The Funniest Comedies Ever

She's the Man
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.4
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

When her twin brother elopes to London, a girl pretends to be him for the first two weeks at his new high school so she can play on the soccer team. I liked this movie a lot. When women play men's roles, to me it usually feels phony in a really bad way. But for some reason, perhaps just great acting, for once it was very funny. By the way, what is it with movies about young women wanting to play soccer? They're really good! Actually I've only seen two. Bend it like Beckham was funny too, but this is funnier. I'll be looking for more films with Amanda Bynes. And young women who want to play soccer. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Tamara Drewe
      2010 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.2
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If I tell you that this movie takes place around a writers' retreat in the English countryside, it's going to sound boring. Fear not, this is not one of these English movies where "well-educated" middle-aged characters gloat in their pompousness. This a good story, it has good characters, it's exceedingly well put together, it has eye candy for everyone, and it's fun too—so don't miss it. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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BASEketball
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.6
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Right off the bat, I'm probably the wrong audience for this movie because I know nothing about sports. In the first quarter of an hour, I thought that was going to be a terminal issue. However, the movie started to deliver laughs and chuckles, perhaps one every five minutes, enough to make me want to hang on. The humor in this movie is an unusual mixture, some of it echoing with nonsensical themes out of movies of old such as Airplane. It's not high grade, but unless you're allergic to sports it may be worth a watch. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Arthur
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 5.7
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Visually, this movie is far superior to the original Arthur. It's a feast for the eyes. When it comes to humor, though, it's a big flat nothing. I stopped after thirty minutes because I was bored. My feeling is that Russell Brand (who was excellent in Get Him to the Greeek) is a poor choice to play a nice guy, but that's beside the point: no actor can be expected to make you laugh without a decent script. Apart from the decor and photography, this film has another distinction: that of being thoroughly unfunny without being awfully crass—a rare combination in the 2010s. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Arthur
      1981 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
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A young man from a blue-blood New York family drinks way too much, partly because his family wants him to marry a woman he doesn't love. When he sees a woman steal a necktie in front of his eyes, he falls in love. A very enjoyable movie, but certainly not a laugh-out-loud comedy. The 2011 remake is a definite skip. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Get Him to the Greek
      2010 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.4
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A record label employee gets assigned the mission of escorting a particularly difficult rock star from his London home to the Greek theater in Los Angeles for a major concert. This starts out funny but then just turns into a pretty good movie, with strong and attaching characters, so you forget that you started watching because you wanted to laugh. Russell Brand, whom I'm never seen before, impressed me with his excellent, believable performance. Jonah Hill was very good too. Warning: rampant adult themes, recurring crassness and gross-out scenes, presumably to please the 21st century crowd. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Due Date
      2010 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.6
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A classic "odd couple" scenario: fate forces a square business man and an eccentric actor to travel together cross-country. Apart from the one nod to the crass crowd—apparently an obligatory gesture in the 21st century—this is a pleasant watch with a few laughs. I actually liked it more than Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Both lead actors were good. I enjoyed Zach Galifianakis a lot more than in movies where he has to compete with a crowd of actors for attention. I'd like to see more of him in lead (comic) roles. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Hot Rod
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.7
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With the help of his gang, an aspiring stuntman raises money to pay for his step-dad's surgery. I find this movie astonishingly underrated. This is a "smile-and-chuckle" more than a "laugh-out-loud" movie, but the characters and story are good, and the cast is refreshing. And let's not forget an excellent 1980s-dominated soundtrack. I enjoyed every minute of Hot Rod and I will watch it again with pleasure. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Hall Pass
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 3.2 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 5.9
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Two women give their sex-starved husbands a week off from their marriage. It's less a comedy than a tragedy (not a bad one) about the plight of males trapped by their biology and the roles carved for them in society. In that respect, this might be worth a watch, but not if you're hoping to laugh. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 3.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.3
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The good news is that since Harold & Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay, the writers fished the Kumar character out of the sewer and brought him somewhat back in line with his old self. The bad news is that the magic of the original Harold & Kumar hasn't returned. I didn't laugh once (though there was much to smile about). And you can't ask the studio to bring back the original writing team, because it was they who committed the two sequels. Many of the movie's frames are designed to give those with the proper glasses a 3-D thrill—but that doesn't help when all you care about is the laughs. The actors do a good job, especially John Cho, of whom I'd like to see more in other movies. But the writers have lost their touch. Next they seem to be lining us up for something along the lines of Harold & Kumar have Babies. Maybe this time the writers will take a year off in a remote cabin so they have time to focus and write something decent again. Otherwise, let someone else have the job! (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Step Brothers
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 9.4 (Laugh Out Loud) | imdb: 6.9
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Warning: this film has some gross-out aspects as well as adult themes, sometimes graphic. That said, I hadn't laughed that much watching a comedy in a long time. It was a surprise too as I hadn't yet seen a Will Ferrell movie that really did it for me. Two childlike forty-year-olds who live at home—one with his mom, one with his dad—get thrown together when their parents get married. At first they resent having to share their parents' attention (and a bedroom). The dynamic between the actors is fantastic. If you can handle occasional crudeness, don't miss out on this very funny movie. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Heavyweights
      1995 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.7
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A Summer camp where overweight kids normally have a great time turns into hell when a new owner bent on promoting his weight-loss program takes over. I like Ben Stiller when he plays nice guys (as in Meet the Parents), but I don't enjoy his performance when he plays nasty roles, which he too often does. There's nothing wrong with watching this movie once if you're in the mood for light entertainment. The kids are fun and there's a lot of smiling—but no laughing, at least for me. In the Summer camp movie category, Meatballs is probably an upgrade, as would be Wet Hot American Summer. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Throw Momma from the Train
      1987 | USA | Laughs: 2.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

