The Funniest Comedies Ever

The Hudsucker Proxy
      1994 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A good film, just not one that makes you laugh out loud. As often, the Cohen brothers have created a cartoonish world, one that I found visually engaging, though not so pleasant on the ear as several of the characters speak in phoney accents at twice the normal speed. It's New York in the 1950s, and a recent graduate from a small college gets an instant promotion from the mailroom to president of a large corporation, a scheme devised by the board to temporarily drive the stock down to later repurchase it cheaply. Unfortulately for the board members, the presumed dunce invents the hula-hoop. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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Couples Retreat
      2009 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 5.5
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Four couples spend a week in an exotic resort for couple therapy. It felt like watching a lot of therapy, which is uncommon in the movies. A good film from that standpoint, just not a particularly funny one. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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A Fish Called Wanda
      1988 | U.K. | Laughs: 8.7 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.6
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Two robbers scheme to discover where their now imprisoned leader has hidden the diamonds. This film is a timeless classic, and not just for fans of John Cleese (the barister): all four lead actors shine on their own, as do some of the supporting cast. You might remember Wanda as a laugh-a-minute movie, but you may find yourself cringing as much as laughing, not least because of the sadistic brand of humor that animates the relationship between Wanda's "brother" Otto and stammer-afflicted Ken. Unlike many comedies, this film has an engaging plot with plenty of dramatic tension. In 1997, its winning foursome was reunited in Fierce Creatures, which deserves to be watched at least once. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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Idiocracy
      2006 | U.K. | Laughs: 7.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.6
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Humanity is getting dumber by the day, the opening sequence proposes. A "average man" who takes part in an experiment expects to be frozen for one year. When he wakes up 500 years later, he turns out to be the smartest man alive. The so-called "morons" of the future are frighteningly reminiscent of our contemporaries, of course, so this very funny film may have more of the documentary than of science fiction. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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Fierce Creatures
      1997 | U.K. | Laughs: 6.8 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.4
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Nine years after A Fish Called Wanda, the same four lead actors were reunited in this John Cleese movie. It's not a sequel—the plot has to do with the staff of a zoo defending their animals after a media moghul acquires their employer. If you need to compare the film to Wanda, you won't be happy: individually, each of the main characters is less than its 1988 counterpart, apart perhaps from John Cleese, who might be even better as a zookeeper than he was as a barrister. The plot is cute rather than twisted, the humor is straight rather than sadistic. Nevertheless, it's a good effort by a great crew, and if you forget comparisons for a while, you are sure to enjoy the movie and to laugh more than once. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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The Invention of Lying
      2009 | U.K. | Laughs: 4.3 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.4
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I'm not part of the sizable population of viewers who hate Ricky Gervais, so I was prepared to laugh as this movie had a good premise: in a world where everyone always tells the truth, one man discovers lying. Sadly, the execution was poor. For instance, the truth-tellers in Ricky's world feel compelled to blurt out things such as "I hate this job" or "you look awful" without prompting when they meet strangers, which borders on the pathological, and is certainly not the same as not lying. The movie would have worked better if the characters kept their mouths shut a lot more, speaking when asked, like "normal people". From that basis, there was a lot of room for comical situations. Skip unless you're a huge fan of Ricky's. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy
      1996 | Canada | Laughs: 8.8 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.8
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This movie by the Canadian comedy group "Kids in the Hall" was made two years after the end of their TV show. It's one of these rare cases when the movie is even better than the show. The plot: against the advice of its scientists, a pharmaceutical company rushes a "happy drug" to market before properly testing it. For sheer quirkiness this movie belongs on the same shelf as Python movies, but it's much, much funnier. Don't miss it. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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Orange County
      2002 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.2
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When his college counselor sends in the wrong transcript, the straight-A class president of a preppy Orange County high school gets turned down by Stanford University. As he tries to reclaim what is rightfully his, it seems to him that neither his drama-loving mom nor his authoritarian dad, surfer buddies, sweet girlfriend and stoner brother really want him to get in. For a movie involving high-school characters, this one is refereshingly low on vulgarity but features a cute story and good laughs. (Last viewed: March 2012)

