Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes: Digital Spy's review

Published Jan 16 2012, 12:56 GMT  |  By Alex Fletcher

"It's a second encore. Don't do a second encore," said Ricky Gervais in August 2010, when asked about the possibility of returning for a third stint as host of the Golden Globes. Something must have changed his mind over the following weeks and months, because last night Gervais returned to the stage to poke fun at Hollywood's elite in the hope of establishing himself once again as the bad boy of comedy.

But after last year's gasp-fest, this year's ceremony fell way short of Gervais's usually high standards. Firing gags about showbiz fodder like Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber felt like shooting fish, especially when a room filled with Elton John, Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg escaped unscathed by Gervais's barbs.

The second encore didn't turn out to be a disaster, but it was a mistake.

Gervais mocked Eddie Murphy following his decision to step down as host of the Oscars, but with predictable and tiresome smut about Jodie Foster's Beaver, the comic wasn't in the best position to be lampooning the movie flops from peers like Murphy or Adam Sandler.



> Golden Globes 2012: Movie winners in full

Maybe attempting to 'out-shock' last year's monologue would have been a foolish mission. Despite the supposed "outrage" at his 2011 gig, Gervais pretty much nailed the ceremony spot on last time. He overstepped the line, but his gags always had a purpose and the "shocks" were all in the context that is a fairly stuffy Hollywood awards show. If he'd come out all guns blazing and viciously skewered the dog from The Artist and made Elton John cry, maybe we'd all be screaming for Gervais's head this morning.

However, if the Extras star's plan all along was to "tone it down", why take the gig at all? For all Gervais's talents, he's not the slickest presenter or gag-man. It's his willingness and ability to get away with saying the unsay-able that makes him a great comedian, not poop gags about Helen Mirren or wonky wisecracks about Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas's accents.

Gervais's brand of humour is a welcome addition to the usual back-slapping, corny-fest and tearful speeches of Hollywood's awards season. But if he becomes one of the establishment who the celebs are happy to chuckle along with and give double thumbs up to when he mocks them, his position as the rogue outsider is undermined and weakened.



Cynics will claim money or bonus promotion for his new HBO series Life's Too Short were his primary motives, but both of those seem off the mark. Gervais could make easier bucks than hosting a stale old back-slapping awards ceremony and he's never usually been shy of shouting his mouth off about his own work, so it would be a curious PR move. Was he after an Oscars gig? Or maybe he just enjoys meeting A-listers and the free beer?

The critics' response to Geravis's performance has either been sneeringly critical or a general shrug of indifference. If Gervais fancies a fourth crack at the Globes, he at least has a reason and purpose now. Madonna would be watching her back for starters.

More from the Golden Globes 2012:
> Meryl Streep thanks 'the people of England' for Golden Globe
> Ricky Gervais jokingly labels Colin Firth 'racist' at Golden Globes
> Michelle Williams thanks her daughter at 2012 Golden Globes
> Madonna speechless after 'Best Original Song' win at Golden Globes

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