Ari Eldjarn: Pardon My Icelandic is a Netflix comedy special featuring Ari Eldjarn, an Icelandic comedian, who pokes fun at a variety of different things. The special is directed by August Jakobsson.
With the myriad of standup comedy shows popping up on Netflix, it’s becoming easier to get to know comedians from various parts of the world and enjoy what they have to offer. Netflix comedy specials have always been a mixed bag – sometimes they aren’t funny, some are hilarious, while others just have outright alarming things to showcase. However, Ari Eldjarn: Pardon My Icelandic is a bit different from the lot.
Why I am saying different is because Icelandic comic Eldjarn is unlike any comedian I have seen. Usually, comedians are these larger than life people who, along with their jokes, also incorporate a lot of energetic actions and movements that give the jokes more flavour. However, that’s not the case with Ari Eldjarn: Pardon My Icelandic. Eldjarn is a calm and quiet comedian who delivers his jokes in the subtlest way possible. This isn’t to say that they are boring or not funny – it is, however, quite different. I like subtle humour because, without the theatrics, you only have your words to entertain your audiences.
That’s exactly what Eldjarn does in Ari Eldjarn: Pardon My Icelandic. His jokes mostly encompass his country, Iceland, a place not a lot of people know heaps about. He uses the very distinct gripes and flavours of Iceland, its various quirks, mannerisms, prejudices as well as moments of pride into his set and provides a variety of funny jokes and moments that keep the mood light and entertaining.
This isn’t to say that the comic brings something mind-blowingly fresh or new to the table though. Most of his jokes, although funny, are things that we have heard in one form or another. The 54-minute-long special keeps you entertained, true, but you won’t be rolling on the floor laughing at any point.
Summing up: Ari Eldjarn: Pardon My Icelandic
Ari Eldjarn: Pardon My Icelandic is (almost) a sweet show that keeps you entertained throughout its short runtime. Although nothing spectacular, you’d be able to ascertain that there’s affection behind Eldjarn’s constant pokes at Iceland and the various Nordic countries. It’s a funny hour, one that is not too loud, and the soft-spoken Ari Eldjarn does a good job at keeping you entertained and taking you on a fun ride through Europe.
Ari Eldjarn: Pardon My Icelandic is streaming on Netflix.
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