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The Man with Two Brains
      1983 | USA | Laughs: 6.3 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.4
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This movie has one foot in the "watch once" category, the other in the "don't bother". The main reason I placed it on the "watch once" page is that it is the first movie I've seen where Steve Martin manages to make me laugh a few times. Martin plays a brilliant brain surgeon who grieves for his ex-wife and falls prey to an alluring gold-digger (Kathleen Turner). Despite the alarming title, Martin is neither annoyingly goofy (in fact there is no man with two brains in this film), nor does he draw on the hopelessly "white square American male" humor niche I also associate him with. Save this for a time when you are hung-over. (Last viewed: March 2012)

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Kabluey
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 3.2 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.7
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This movie missed the "unwatchable" category by a hair: after about twenty minutes, right when we were about to give up, it took a turn for the better. Still not laugh-out-loud, but a cute tender story about a man regarded by his family as a loser (he hands out flyers in a blue alien suit on a low-traffic road) and who turns out to be a calming influence on his sister-in-law and her two frantic boys. (Last viewed: March 2012)

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The Princess Bride
      1987 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 8.1
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I waited 25 years to watch The Princess Bride, certain that with such a title, this had to be a "girly movie". Ironically, in the opening scene, that is the very fear of the present-era kid whose grandpa offers to read him the story. Cringe no more, this is no romantic fairy tale, but an adventure comedy loaded with humor if not hard laughs and with with interesting character—except for the pricess, of course. A sweet and entertaining film for a rainy Sunday afternoon. (Last viewed: March 2012)

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Saving Grace
      2000 | U.K. | Laughs: 4.4 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.9
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If you have never left your house and nor watched a comedy before, you might laugh. Otherwise, this is just another cute feel good movie—a fairly weak and boring one, despite everyone's good intentions. Two saving graces: the brief appearances of Tcheky Karyo (who was Bob in the original Nikita) and Bill Bailey (who was Bob in Black Books). (Last viewed: March 2012)

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Just Go With It
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 8.9 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.4
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When a plastic surgeon's new girlfriend finds a wedding ring in his pocket (a ring he uses as a "pick-up instrument"), he panics and tells her he's about to divorce. To convince her, he asks his assistant to play the role of his ex-wife. As the web of lies grows, the surgeon acquires "fake children", and the whole party finds itself on a "get to know one another" trip to Hawaii. The movie starts slow, but the comic power steadily builds up, so that by the halfway point you're really laughing. It's great to see Adam Sandler back in Hawaii (hello 50 First Dates). Sandler does not have a writing credit on this film, but it contains many sandlerisms, so he must have contributed his share of material. Some critics say that the movie is a weak remake of Cactus Flower (1969), but these are snobs in search of ways to flaunt their cinematographic knowledge. Don't believe them: Just Go with It is marvelously funny, Cactus Flower is not. (Last viewed: February 2012)

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Bridesmaids
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 8.8 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.8
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Now well past thirty, Annie has been struggling to find a footing in love, business and life at large. Chosen to be the maid of honor at her best friend's wedding, she now has a hard time dealing with the plans for an expensive event that symbolizes success for her woman friends. Most of all, she struggles with another bridesmaid who seems to have it all. This movie made me laugh a lot. Despite the laughs, I can't say that I loved Bridesmaids. Why? Many of the situations reminded me of one of the things I dislike in the States—the horrendous fakeness of social interactions in certain contexts. The least real part of the movie was the young policeman with an Irish accent, played by the same actor as Roy from The IT Crowd, whom it was a pleasure to see again. (Last viewed: Oct 2011 February 2012)

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Superbad
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.6
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I tend not to enjoy films where grown-up males spend their time talking dirty about women, such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin. But when the dirty talkers are youngsters who have not yet experienced adult activities, as in Superbad, I tend to chuckle. Two kids who were dreaming of their high-school graduation party somehow find themselves at a party with 25-year-olds, and in other situations in the "grown-up world". For what it is, this movie is well put together. If you have a stomach for adult themes and foul language, you will laugh at least once and smile a lot. (Last viewed: February 2012)