You know these self-absorbed movies about people making a movie? This movie is not about making movies, but it's written by a writer who seems more interested in writing about writers than about making people laugh. A writing instructor wants to get rid of his ex-wife, one of his students wants to get rid of his mother. The actors are well-intentioned, but what can they do without a script? I picked this up because I realized the site didn't have anything with Danny DeVito, who is supposed to be funny. (Get Shorty might be fun, but it's not a laugh-out-loud comedy.) I will persevere. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Bliss
      1985 | Australia | Laughs: 0.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.0
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In the 1980s, a few of the Australians I met seemed a little bit odd. If people are a product of their culture, films such as Bliss help explain that. It feels like an extended film school project with a bit of a budget. Though it's classified as a comedy, it's certainly not funny. Bliss is about a man waking up to the "system" and eventually leaving for a simpler life. The ending in a rainforest community resembling those of the Nimbin region is excellent—the movie should have started there. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Rush Hour
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.0
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A Hong Kong detective and a LAPD cop must rescue the daughter of a foreign dignitary. The line between action and comedy is a worthy one to walk, as laughter periodically releases the dramatic tension (a fine example is Beverly Hills Cop). But no great magic happens in this film. I am a bit biased because I have sensitive ears and Chris Tucker's high-pitched voice grates me (I just realized that he was also in Friday and had the same effect on me there). Yet does make me smile, and the two actors definitely manage to produce some good chuckles. If you feel like scraping the bottom of the "watch once" category and you like fight scenes, then this is for you. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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No Strings Attached
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 0.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

