The Funniest Comedies Ever

The Three Stooges: Dizzy Doctors
      1937 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 8.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Some comedy ages poorly as culture evolves. This comedy short, one of the highest ranking of the three stooges, features no humor other than people getting poked in the eye or bumped on the head. It's resolutely unfunny but serves a purpose: after seeing this one, you know you never need to watch another Three Stooges again. (Last viewed: March 2013)

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God Bless America
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 2.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A fed-up man and an angry teenager decide it's time to rid America of all the people who "deserve to die", such as those who use their cell phones in movie theaters. Apart from one scene that's too heavy on the blood for my taste, this can be a pleasant watch if you go into it expecting to see something from the "cult" shelf—quirky rather than mainstream. If you can tune in to the director's sense of humor you may find the film funny, though it's not laugh-provoking material. And for those who haven't stepped inside the United States in a long time, some scenes offer a worthwhile look at the state of decay in that mighty country's culture. (Last viewed: March 2013)

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This is 40
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 0.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Garbage. (Last viewed: March 2013)

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The Proposal
      2009 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.7
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A Canadian national blackmails her executive assistant into marrying her so she can keep her New York job. When she travels to Alaska to meet her fiancé's family, she discovers that he isn't quite the "poor boy" she had pegged him as. I find Ryan Reynolds consistently funny, and the first half of the movie made me laugh a few times. It struck a few pleasant familiar chords—such as Meet the Parents and Green Card. Sadly, just as at it crosses the halfway mark, the movie abandons the comedy genre and powers on as a pure romance. This will make it a great watch if you love chick flicks, but in the world of laughs, the movie loses many points, though it's still worth a watch. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 6.7 (Watch Once) | imdb: 5.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A widowed fireman worried that his kids won't get his pension if he dies pulls a favor and gets another straight fireman to marry him under Canadian law. Back in New York, a city council official becomes suspicious, forcing the two to keep up the pretense. I couldn't bring myself to watch this for a long time, but it turns to be much better that it sounds. In fact, it's pretty funny—a few laughs and lots of chuckles. There's none of the exaggerated effeminate acting you've come to expect from comedies that mine the gay theme. Adam Sandler and the rest of the cast do a surprisingly good job given the challenging task at hand. Worth a watch. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Tommy Boy
      1995 | USA | Laughs: 6.2 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

A recently orphaned underachiever must rescue his late dad's auto parts factory from the claws of his gold-digging mother in law. Starts slow but eventually gets to third gear, with a good range of comedic situations that will probably have you smiling throughout. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
      1989 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Two teenagers in danger of failing their history report are rescued by a man from the future who sends them in a phone booth time machine to collect historical characters from various destinations in the past. Not a laugh-out-loud movie, but there are a couple of chuckles. It's cute and worth a watch if you're in a forgiving mood. It was fun to see a young Keanu Reeves, and even more fun to see George Carlin as the man from the future. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Revenge of the Nerds
      1984 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.6
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

A group of freshman college nerds try to overpower the fraternity jocks who have been persecuting them. It's a cute underdog story that might make you smile, but don't expect lots of laughs. For me it was worth a watch because I'd heard the title a thousand times and wondered what the movie was all about, but if you don't care about keeping up with popular culture you can easily give it a miss. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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Hot Tub Time Machine
      2010 | USA | Laughs: 0.1 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.4
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With a fun title and a few good actors among the cast, I expected this movie to be entertaining. The first joke I understood was when someone got sprayed by excrement. The second was when someone got sprayed by urine. The third was when someone got sprayed by vomit. That was about twenty minutes into the movie. If you think that's terrible, I do too—but the bits in between were even worse, mostly owing to one loud obnoxious character. I carried on to somewhere around the thirty-minute mark then gave up. Not only is the writing appalling, they weren't even able to get the 1980s soundtrack right—unless they were going for mostly bad 80s music. This is one for the dumpster. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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Hot Fuzz
      2007 | U.K. | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A London supercop gets sent to a small village, where gruesome accidents seem to take place at an alarming frequency. On the good side, it was fun to see the "baddies" be ordinary white folk for once instead of dark-skinned foreigners. On the bad side, the sound was terrible—this is one of these movies where they amplify every little sound (such as the turn of a door knob) in order to add texture. The shoot-them-up action scene at the never-ending end (did it take a quarter of the movie?) was also tiresome. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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Just Friends
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 6.8 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.2
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A young man whose best woman friend in high school was romantically unavailable to him as he was then dramatically overweight returns to his home town ten years later with a successful career and a model figure. When I got up after twenty minutes to pour a cup of tea, I commented to my companion that the movie was on the fast track to the "just awful" list, which disappointed me as every comedy with Ryan Reynolds I'd watched so far had made me laugh. However, around the thirty minute mark, the movie started making a spectacular come-back thanks to a number of situations with considerable comical power, such as a display of romantic rivalry straight out of Owen Wilson's humble display of exuberant skill in Meet the Parents. If they re-cut the movie, it might become a classic. It's really good value for watching once, and I might even forget about the awful first twenty minutes and decide to watch it again someday. As a side-note, it was a treat to see Hank from Corner Gas as the main character's best friend. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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High Fidelity
      2000 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.5
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

