a gay celebrity, and half a minute later he came back to it with a "gays ruin our children" mentality that only a 70 year old white man could think was a good second part to the first line.

The Gervais special was a bit mid but compared to this, it was a masterpiece, and he's in his sixties. The "dreamer", slap, and more personal stuff were quite good but I pressed play on a comedy special, not a tedx talk or a retrospective interview.

Needed more time or polish, because it's probably Chappelle's least compelling special so far.

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 6/10 · 3 January 2024]

I don't think Dave Chappelle has generally seemed as offensive as some people make him out to be, but he doubles down on that stuff here a little because of the backlash. It is a bit eye-rolling when it happens. Not because it's offensive, but because it's so expected and unsurprising, and the best standup comedy often surprises, brings something new to the table, or gives you something to think about. Or a special can get by on just being really funny, and though there are a few laughs here and there throughout The Dreamer, I do feel it's very disappointing by Chappelle's usual standards. I think he phoned this one in a bit, but thankfully not as much as Gervais phoned his last one in.

Also, I feel Netflix are culpable in trying to get public outrage and backlash to a maximum. The service has released two specials from prolific, oftentimes controversial comedians almost back to back, and at a time when family gatherings are at their most common. I wonder if they want different generations to argue about and discuss these specials at Christmas parties.

Also, I have mixed feelings about the final stretch of this special, when Chappelle gets a little more serious and perhaps philosophical. It's not bad, but his thought-provoking stuff is usually more interesting than this too, just like his funny parts in his better specials are funnier than the funny parts of this special. I hope he gets a bit more time to put out his next one, because this, while listenable, is very much under-cooked.

Start 2024 Out Right

[solojere · 10/10 · 1 January 2024]

Dave Chappelle is the Goat! And he once again kills it. I was. Just when you think he can't get any better at critiquing society, Dave Chappelle goes and does it. It might not be his best or most edgy special, but Chappelle isn't afraid to avoid controversy or censor himself despite past controversies. And in some ways, he is better at managing these difficult conversations than ever. He talks about everything that we as a society are afraid to discuss, and he says it how it is. No one would dare go where Dave goes. Everyone must watch this if for no other reason, to see the world in a new light. I hope that people will actually watch the entire special this time and think critically about it rather than just reading the shocking one-liners and jumping to their own conclusions like with the last special. And there is a surprising amount of humility in his set as he asks the audience to challenge their own perspectives and biases. Anyway, if you need a good laugh to start off the year, give this one a watch with an open mind.

Punching down

[AfricanBro · 6/10 · 4 January 2024]

Felt like the same old Dave Chappelle, how he opened with a long winded insightful words just to land a trans joke. Talking about how he won't make fun of them, I was kinda cautious because i think he kinda did the similar same thing with his special in 21. But he pivots. He was still the same old politically incorrect unfiltered Dave Chappelle. Pretty formulaic. Something that came to mind was some people, well mostly critics, other than his dark comedy, criticize Anthony Jeselnik for his specials after Caligula because he sounds like a broken record and doesn't try anything new. Mmm well, that's kinda what this special was too. One thing I'll say is he looked like he was really having fun. The story at the end wasn't all that inspiring. A lot of lectures, very didactic but it got a few pretty good laughs from me. A few. Not one of his more memorable or controversial specials but I still enjoyed it okay.

Dave Trolling the Trolls

[lotekguy-1 · 8/10 · 2 January 2024]

As I watched, I could almost hear the frenzied breathing and flying fingers of Outrage Junkies salivating like hyenas over fresh meat. Some folks never get the point. Dave has nothing against gays, lesbians, transgenders, the disabled or any other culturally victimized group. The butts of all those jokes are the ACTUAL bigots, and YOU who can't wait to broadcast a defense of others who never asked you to do so, and often would disagree. When you're "triggered" by words without regard to source and context, you're the one with the self-inflicted problem.

There never was a War on Christmas to whine about; similarly, guys like Dave, Ricky Gervais, Jim Jefferies, etc. Are active off-stage humanitarians, generous with their time and money. For stand-up, they've crafted a persona that includes taunting the Comedy Karens while giving the rest of us plenty of laughs, knowing their jokes contain absolutely no malice. If they weren't pleasing large fan bases, they wouldn't be making the big bucks and drawing so many butts in the seats.

