The Funniest Comedies Ever

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A quiet man who daydreams of larger-than-life actions is shaken out of his routine into a life of adventure. This is a cute light-hearted movie, but certainly not a laugh-out-loud movie, though one particular scene involving a helicopter pilot did make me laugh. For me, it is Ben Stiller's best role since Meet The Parents. I like Ben when he plays a nice guy, but for some reason most of the time he ends up playing a jerk. The soundscore is all made of "big music"—the kind of music that seems designed to make you feel elated in front of the "vastness of the universe"…Not my thing. Apart from that, this was a very pleasant watch. (Last viewed: January 2014)

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Blue Jasmine
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 0.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.3
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This might be a great feel-bad movie, but it's definitely not a comedy. Misclassified. (Last viewed: January 2014)

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A.C.O.D. (a.k.a Adult Children of Divorce)
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 5.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A man who has had to mediate the incendiary relationship between his divorced mother and father for most of his life discovers that as a nine-year-old he had been one of the subjects of a best-selling book about the Children of Divorce, whose author now proposes to write an equally intrusive follow-up. It is hard to say exactly why this movie doesn't work. The actors are competent, the plot makes more sense than most Hollywood comedies, yet toward the second half one becomes imbued with an overwhelming sense of "so what". Perhaps it is because in some sense the movie has the same whiny voice as these horrendous white boy bands of the 1990s—some of their main flag bearers, if I recall, were Hootie & the Blowfish, Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Gin Blossoms and Barenaked Ladies. Just as it was hard to care when some rich kid frantically strummed his guitar while lamenting that his parents hadn't bought him new wheels for his skateboard, it's hard to care about an adult character's parents' divorce of twenty years back. There are worse problems in this world. (Last viewed: January 2014)

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Charlie & Boots
      2009 | Australia | Laughs: 2.6 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This is not the kind of movie I call a "comedy", though it is certainly light-hearted.

The two main actors from Crocodile Dundee and Kenny together in an Australian road trip movie: that's a big draw, a formula that promises entertainment, fine landscapes, a good yarn, laughs and lots of smiles. But I'm sure you sure know that when the studios think they have a winning formula in hand, they under-deliver. The landscapes are there, the actors do a great job, the movie is sweet— but the story is very thin indeed. The film cruises on the skill (or looks) of the actors and the beauty of the landscapes, which are conveniently devoid of the hordes of retired baby boomers living in caravans filled with made-in-China junk—the hordes that litter every Australian back-road these days. A silent documentary would have done the trick. (Last viewed: January 2014)

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Gunless
      2010 | Canada | Laughs: 4.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

An wounded American gunman arrives in a Canadian village, where he struggles to cope with the locals' kindness. A cute, unpretentious movie that bears watching if you have an interest in cross-cultural issues and are in the mood for something clean, sweet and easy. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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Don Jon
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.6
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This is not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it might make you smirk most of the way, and regardless of its comical merits it's a good film. It deals with below-the-belt physical impulses from the standpoint of a young male at his peak, and with the different motivations that drive young adults of either gender when they consider relationships.

In the movies, references to pornography tend to be used as excuses for easy laughs. This was the first time I saw the topic treated in a lucid manner. From seeing tepid reviews by young adults, I am given to think that this might be a movie you enjoy more once you've gained some distance to the age group concerned.

The movie is not perfect—as a "solution" to the mirage of pornography, it seems to offer another mirage: to lose oneself in another person. That particular delusion would make a good topic for another comedy, perhaps when the director has gained some distance from the age group most under its spell. Altogether, a surprisingly solid watch. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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The World's End
      2013 | U.K. | Laughs: 4.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.0
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Returning to their home town for a pub crawl, five friends realize that it has been taken over by robots. This is a zombie movie in disguise. Zombie movies have never been my cup of tea. The best thing about this movie's zombie factor is that the gore has been minimized—the zombies look good and their blood is blue. But there is a lot of chasing and fighting that distracts from the main reason I sat down to watch the film: comedy. On the comedy side, the film has some good moments, but it is never a roaring laugh. The lead character is overly theatrical for my taste, and the humor is as tepid as the zombie-robots' blue blood. Overall, an easy skip. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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We're The Millers
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 7.5 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

To smuggle cannabis from Mexico into the United States, posing as the prototypical middle-class straight white American family, an unlikely quartet cross the border in a luxurious recreational vehicle. I found this movie very funny. The only reason I didn't love it is that Jennifer Aniston gives me acne, and I wished she had been replaced by any one of the thousands of actresses capable of playing the part—Tina Fey for instance. You might not have the same skin condition. Either way, the movie is one of the best comedies of the 2013 and well worth watching. Jason Sudeikis did a great job as the lead male character, and it was a treat to see Nick Offerman, who plays Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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Melvin Goes to Dinner
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

I'm not sure how this ever came to be classified as a comedy. Maybe it's so edgy you have to live in the New York City subway to understand it. The movie (what I saw of it) seems to wander around a group of young adults having dinner at a restaurant. Seeing that the first twenty minutes didn't raise my interest on any level, I gave up. Save yourself time, go have dinner with your own friends. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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Mean Girls
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 7.2 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

