If you love “Life’s Too Short,” the often hilarious, always dark HBO series from Ricky Gervais, Warwick Davis and Stephen Merchant, well then right about now you’re probably also whining, that “The series is too short.”
Yes, fans, prepare to say goodbye to the little guy (Davis), who will pratfall for the last time tonight when HBO blows out the show with a finale special.
And like all the episodes that came before it, the finale is filled with some real belly laughs, which are inevitably and inexplicably followed by sad-clown bits that make you feel semi-suicidal.
On tonight’s finale, Davis gets a visit from Val Kilmer, his co-star in the old movie “Willow.” If you’ve watched the show, you know that big bombastic braggart Warwick has dined off his role in that movie (and “Star Wars”) forever.
Playing himself, sort of, he also owns a talent agency, “Dwarves For Hire,” which ostensibly gets acting work for his clients but from which he’s always scamming and skimming. And when a role does come along for a dwarf, he usually takes it for himself.
At any rate, Kilmer, who is hilarious here, shows up and tells him that George Lucas and Ron Howard have signed on for a sequel to “Willow” and that Warwick can be a producer with a “five grand investment.”
So to raise cash, Warwick brings together three loser friends who once had a minute of fame on TV and puts together a nostalgia act for low end pubs that no one wants — until customers find out how funny the guys really are.
So far, so funny — right? Right.
Kilmer takes such pot shots at himself you will wonder how he’s still standing — especially when he dons a mask from his “Batman” movie and asks people to name the actor under the mask.
Unfortunately everyone answers “Christian Bale?” No. “Michael Keaton?” No. Finally, “How about Adam West?”
To which Davis howls, “What? F—ing Adam West is about 85!”
Unfortunately all this good fun turns sad clown, and no matter how much you believe that finally, finally things will turn around and the little guy will be the success he always claims to be, well, don’t put down any bets.
As you start, so you shall finish. Or something.
I only wish they could have mined this treasure for more gold and less lead along the way.