The Super Bob Einstein Movie is everything he’d want it to be
The HBO documentary is a short but fitting ode to the late comedian’s long career

When your career begins with the Smothers Brothers and ends with you playing an all-time great TV character on Curb Your Enthusiasm, you’ve done enough to warrant an entire docuseries. HBO’s tight, 75-minute The Super Bob Einstein Movie about comedy legend Bob Einstein is far from that.
It’s not a complete examination of the late comedian’s career or life. But it’s still a worthy tribute to a singular comedic voice. Because the documentary focuses on the main topic the man known as Super Dave Osborne to so many would want the movie to focus on. And that’s just how damn funny he was.
If you’re looking for a deep-dive into the hidden psyche of a great comedian, The Super Bob Einstein Movie is not that. His wife, daughter, and grandkids briefly appear to discuss the man he was away from the screen. And his famous brothers, Albert Brooks and Cliff Einstein, provide insights into the man “Bobby” was. They share stories about what he was like as a sibling. As well as telling tales from their childhood. Like how Einstein’s relationship with their comedian father shaped his own unique approach to the business. And how their father’s death made Bob Einstein’s career in comedy so unlikely.
The film provides just enough information to give a sense of who Curb’s Marty Funkhouser really was, but without ever spelling it out for the audience. By the end, you’ll have an idea of why a man with some anger issues was still so beloved by everyone who met and worked with him. And it does that without slowing down the documentary from its true purpose.