A sixteen-year-old who has been home-schooled in Africa enters a high-school in the States. All of a sudden, she must adjust to a world where the nicest smile is often used to cover the meanest intentions. The plot is nothing special, but it's a fun watch—I smiled a lot and laughed a few times. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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Date Night
      2010 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Once a week, to overcome the routine, a married couple with two turbulent kids hire a baby-sitter and treat themselves to their "date night"—usually a tame affair at a local family restaurant. One week, on a whim, they drive to nearby Manhattan, where everything goes terribly wrong and they soon find themselves chased by blood-thirsty mobsters. The two lead actors did a good job and the film had funny moments, but there was too much filler in between. The cast cannot be blamed for the tiresome plot. I'd suggest skipping this one. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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Ghost Town
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 7.2 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

After dying for a few minutes during minor surgery, a selfish New York dentist starts to see ghosts who pester him to help them with their unfinished business. One of them leads the dentist to grow fond of his ex-wife. I liked this movie a lot. The story was good, it was well put together and it made me laugh. Ricky Gervais does not always work for me, but he did a great job, as did the other actors. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Adventureland
      2009 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

To pay for his first term at college, a high-school graduate spends the Summer working at an adventure park in his home town. There are good characters and the movie is endearing—just don't watch this expecting to laugh, as it's a light-hearted movie rather than a true comedy. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Seven Psychopaths
      2012 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This movie may have a laugh lurking somewhere, but making you laugh is really not its main purpose. It's an edgy composition in the tradition of Adaptation, and it will please fans of artsy multi-layered scripts. For my taste, that form of storytelling is over-labored. Yet I found enough to enjoy in this film, which involves a Hollywood writer working on a script about psychopaths and running into more real-life material to inspire his story than he feels comfortable with. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Choke
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This is definitely not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it is an excellent light-hearted movie. Summarizing the plot would do severe injustice to this beautifully layered film, so I'll just say that the story involves two men with addictions, a mother in a mental hospital run by nuns, a good friend, a nurse, Heimlich maneuvers, the staff of a historic colonial village, and a big surprise near the end. Despite the occasional nudity, there is none of the usual exploitation of the female body. The movie features the two least gratuitous scenes of intercourse I have ever seen on film. A must-watch. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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The Way Way Back
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A teenager spending the Summer in Cape Cod escapes his family by taking a job at a water park. This is certainly not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it's a good movie in the light-hearted movie. I did have a couple of good laughs thanks to the character of the water park supervisor (Sam Rockwell), who carries the bulk of the film's comedic power. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Spinning Boris
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

IMDB wrongly labels this movie as a comedy. It's a good movie, but don't expect to laugh. Three American campaign political advisers are hired to help run the reelection campaign of Russian president Boris Yeltsin. Australian Anthony LaPaglia makes a convincing American, and I'm always happy to see Jeff Goldblum. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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This Is the End
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.6
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A group of Hollywood celebrities barricade themselves in a house on the day of the Apocalypse. Apart from a few good lines from Jonah Hill, much of the humor in this film stems from the grotesque nature of the plot and situation. Usually, when a movie is bad that is because it fails at what it sets out to do, but that is far from the case here. In essence, it seems to me that the producers tried to make a "cult movie" (something that is so bad that it becomes good for a certain audience), and they achieved that goal to perfection. If you're into cult movies you will probably enjoy this. I'm not, hence the low rating. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Sione's 2: Unfinished Business
      2012 | New Zealand | Laughs: 0.6 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This sequel of the mediocre Sione's Wedding is simply unwatchable—and that's a shame. The actors are certainly capable of the kind of performance required of the comedy genre, the Samoan cultural background is as interesting as ever, and Auckland is a nice city to shoot a movie. What's missing is a script and a director. The four friends embark on a search for another member of their community who has gone missing. Watching the story is like wafting through sludge. Given all of the movie's fore-mentioned assets I wanted to give it a chance, but 38 minutes into the movie I just couldn't take any more and had to turn it off. It pains me to say this because I love local cinema and don't wish to offend New Zealanders, but one is left wishing that the New Zealand film industry outsourced the making of more movies in their country to real pros from places where they know how to make movies forwards and backwards, such as the US, France, Italy or Germany. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Sione's Wedding (a.k.a Samoan Wedding)
      2006 | New Zealand | Laughs: 4.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This is probably one of the better put-together movies to come out of New Zealand—the country's films are notorious for campy plots, scripts and production. Yet it's far from tight, far indeed from the heights of Eagle vs. Shark. The priest of a Samoan community in Auckland informs four notorious drinkers and trouble-makers that if they want to attend the wedding of their friend Sione, they will have to bring someone, not just a casual date but a proper girlfriend. The plot is dull and predictable, but some of the characters are endearing, and it is easy to smile along as the four young men's adventures follow their inevitable course. That said, I don't think that even the film's comical peak (the elevator scene) managed to make us break a proper laugh. But it's refreshing to see a different cultural group at the center of a mainstream film, and if you have any interest in Pacifika, surely Sione's Wedding will be worth a watch. Just make sure to pick a day when you are in an undemanding mood. (Last viewed: September 2013)

