If I took the 5 funniest scenes and 10 funniest jokes and combined it with a half dozen very good performances I'd have to give this movie 8 out of 10.But... when I add in the other 90% (1 Star), I end up with 2 (bad).

Over the last 20 years De Niro has taken a lot of crap for putting out a lot of crap movies.... And justifiably so in my opinion... He went from being one of the greatest living actors to being a parody of himself. It seemed like this movie was his attempt to redeem himself by attempting to really act again. Sadly, he feel short. This movie was evidence he's totally lost "it" and he's never getting it back.

My first review ever, and it's free form. I can't say enough good things about this movie. It's real, the characters are fleshed out so well, the writing is clever, the acting right on the nose. De Niro is a real "go- getter" as Jackie, potential has been trying to make his way in a changing world. Brutally frank in his humor and unwilling to compromise his take on situations that loom up, it's a fine portrayal and one accompanied by a fine supporting cast. I know he spent years trying to get it made and I hope he doesn't feel disappointed over the box office. It's a real triumph in my eyes, I thoroughly enjoyed it, a film with much substance and humanity. By some of the other reviews I can see not everyone feels the same and it was this that, after all these years of reading reviews on the IMDb finally prompted me to write one of my own. Kudos! I loved it. Thank you for the joy it brought to me.

Jackie Burke (Robert DeNiro) a former TV star tries his hand at Stand-up Comedy and fails for the most part as the audience wants to remember him as that former TV star, but he prevails when some videos go viral and he becomes a shock jock comedian. I looked at this as a slice of life for someone who was once famous for a TV show and then honestly tries his hand at Stand-up. Yes, there is a lot of language in here and sometimes I felt he would embarrass himself, but somehow he gets away with it; and yes, there are some raunchy utterances too. Those videos that go viral get him the attention and jobs he needs to succeed. It all starts when Jackie punches an audience member who was taping and criticizing his act and that scene went viral. See? Since he won't apologize to that member, as part of his sentence for being in contempt of court, he goes to jail for 30 days and later meets love interest Harmony Schiltz (Leslie Mann) at the homeless soup kitchen where he must complete community service.All in all there are plenty of chuckles as well as all the language and raunchy stuff. Many dialogues are honest and often funny without intending to be. Notables: Danny DeVito as Jackie's brother James; Pattie LuPone as Flo married to James; Edie Falco as Miller, Jackie's agent; Harvey Keitel as Mac Schiltz, Harmony's father; Charles Grodin as Dick D'Angelo the Abbot at the Friar's club; Cloris Leachman as May Connor a 95-yrs old movie star who is honored at the Friar's club roast; and Billy Crystal as himself when he meets Jackie in an elevator.One thing about Jackie's Stand-up. He never had any prepared material. It was always off the cuff. So much had happened in his life (those videos) it was only natural he talked about some of those things on stage and it worked. I honestly didn't think DeNiro could pull this off as I thought he bombed in previous comedies I am sorry to say I watched and I was pleasantly surprised in here. But think of it this way: He honestly didn't try to be funny. That was the key to this success. He is acting in a drama and trying to get his character's life back after success in a popular TV show and doing Stand-up is hard, but he knows there is an audience for raunchy humor and he goes for it. And while doing all of this he is given good funny lines at times. (And raunchy lines too) All in all DeNiro does a credible job. (7/10)Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.