He repeats the frequent criticism that he likes to "punch down" for a satiric point. He's mocking the complainers, not the ones they think they're protecting. Outrage Addicts are lower on the ladder, but they got down there by choice, and deserve to be punched down on more than Chris Rock deserved The Slap.

No one is forced to like this type of humor. If you don't, there are plenty of other options in every medium, running the spectrum from irreverent to devoutly religious, political to observational, etc. Calm down. Change channels and enjoy whatever hits your sweet spot. And stop interfering our EQUAL right to savor what we find funny and/or insightful.

As someone's Grandpa said, "If everybody wanted the same thing, they'd all be chasing Grandma."

Chappelle delivers again

[argylx · 7/10 · 8 January 2024]

I can understand why Dave Chappelle isn't to everyone's tastes, but I've always considered his comedic skill to be in his style, his delivery and his ability to raconteur, to regale with extended anecdotes. The first five minutes of The Dreamer were crass, no doubt offensive to many people and struck me with parallels to Ricky Gervais' latest offering, Armageddon.

But that's where the similarity ended. Whereas I found Armageddon to be intellectually lazy, low-effort and crass for the sake of it, it became clear to me as I continued to make my way through The Dreamer that Chappelle's opening minutes were merely a riff on the controversy of his previous shows.

From this point on, Chappelle dives straight back into his signature style, with some deadpan lines revolving around racial humour, his own recent history and press, other celebrities and his unique form of storytelling which draws you in.

I had some good laughs and even where I wasn't laughing, I was entertained.

What the hell was that ending?

[Ruskington · 5/10 · 2 January 2024]

In general this was an ok set by Chappelle, maybe a bit half-hearted and repetitive but still better than most of the garbage out there that passes for stand-up comedy.

But then it came to the finale, a 15-minute bit about... errr... not sure what exactly? Dreams? Being a dreamer? Something about Russian mobsters and Lil Nas X? Where was he even going with this?

Turns out it was nothing more than a self-aggrandizing monologue that lacked humour and humility. He really seems to have developed something of a God complex and his shows are suffering for it.

It's a pretty spectacular drop from being arguably the best in the world at his profession to this. Like I say, it's still better than most comedy but, by the standards he has set, this is a huge fall in grace.

"If you tell those jokes exactly how they're written, you and the kids should be fine."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 11 January 2024]

The fact that Dave Chappelle has another comedy special on Netflix highlights the fact that he more than survived the last controversy with 'The Closer', and is ready to resume his status as a contentious stand-up comic. I thought he really had something to say in his prior special, challenging the woke culture to really listen to his words instead of flailing aimlessly at what they thought he said. With that, he took a hit at the transgender community with that comparison to Jim Carrey channeling Andy Kaufman while filming "Man in the Moon". From there, he offered his take on the Will Smith/Chris Rock incident with multiple mentions, while cracking himself up repeatedly throughout his performance. A similar attack while appearing on stage in Los Angeles led him to consider the current climate for comedians doing edgy material, while setting up the audience for a Chris Rock response that brought the house down. If I were to be offended by any of the material here, it would have to be his take on handicapped people, as his characterization seemed inappropriate in a way that's different from his usual targets.

I WAS THERE

[josephcasillas · 7/10 · 18 February 2024]

As someone who was at the show Dave Chappelle was tackled at (BTW everything he says is true, you could see from the crowd everyone beat that man close to death), this is more interesting than it is funny.

I grew up with Dave Chappelle. He was and is my favorite comedian.

The Chappelle's Show shaped my sense of humor growing up. It shaped me as a writer and person.

And also as someone who grew up watching Killin' Them Softly, perhaps my favorite standup special of all time, it's really historic that he returned to the same venue 20 years later.

This special meant a lot to me.

Dave Chappelle and I have a weird history. My first time in New York City I was there for my 25th birthday. It was between going to the Comedy Cellar or The Apollo for my birthday night. We went with the Apollo. Then saw, later that night, that Chappelle made a surprise appearance at the Cellar. And I regretted forever not getting to see him live, in person, on my birthday and first time in NYC.

In this special, he's talking about what it's like to be a successful man in this world. And how you have to be a dreamer to get there. And it brings me to tears.

Fly on for all of us, Dave. Fly on.

[JasonS99 · 9/10 · 31 December 2023]

'The Dreamer' provides a raw and less immaculately polished set than Dave's previous Netflix outings (such as 'Sticks and Stones' and 'Equanimity'). Those who are desperate to see him deliver the comedic equivalent of 'drawing a perfect circle freehand' (...once more) may be a little disappointed at first, but this can be overcome by adjusting your perspective slightly and appreciating that Dave's presentation in this special is simply different.