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Mental
      2012 | Australia | Laughs: 6.5 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.2
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A mentally unstable woman is hired to supervise the five mentally unstable daughters of a mentally unstable housewife. But in the sterile Australian suburbia just south of the Gold Coast, who is really mental—the normal people or the loonies? Supercharged with female hormones, this movie gets loud at times, but it is well-constructed by the unreliable standards of Australia's movie industry. It delivers a couple laughs, lots of grinning, and a pleasant couple of hours in the company of Toni Colette, who rarely disappoints. (Last viewed: September 2013)

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Clear History
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 7.8 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Publicly ridiculed for having sold his stake in a start-up company months before it would have earned him a billion dollars, an aging exec moves to an island after changing his name and appearance. Ten years later, his former business partner moves to the same island but doesn't recognize the man who would be happy to blow up his mansion. I laughed. This film is a treat for fans of Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm. More than that, it is one of the funniest comedies in recent years (which, admittedly, will not be remembered as the golden years of the comedy genre). (Last viewed: September 2013)

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A Foreign Affair
      1948 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.4
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When a congressional committee comes to post-war Berlin to inspect the morals of American soldiers, a nosy lady gets too close to a captain who is fond of an entertainer with a nazi past. Past the first couple of minutes, once I got used to the quaint 1940s voices, I fell under the charm of this very pleasant and funny movie, which didn't unleash laughter but made me smile throughout. (Last viewed: August 2013)

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Our Hospitality
      1923 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A young man travels to a faraway town where he has inherited an estate. But he is the target of a century-old family feud, and he is soon hunted by the father and brothers of the young lady he has befriended on the train. Although this film won't make 21st century viewers laugh, it is surprisingly easy to watch, partly for its scenery and historical interest, partly because of its cute plot and descent pace. If you've got an hour to kill, don't let the age scare you. (Last viewed: June 2013)

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A Christmas Story
      1983 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 8.0
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This family classic is a charming, enjoyable watch, but if you're expecting hard laughs you'll be disappointed. Desperate to receive a "Red Rider BB gun" at Christmas, a boy makes clumsy attempts to convince the adult figures who are determined to keep him away from a dangerous toy. The literate voice-over narration by the boy's grown-up version contrasts delightfully with the boy's inept efforts to express himself. Well worth a watch. (Last viewed: June 2013)

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Meet Dave
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 8.5 (Laugh Out Loud) | imdb: 5.0
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An alien space ship lands in New York—an inconspicuous ship sized and shaped like a human being, and staffed by a crew of eraser-size humanoids who make "Dave" (as the ship is soon named) interact with the locals as though Dave were human. I don't know why this film has such a low IMDB rating. Neither vulgar nor loud, it was the best I'd seen from Eddie Murphy in years, and it had me laughing on multiple occasions. Don't miss it! (Last viewed: May 2013)

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The Watch
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 5.7
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This movie scores points for casting Richard Ayoade from The IT Crowd. Apart from that, it's another chapter in the decline of the American empire. A group of concerned citizens form a neighborhood watch to solve a grisly murder mystery, and soon run into nasty extra-terrestrials. Ben Stiller is the best he's been in a long time, while Vince Vaughn is at his worst—possibly after completing a class in overacting. Jonah Hill and Ayoade do their best. None of this matter: the script is below third-rate. You really don't have to watch this kind of trash: stay sane and give the film wide berth. (Last viewed: May 2013)

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That's My Boy
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 5.6
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Days before his wedding, a successful banker is reunited with his father, whom he had kept at bay for years. This movie is only in the "watch once" section for those who are curious about the work of Adam Sandlers; others can skip it. If you're ever in the mood to watch a bad movie, this is a decent choice. You know how sometimes bad can be good? I don't recall all the bad elements in That's My Boy—Adam's voice was certainly one of them—but there's enough badness here to keep you perversely entertained. (Last viewed: May 2013)

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The Trotsky
      2009 | Canada | Laughs: 5.5 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.8
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Convinced he is the Canadian reincarnation of Leon Trotsky, a high school senior tries to organize his classmates into a student union. Although I didn't burst out laughing, I loved the movie and chuckled throughout. Probably the best high school movie I've even seen, and the second excellent Canadian comedy I've seen in a short while (the first was Starbuck). (Last viewed: April 2013)

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Waydowntown
      2000 | Canada | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
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Four coworkers have made a bet as to who could spend the most days without leaving the air-conditioned complex of retail space and office space in which they work. No big laughs, but a very decent watch in the tradition of Office Space, featuring Don McKellar, the brilliant creator of Last Day and the TV series Twitch City, where he played the role of a recluse who never leaves his apartment. Go Canada! (Last viewed: April 2013)

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