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles
      1987 | USA | Laughs: 4.8 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.6
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This is one of those movies that is probably not as funny as you remember it—perhaps you felt good when you first saw it because it is sweet. I like John Candy, and I have nothing against Steve Martin, though a strange pathology makes me unable to laugh at his act, so in a way for me this is only half a movie. The plot? A study in the "unlikely pair" genre: two strangers get stuck together trying to get back to Chicago from New York City in time for Thanksgiving. (Last viewed: February 2012)

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Cactus Flower
      1969 | USA | Laughs: 3.9 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.2
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When a dentist decides to marry his girlfriend, the girlfriend wants to meet the wife he's supposed to divorce… but he had lied about being married, so he recruits his assistant to play the "fake wife". I'm sure this was a funny movie in 1969, but times change, and in 2012 it is not easy to identify to some of the characters. You may enjoy a bit of sharp dialogue and a few clever lines, but overall this is an easy movie to skip. The modern version with Adam Sandler (Just Go with It) is about twenty times funnier. (Last viewed: February 2012)

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The 40-Year-Old Virgin
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.1
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I like Steve Carell, and if anyone can pull off the role of a 40-year-old who is still a virgin, it is he, but this movie doesn't really make me laugh. In some ways, this is a cute story. In other ways, it's another boring excuse to show a group of men talking dirty. If you're stuck at home with the flu and run out of things to watch, this film will help you kill a couple of hours. Otherwise, skip it. (Last viewed: February 2012)

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The Delicate Art of Parking
      2003 | Canada | Laughs: 1.8 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.4
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This mockumentary / satire about parking enforcement officers took a bit of work to watch. The main reason we went through with it was to see some of the crew of Corner Gas. To start with, the camera work was awful. To convey a sense of filming on the streets, the image is jumpy to the point of making you want to throw up. This is a stupid technique, guys, please grow up and lose that. Each of the actors performs well. Yet the overall performance is only a couple notches above that of a student film. That's because the film suffers from the mixed-genre syndrome—the producers didn't seem to have decided whether the movie was meant to be a believable mockumentary like Kenny or an all-out satire. On the mockumentary side, the tow truck driver is excellent and gives you a feel for his job. On the satire side, most of the characters are geeky caricatures. You don't feel a sense of compassion or love for the subject, unlike in Kenny, where you walk out with a lot of respect for portable toilet installers. Here, you can't help but feel that in the director's mind parking enforcers are a topic of ridicule. All that being said, there's a lot to enjoy in the film—starting with the actors' individual performances—but the overall product gets low marks. (Last viewed: February 2012)

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Coneheads
      1993 | USA | Laughs: 8.4 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 5.3
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A couple of aliens with pointy heads crash their space craft somewhere in America. As they await the rescue ship scheduled to pick them up after 18 years, they adapt to their new home. The poster may not inspire you to watch this film, but you have to ask yourself if you want to look smart tonight or if you want to laugh. The aliens are sometimes hard to understand, but what you do understand is funny. I enjoyed the guest appearances of comedy greats such as Adam Sandler and Seinfeld's Kramer and George. One of those low-rated movies that can really pull the laughs. (Last viewed: January 2012)

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Delirious
      1991 | USA | Laughs: 4.9 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 5.8
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After a car accident, the writer of a TV series finds himself living in the world of his TV drama, a world where whatever he writes soon turns into reality. It's nice to see John Candy, and the movie certainly has a few laughs, but too few to overcome the plot's painful weakness. Bill Murray fans may want to sit through this movie once for the scene where John Candy impresses everyone with a virtuoso piano performance followed by an execution of a life-saving Heimlich maneuver… just as in Groundhog Day, which didn't come out until two years later! (Last viewed: January 2012)

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Scoop
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 4.6 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.7
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This "crime comedy" by Woody Allen is tight and well cast. It has a few good chuckles (no belly laughs), but I was too nervous with the crime story to truly enjoy it. I don't know what happened to Woody Allen in the 21st century, but since about 2005 he seems to have matured tremendously—perhaps that's what turning 70 does to you. In the 1990s I had become allergic to his films, but I've found several of his late productions to be polished, accomplished films. (Last viewed: January 2012)