Specifically, the usual 'smooth-as-glass' flow of 'back-to-back stories' is substituted here for a messier ad-hoc and human approach... taking perhaps more risk than ever before in the pursuit of what he does best and what we ultimately love him for: "you know... just fudging around."

For example, at times Dave will simply relay a ridiculous line, barely able to make his way through his delivery because he is trying not to laugh. It may not be consistently crisp (relative to earlier efforts) but it's endearingly relaxed and, as mentioned, very human. What remains consistent however is that Dave is awesomely funny - an absolute titan. Nobody else today can touch him on that front.

A strong stomach is required for the opening segment, in which Dave defiantly demonstrates that his muscular comedy mind has no boundaries where he dare not go. We, the audience, might get uncomfortable (at times), but so long as we buy into and applaud the mantra of "just fudging around" we must simultaneously accept that it would be missing the point to draw the line for anyone in particular. In for a penny, in for a pound.

For anyone that finds the opening too harsh, I recommend persevering as the remainder of the set may recalibrate your sensitivities. It's not long before Dave once again reveals his human empathy for others. Those with a keen ear will know that he has always possessed empathy for all by the bucketload.

However, I must concede... although it's obvious that Dave is playing on negative expectations of himself in this opening, he does so with perhaps the most knowingly 'troll-like' joke in his entire catalogue. After presenting quite compelling arguments for people "not listening" to him in earlier specials, it feels a little uncouth and 'un-Dave-like' to goad so brazenly. I expect Dave led with that joke to reassert his sense of control, and his comment that he 'loves punching down' is obviously dripping with sarcasm. But some watching may possibly miss Dave's artistic nuance entirely (i.e. It is the 'flip / trick' itself, from telling a mild-mannered story and suddenly delivering a shocking comment, that I believe is the meat of the joke) and instead only laugh for the reason that 'upsetting / goading others is fun'... which can be true in small and playful doses, sure, but it ought not to be the leading or sole angle for a wider suite of jokes, in my opinion. Likewise, people that have not watched his earlier specials for context may get the wrong idea and assume that Dave's humour is principally rooted in being cruel, which I really do not think is true but I could see how someone could get that unfortunate impression from this opening section if they haven't invested more time in Dave's work.

Wisely, this material is used very sparingly, and I am always willing for material to challenge me, but nevertheless... Dave ought to be careful to avoid his satire being misunderstood, which could see him becoming a champion for unsavoury persons.

Otherwise, Dave remains a joy to watch in this special, just like any performance by someone who is a true master of their art. His mannerisms and facial expressions provide just as much entertainment as the words he uses. He speaks and laughs so freely it's honestly like watching a bird fly.

Fly on for all of us, Dave. Fly on.

I Hope Dave is O.K.

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 26 February 2024]

I'm probably not the best judge of this last Netflix special by Dave Chappelle because I'd heard about half of his jokes when I saw him live earlier that year. You can't expect a comedian to come up with an hour of brand new material in a few months. I actually didn't even plan on watching it until someone (who hadn't seen him recently) told me to watch.

Dave doubled down on trans people, brought up the Will Smith-Chris Rock debacle in reference to his own brush with a stage-rusher, and talked about other various significant events from his own life. It was part reflection, part comedy which seems to be Chappelle's new M. O. I hope he's not dying.

EXCELLENT

[labeebah · 10/10 · 4 January 2024]

Dave did a great job, I laughed so hard at the jokes. He has great delivery and good story telling. Nobody is safe from being made fun of but it's all in good fun for us to laugh at each other. Anyone triggered by his jokes needs to lighten up. Dave isn't afraid to make fun of anyone and that is why I love comedy so much. I wish Dave would go back and do sketch comedy again, there are so much about our modern clown world that he can poke fun at. Gay, trans, straight, black, white, rich or poor we all need to be able to laugh at how ridiculous this world is, it could be a healing process. Thanks.

Life is but a dream?

[ThurstonHunger · 8/10 · 1 January 2024]

Grateful for the New Year's Eve tradition and Dave coming down the electric chimney. And DC from DC, 24 years in....all part of an exquisite package.

Dave's got jokes, but the key is how he let's them out of the safe deposit box. He's a very gifted story-teller, and he's had a life where even his nightmares can be spun into comedy gold. Maybe I should say especially his nightmares.

