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World history makes great fodder for comedians. The absurdities, the characters, the modern parallels provide an endless supply of punch lines. Of course it takes a talent the caliber of, say, Mel Brooks to exploit the humor to maximum effect. And I'm very happy to report Colin Quinn, with a huge assist from Jerry Seinfeld, is another. I only regret his history of the world in 75 minutes, titled "Long Story Short" wasn't longer.

Quinn with his dry, understated Brooklynese has the perfect delivery for this razor sharp send-up of civilization. Armed with a jaundiced eye and a quick tongue able to mimic every ethnic persuasion, he gets laughs even when the lines aren't the funniest...though much of it is hysterical.

He takes us from the dawn of time through the Greeks and Romans, where it's all boiled down to the smart guys vs. the tough guys. And he crisscrosses from one country to another right up to the present day explaining their rises and falls in the simplest of terms. Drugs did in the natives of South America. Britain's world dominance is attributable to one word: contempt. And Rome was burned for the insurance money.

He's at his best when reducing world conflicts to the most basic emotional terms. Africa is your friend's little sister who grew up and got hot and the continent's civil wars are likened to six Brooklyn high schools letting out at the same time.

And while thousands of years are covered in a very brief time, the pacing seldom feels rushed. A series of projections along with sound effects enhance the experience. Jerry Seinfeld gets director credit, no doubt lending his own comic genius to the work.

The humor in “Long Story Short” is infused with plenty of witty insights...even wisdom. My idealistic self wishes it could be seen throughout the world. Maybe it could help people stop fighting each other and laugh at themselves. And that's no joke.