Get a Disney+ 7-Day Free Trial
Start Your Free Trial
On Disney+
So what is the new Disney+ series, The World According to Jeff Goldblum? Well, it doesn’t cover enough geography or examine enough local culture to be a travelogue. It also doesn’t go into enough depth about any particular topic to be considered a true exploratory docu-series. It’s basically an opportunity to take advantage of Goldblum’s trademark “befuddled joy” as he learns the basics about a variety of topics. Some brilliant person, somewhere, asked, “Hey, what if we just kept introducing the unusually jovial Jeff Goldblum to cool things that make people happy? Bam. We got ourselves a streaming show.”
What do the episodic topics have in common other than Goldblum’s eager engagement? Well, looking at the first four episodes, they seem to be things which have existed in Goldblum’s lifetime that, over the course of decades, have become huge: sneakers, ice cream, tattoos, denim, gaming, etc. – things that started as a niche treat that now have giant conventions, pulling in fans from all over the country.
This review, specifically, is for the first episode, called “Sneakers” (in which Goldblum explores the world of pricey athletic shoe creators and collectors), but I’ve also watched the three chapters that follow and – for the most part – this review could stand for them as well. There’s a definite sameness to the series, as no one episode truly leaps out as being an apex achiever (so far). But the show is also harmlessly fun, so there’s something to be said about keeping that same level of genial and innocently interested energy running throughout.
During “Sneakers,” Goldblum wheels and deals with top-shelf sneaker salesmen (entrepre-SHOE-er?) Jaysse Lopez, participates in Adidas’ scientific testing for next-gen footwear design, chats with a professional YouTube “unboxer” Jacques Slade, and has his own custom sneakers crafted by “Shoe Surgeon” Dominic Ciambrone. At all times, Goldblum is present, inquisitive, and appreciative. His default setting is “fascinated” and it makes him a perfect fit for these brief dips into hyper-specific fandoms.
Do we ever leave an episode knowing more than we did previously? Not really. Sure, there are a few fun factoids that slip through, but mostly we’re left with the fuzzy feeling that Jeff Goldblum himself had a grand old time. He definitely learned something and it’s through his education that we’re able to relish the experience. He offers up very basic platitudes and his questions never reach far beyond “Why [this thing]?” (spoiler: the answer is always “because it makes people feel good”) but the cocktail that is 1 Part Jeff Goldblum and 2 Parts Fun Activity and/or Item is admittedly a very potent brew.