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Quick Change
      1990 | USA | Laughs: 9.8 (Laugh Out Loud) | imdb: 6.8
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I love it that this little-known movie, recommended by a reader of this page, made us laugh more than most of the big-name comedies that take up all the shelf space at the video stores. (That's what this page is all about!) What can you do, Bill Murray is a legend. The plot can have holes as large as a frozen pizza, there can be a dull minute of mindless action, but you don't care because you know you'll be laughing in just a moment. Oh, what's it about? Three friends pull off a genius bank robbery. Now they can't get out of New York. (Last viewed: December 2011)

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Rushmore
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 8.3 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.7
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An incredibly enterprising 15-year-old has carved a parallel universe for himself at the prestigious private school he attends. When he befriends a female teacher with a British accent and a successful entrepreneur (an older version of himself?), Max's universe soon turns on its head. They had to turn Bill Murray about three quarters of the way down to make room for our young hero, and it's somehow delicious to take Bill one sip at a time. I was surprised at how much I laughed the second time I saw Rushmore. Beyond the laughs, I just love the story, the directing, the photography, the atmosphere. The sweetness of the characters somehow reminds me of another school-years movie, Ferris Bueller. (Last viewed: December 2011)

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So I Married An Axe Murderer
      1993 | USA | Laughs: 7.1 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.4
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A series of coincidences makes a hesitant young man wonder if his girlfriend might be the serial "honeymoon killer" his mom read about in the National Enquirer. A chance for Mike Meyers to polish two of his characters four years before Austin Powers. The laughs are there, but somehow I looked forward to the movie ending, perhaps because I have overdosed on Mike Myers' antics. (Last viewed: December 2011)

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The Man Who Knew Too Little
      1997 | USA | Laughs: 5.4 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.6
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If you're a die-hard fan of Bill Murray, you'll want to watch this movie once, if only for the last scene, where Bill's Cossack dance draws laughter in the burlesque tradition of old Chaplin movies. Other than that, the plot is only moderately engaging and occasionally funny. In the rather narrow "spy who doesn't know he's a spy" genre to which this film belongs, my first choice would be The Tall Blond Man With a Black Shoe. (Last viewed: December 2011)

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Kingpin
      1996 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.9
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An unlikely pair travels cross-country to Reno to compete in a bowling tournament with a prize money of a million dollars. This movie has its cute moments, but the laughs are rare. I would really not bother watching it unless you're a huge Bill Murray fan and want to catch him as a pro bowler at the start and the end of the movie. In that case, you'll also enjoy the short appearance of Larry the cameraman from Groundhog Day. (Last viewed: December 2011)

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Scrooged
      1988 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 7.0
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I love Bill Murray, and you see a lot of Bill Murray in Scrooged. But for most of the movie, Bill looks like he's wondering "What am I doing in this movie?" It was very loud. I laughed once. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. (Last viewed: December 2011)

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Mama's Boy
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 7.9 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 5.2
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A 29-year-old "teenager" lives at home with mom and makes it hard for her to develop a relationship with a charismatic success coach. Another very funny movie with a dismal Rotten Tomatoes rating. But we're measuring laughs here, not whether a movie should belong on the golden list of cultural material approved by New York intellectuals. Apart from its name, this film contains at least one reference to the previous year's Grandma's Boy, whose funniest scene involved the game Dance Dance Revolution: Jeffrey too appears to be a fan. (Last viewed: November 2011)

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Starsky & Hutch
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 7.3 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.1
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Ben Stiller makes a great Starsky. I don't know if Owen Wilson makes a great Hutch, but he makes a great partner for Ben Stiller in this homage to the classic 1970s cop TV series. The series' formula was action with a smile. Here, the ratio has been inverted: the film is definitely a comedy, though it sports an entirely bearable drug-deal-plot as an excuse to see the two comedians do donuts in their gorgeous red-and-white Gran Torino. (Last viewed: November 2011)

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