After enjoying Ashton Kutcher in several comedies, I was disappointed by this film. My expectations were not high as "romantic comedies" rarely have strong writing, especially in the laughter department. Even so, I'd say that most tragedies have more humor than this movie. I chuckled once, a few minutes from the end, when Kutcher lightens up and tells Portman that she eats her breakfast like a baby dinosaur. It confounds me how this movie can rate higher than Dude, Where's My Car or My Boss's Daughter. These were the films that introduced me to Ashton, and where his innocent smile had a way of putting me in a good (and forgiving) mood. For most of this movie, Ashton is barely recognizable—he barely smiles, so that his face, normally so expressive, turns into a neutral mask. Not good for comedy unless you have an excellent deadpan script. Ashton was 22 in Dude and 33 in this film, and I realize that physiognomies change as we age… But I hope you don't lost your smile, Mr Kutcher! Bottom line: don't waste your time with this one. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Friday
      1995 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.3
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A day in the neighborhood of an African-American man who has just lost his job and gets caught in a misunderstanding over two hundred dollars a friend of his owes to a dope dealer. Apart from the slow start, I sometimes found it hard to watch because the shrill voices of two of the characters were hard on my ears—but it's a good movie. It's often fun and occasionally funny, but certainly not a laugh-out-loud comedy. More of an interesting watch with strong characters, where the humor makes the drama more bearable, in the footsteps of Do the Right Thing six years earlier. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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What Happens in Vegas
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 7.1 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.1
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Two strangers get married on a crazy night in Vegas. Back in New York, a judge forces them to live together for six months (the result of a dispute over a three-million-dollar jackpot). I discovered recently that I enjoy comedies with Ashton Kutcher, and this one is no exception. Diaz is a perfect counterpart to his engaging smile. It's not brain science but it's good clean fun, and by clean I mean that you don't hear all the foul language that seems to litter so many comedies nowadays. Still smiling the morning after. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Bridget Jones' Diary
      2001 | U.K. | Laughs: 5.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.7
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A 32-year-old London woman struggles in her quest to find the man who will pop the question. There is a lot to cringe about in this movie, but in a good way—you cringe because you recognize situations that happen in real live, as in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Although this is not a laugh-out-loud comedy, you will probably smile throughout, thanks largely to Hugh Grant's dry humor. (Off-topic: when I first noticed Hugh Grant, I wondered whether he was Rupert Everett, another excellent British actor, who seemed to have disappeared shortly after starring in Another Country.) The other male actor (Colin Firth) is also excellent, and the lead actress (Renée Zellweger) does a great job. If you've held off on Bridget Jones' Diary because you thought it was a "girl's movie", give up now and give it a try. It's pretty good! On the other hand, you can give the sequel (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) a miss. (Last viewed: Jun 2003 September 2012)

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Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
      2004 | U.K. | Laughs: 2.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Although not awful, this sequel is only half as good as the original, and not really worth watching unless you are enamored with one of the actors. The plot has a lot less humor, and a lot more drama about Bridget losing and regaining her perfect man (whose character, despite the actor's excellent performance, is unrealistic, so patient is he with Bridget). There are funny moments, but also others when the script writers throw you some low balls (Bridget on mushrooms; Darcy's attractive female workmate turns out to be fond of women) that earn the movie a firm spot on the "skip" list. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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The Big Chill
      1983 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.2
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After many years apart, a group of friends are thrown back together for a weekend after a member of their group kills himself. At first, this is more a soundtrack than a movie, as the pace is slow to pick up. You may or may not relate to the characters' musings on life, but there are good actors, such as William Hurt and the too-rarely seen Jeff Goldblum, and it's probably worth watching once. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Horrible Bosses
      2011 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.9
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Three friends afflicted with unbearable bosses resolve to help one another get rid of their superiors. Despite the promising premise, the film fails on execution, probably for lack of a skilled writer. The cast and production are decent, but the humor is very low-grade. That one of the three buddies has a cartoon-like strident voice doesn't help. I guess I'm allergic to loud comedians: I want the script to make me laugh, not a tone of voice that might have been funny when we were ten years old. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Wedding Crashers
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 3.1 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.0
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Two buddies have perfected a routine whereby they crash weddings and hit on attractive singles. The beginning was a bit hard to watch because the two men kept referring to a list of rules (e.g. "rule number 21"), which was both idiotic and instantly unbelievable. Apart from that, this is a decent romantic comedy (as that largely appalling genre goes) that will probably make you smile and perhaps laugh once or twice. Things get interesting when the friends board a boat to spend the weekend with the bride and her wealthy family, evoking a distant taste of Meet the Parents, which also featured Owen Wilson. (Last viewed: August 2012)

