4/5 hilarious, anarchic comedy gem
  by Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood)
"Hello, I'm Jerri Blank and - and I'm an alcoholic. I'm also addicted to amphetamines as well as main line narcotics. Some people say I have a sex addiction, but I think all those years of prostitution was just a means to feed my ravenous hunger for heroin. It's kinda like the chicken or the nugget. The point is, I'm addicted to gambling. Thank you"....

Amy Sedaris' wickedly irreverent Comedy Central TV series, STRANGERS WITH CANDY, comes to the screen with a satisfying movie spin-off that will please newcomers as well as those already well-versed in the world of Jerri Blank.

Meet Jerri Blank (Amy Sedaris). She's your typical 47-year-old former drug-addicted lesbian prostitute, who decides to turn her life around when she's released from prison. Upon arriving home to discover her beloved father in a coma--brought on by his daughter's shameful lifestyle as she's continually reminded--Jerri decides to resume her life exactly as she left it - right back in highschool. Convinced that winning the science award will awaken her father, Jerri strives to prove to the world - and herself - that even a drug-addled ex-con with lesbian tendencies can make their mark!

The original TV series, fashioned as a parody on the old-style After School specials, was a cult sensation for Comedy Central and ran for several seasons. When the time came for a movie, Sedaris and co-writers Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello decided to go right back to the beginning of Jerri's story, so that audiences who had never seen the show could enjoy it as much as the hardcore fans. It was a smart move which paid off. STRANGERS WITH CANDY is a complete romp right from the start, capped off by Amy Sedaris' glorious creation that is Jerri Blank. Sedaris gives Jerri a soul, humanity, but also a great deal of comic irrevrence. She's a 100% fleshed out character.

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker have clever cameo roles; Deborah Rush is Jerri's icy stepmother, and Ian Holm has a small role as the family doctor. Reprising their roles from the TV series are Stephen Colbert ("The Daily Show", "The Colbert Report") as Chuck Noblet, the God-fearing, married science teacher trying to shake off the lustful desires he harbours for art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck (Paul Dinello).

The budget-priced DVD comes stacked with extras including feature commentary with Sedaris, Colbert and Dinello, deleted scenes, theatrical trailer, and the music video for "Atomic Car".

3/5 OK Movie, but a great series
  by C Wahlman (Merrillville, IN)
I knew coming into this film that there was more disappointment than cameos. Successful TV series cannot always transfer to the silver screen. But I give Strangers with Candy credit for attempting to make a longer prequel version of the show. They did not stray from the shocking, repetitive humor that fans of the series love and adore. Personally, that is why I watch the show.

The cameos were a bit much for me. Sarah Jessica Parker was pretty fun in her two little scenes, as was Matthew Broderick. Everyone else seemed out of place in their bizarre, very small bit parts. And most did not mesh well with the feeling that the show had.

Amy Sedaris is hilarious. Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello are incredibly talented, with one of the most hilarious story lines. I loved these characters on the show, and I still love in them in the film. The funny parts may have been few and far between, but they were good when they happened.

Yes I feel the movie was merely a glorified, prolonged episode, but that is all I wanted. Although, I do wish it had the same comedic gems as the show. For fans of the show it is a must see--as for everyone else, be wary if this is not your sense of humor.

3/5 Politically Incorrect Doesn't Necessarily Make It Funny
  by David Baldwin (Philadelphia,PA USA)
This is an OK flick but there's something a little flat about the whole enterprise. The writers, including the usually dependable Stephen Colbert, have crafted a film that is fitfully amusing but not particularly memorable. An example of the film's outrageous sensibility is an African-American school principal named Mr. Blackman. This gag was dated when "All in the Family" was on. The only time I had a real belly laugh is when Gerri, the middle-aged J.D., is swapping feminine change-of-life stories with a pubescent classmate. Gerri relates the rigors of menopause while her younger classmate talks about puberty. Star Amy Sedaris is appealing enough and tries to breathe life into the movie but mostly for naught. Not a complete waste of time but not a film I would particularly recommend.

2/5 Not as good as the series.
  by auberdauber0187
I bought this thinking it would be as good as the series and I was wrong. I LOVE the humor in the series, even though it can be a bit offensive (like Family Guy). I only laughed a couple of times at the movie and it was only at Gerry...noone else was really all that funny. Disappointing.

5/5 EXTREMELY FUNNY!!!
  by Pumpkin Man
This is an awesome movie that serves as a prequel to the hilarious tv series! A 47-year old ex-con, ex-prostitute, and ex-drug addict named Jerri Blank returns home and finds her dad in a coma. She returns to school as a freshman. Jerri makes some friends like Megawatti Sucarnaputri and Tammi Littlenut. A science fair comes up and Principal Blackman wants to win, so he hires a genius. Chuck Noblet puts together his own team to win. Jerri gets high with the other team, and gives them their plans. Jerri is kicked off the team and tries to think of a way to make it all better. If you love comedy, and the tv show, you'll love STRANGERS WITH CANDY!!!