He's still targeting wokeness in part, and he landed somewhat early on this beaches to be fair. By no means the first, as I'm sure he'd admit. The opening is masterful, and if you expected him to back down on any front, I think you've not watched much of him. So maybe you'll skip this.

It's like if you got on a rollercoaster, you are not getting off until the ride's over.

The detail in putting this together is just fantastic, even lampooning the mandatory ovation/encore. Verbal throwbacks, someone could analyze the moves like a chess match and destroy every last ounce of humor.

See it now, before details leak or your kids threaten to disown you if you watch it. By the way, they are wrong....but we love them anyways.

I'm not sure enough people get healthy amounts of deep sleep to be living a waking dream but it would be nice. Like a Steph Curry three-pointer, Dave's dream weaving comes with a hefty amount of work to match the god-given (or I prefer the idea of god-stolen) talent.

Hmmmm, now I sort of wish "Deborah" had been "Mary Lee" - as in Mary Lee, Mary Lee, Life is But a Dream. Even if your life is less dreamy than you'd like, I hope this special makes you laugh and think a little. Ideally with someone you love nearby....

Uninspired

[srdikano · 4/10 · 1 January 2024]

Let me start by saying that I think in comedy everything is game. Comedy is supposed to be absurd, over the top and comedians should make fun of us. Even if on occasion that doesn't sit well with us.

With that said, I found this special to be profoundly uninspired. I wasn't particularly invested in the controversy from the last special, but him bringing up that LGBTQ rift seemed tired, self-serving and like an episode that should have come to a close already to give way for new topics, new stories and new jokes. But opening with more of the same felt rather lazy.

Then there's the material, which I just found to not be very funny. There's no other way to put it. I loved the Chappelle Show and I found some of his past specials to be positively hilarious, but aside from a few giggles here and there, this one just wasn't funny. As simple as that. The stories, the jokes and even the delivery felt like we were all just going through the motions with him.

It's clear that Chappelle isn't everyone's cup of tea. I personally like him, but this was not a particularly fun hour.

Dave has outdone himself

[juliahairchick · 10/10 · 1 January 2024]

Dave Chapelle's The Dreamer shys away from no one and nothing. Dave holds us in the palm of his hand and shows us what's on his mind and with such finesse and compassion I was actually surprised.

Dave took the time to really make his points and deliver them with thoughtfulness and also truth.

Dave is a stand up comedian. People pay to see him. Don't like what he has to say? Don't buy a ticket or teun on his special. It's that simple.

Comedians aren't supposed to be pc.

None of the great comedians have ever been pc, just truthful with compassion.

I highly recommend all of Dave Chapelle's stand up specials.

Still the Best

[tkdlifemagazine · 8/10 · 31 December 2023]

Even though this was done hour special, it was way too short. In fairness to Chappelle any special would be way too short because he is the greatest storyteller of the modern age. While he touches on controversial issues and pokes the sleeping tiger that is not the heart of the special. He tells great stories about his tour with Chris Rock, and the Will Smith attack from his perspective. He also tells the tale of the attack on him during his concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Dave continues to pump out authentic, funny, personal, and thoughtful material. I was excited from the moment I saw the preview for this one and it did not disappoint.

A Real Treat!

[drgeuka · 10/10 · 6 January 2024]

Of course, this special will get a lot of low reviews because of how folks feel about Dave irrespective of whether his comedy set was actually funny.

If you're here, and you haven't seen it, it's the best hour you can have! I laughed from the opening till the end, and felt stimulated throughout. You can really tell Dave is a true student of the arts, and weaves so much into his showmanship!

He does have a new target for his "punching down" kind of jokes, as they are called, and they are hilarious too! Put your phone down and tune in, as he revisits some of our funniest and most impactful moments of 2023.

Awesome job, Dave!

The borer

[talllwoood13 · 3/10 · 2 January 2024]

If there was any less jokes in this it would be a motivational speech about how we should all follow our dreams and we may end up as successful as him. I like Dave but this was just weak. I laughed maybe once at him meeting a rapper near the end of the show and not being in their music video.. but besides that it was dull. It's like someones cool uncle telling all these silly somewhat amusing stories around the holidays.

I found it pretty uneventful, never once was I in tears laughing. He made fun of that certain community and there was one good remark about a knife but this is certainly not worth subscribing to Netflix just to see. If this is the best Dave can do now I'd seriously retire.