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Home Alone
      1990 | USA | Laughs: 3.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.5
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I resisted watching this much-liked movie for over twenty years. (Please don't burn me for saying this, but I'm just not interested in kids.) After several people on the site recommended it, I finally buckled up to see if it would make me laugh. This was not a case of "wow, what have I been missing all this time". No, it was exactly what I had been expecting (for once)—a cute kid trying to defeat some not-particularly clever baddies. This is really a kid's movie. If you're into kids, then by all means, give it a shot. (Last viewed: August 2012)

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Four Lions
      2010 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.3
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The adventures of four incompetent would-be theorists desperate to join Al-Qaeda and make their mark in London: a daring subject full of promise. But the promise stays unfulfilled. This could have been funny. Sadly, it isn't. I suspect the film gets its decent imdb rating on the sole strength of its risqué premise. The pace and drama stays on a level of a bad TV series—the kind of material you really don't want to watch any longer than ten minutes. I had to stop halfway. (Last viewed: August 2012)

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Secrets & Lies
      1996 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 8.0
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A cute U.K. light-drama about an educated woman who sets out to meet her biological mother, who turns out to be far from her both socially and ethnically. If you can stand another lesson about transcending social and racial boundaries, this is a good pick. (Last viewed: July 2012)

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What Women Want
      2000 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.4
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After an electric shock, a macho ad executive acquires the gift of hearing the thoughts of all the women he comes across. He goes through the predictable phases: horror at his predicament, glee in light of its potential benefits, reform from macho-man into sensitive guy, loss of the gift. Highly recommended if you're desperate to see a lot of Mel Gibson without a shirt and you really wish men would change. Otherwise, I wouldn't rush to the video store, but if someone wants to make you watch it, it's not a bad piece of entertainment. If only they had cast Paul Hogan—another Australian, not much seen outside of Crocodile Dundee. (Last viewed: July 2012)

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Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
      2002 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.2
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In the tradition of Woody Allen's What's up Tigerlily, this film lays new dialogue over a B-movie, in this case a Hong Kong martial arts flick. New footage was added. The film must have been very funny to make, but it's certainly not funny to watch, unless perhaps you are a fan of underground "cult" movies. Do yourself a favor and watch Enter the Dragon instead. It's not a comedy (though it has quite a bit of humor), but it's an excellent film for the martial arts, the characters, the 1970s costumes and the social commentary. (Last viewed: July 2012)

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Coming to America
      1988 | USA | Laughs: 6.7 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.0
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This Eddie Murphy film may not be a roarer, but it had a few good laughs and a delightful premise. It might even be devoid of profanity (though I cannot vouch for that). An African prince delays his arranged marriage for forty days and travels to New York with his valet in the hope of finding a bride he can truly love. Insisting to live in a run-down room in Queens so that no one will know his royal status, he takes a job cleaning up at a fast-food restaurant. Not only did I find pleasure in the fairy-tale plot and the actors' performances, I also enjoyed the extravagant decor of the palace in the African scenes—the studio must have thrown a bit of money at this. Well worth a watch, just don't expect your jaw to cramp from too much laughing. (Last viewed: July 2012)

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Porky's
      1982 | USA | Laughs: 5.6 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.2
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Porky's is a movie about the obsession that lives in the underpants of male high-school seniors. It is probably the daddy of films such as American Pie, but I found it to be a lot funnier. I laughed quite a few times, partly by contagion, as the actors laugh a lot too. Although Porky's has a lot of graphic language, it doesn't feel excessive as in today's common swear-a-thons. Some of the scenes (as the one on the poster) are almost shocking in their audacity for the mainstream film medium. And yet it all feels natural, probably because it is. If you are allergic to adult themes, skip this. Otherwise, this piece of film history is well worth a watch. (Last viewed: July 2012)

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