The owner of a vintage record store muses over his memorable break-ups. This movie has strong characters, a pleasant soundtrack and a script that is fairly clever without trying too hard, making it a good watch, as with most movies directed by Stephen Frears. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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The Campaign
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Two men from North Carolina fight a merciless battle for the State election. Despite some occasional crassness, the movie has a few laughs and the actors do a very good job. Sadly, this is an area where reality exceeds fiction: real elections are funnier. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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21 Jump Street
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Two young cops are sent undercover to a high school to infiltrate a drug ring. Things have changed in the seven years since they graduated high school—the nerd becomes the cool guy, and the cool guy becomes the geek. This is not a laugh-out-loud movie, but it is funny enough to watch once, and it earns points for several original scenes, such as a car chase with a driving school's learner car, where trucks full of gas refuse to explode. I would watch the sequel. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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Four Christmases
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 5.7
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Before they can fly away on their exotic vacation, a couple who hate family commitments must spend a day touring the Christmas gatherings at his dad's, her mom's, his mom's and her dad's. A friend who often has similar tastes really likes this movie, so I had high hopes for it. Sadly, I didn't laugh. At the start, most of the humor seems to derive from physical violence being inflicted on one of the characters by his brothers. I had already noticed while watching old Laurel & Hardy films that I no longer find it funny when someone gets hit on the head. As the movie matures, I find that the situations are not that comical and the acting not that great. There certainly was potential for funny scenes in the tradition of Meet the Parents, but it didn't happen. The difference in rating between my friend and I shows me again how personal laughter is. Whether one laughs often has to do with how much one can relate to a situation. I haven't been to a Christmas party or gathering in over twenty years, so maybe I am just "deaf" to some situations that will be very funny to you. That being said, my lady friend (who is far more attuned to Christmas) didn't laugh either—but perhaps that was by contagion from my non-laughing. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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Easy A
      2010 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

To get noticed among her peers, a high-school girl let it be believed that she sleeps around. Strong characters, a truckload of good actors: this movie had lots of potential, but it fails to deliver in the one area this site is concerned with: laughter. I classified it among broken comedies because throughout the movie I wanted to laugh and couldn't, but if you started with low expectations on that side I suppose you could enjoy it as a light-hearted flick, as many of the characters (from the hero's dad to her arch-conservative nemesis) are delightful. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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Billy Madison
      1995 | USA | Laughs: 2.5 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.4
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To take over the role of his retiring father as head of a major hotel chain, a young man who has lived a life of ignorant merriment must return to school and graduate through the twelve grades in under six months. I usually like Adam Sandler. He can be funny when he's a little goofy, but in this role he has set his goofiness level to over-the-top-and-off-the-charts. It is simply unbearable. At first I thought that perhaps I wasn't liking the movie because it was aimed at kids, but there are too many adult themes for that to be the case. It's just bad. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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Waiting
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 8.5 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A day with the crew of a Shenanigan's restaurant. This movie has a fair amount of gross-out humor as well as body-parts jokes—usually not my favorite—so I was surprised at how much I laughed. For one thing, the interactions between staff and customers are very funny. I am also finding that comedies with Ryan Reynolds tend to work for me. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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The Wedding Singer
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.8
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For his entire life, a young man who sings at weddings has been dreaming of getting married, but his fiancee walks out on him on his big day. Meanwhile, a young woman who waits tables at the weddings he sings at is about to marry the wrong guy. This movie belongs more in the romance genre than with romantic comedies, but it has a few chuckles and it's extremely cute. The soundtrack is a bit of a 1980s best-of, which I am never sad about. It's also a treat to see Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore together "again" after 50 First Dates—which in fact won't be made for another six years. (Last viewed: Apr 2007 October 2012)

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Stripes
      1981 | USA | Laughs: 7.2 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.9
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A young man who has almost made it a point to lose his job and his girlfriend convinces his best friend to enlist in the army with him. Neither of them is prime material for training camp. This movie is something like the army version of Police Academy, and one of Bill Murray's finest comedy roles. It has some good laughs and likeable characters. To be savored again and again. (Last viewed: May 2009 October 2012)

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Black Sheep
      1996 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A candidate for the job of Governor of Washington State would be doing really well if it weren't for one huge liability: his younger brother, who is a human wrecking ball. The idea had potential, but I couldn't get past the first half hour. Just not my kind of humor, I guess. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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Bad Teacher
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 5.6
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A high-school teacher does the bare minimum to get by in the classroom until a rich guy marries her, but tries hard to earn the cash to pay for the breast implants that will attract Prince Charming. Cameron Diaz had done a great job in a recent comedy, What Happens in Vegas, and I wondered if she could carry a movie in the main role. She certainly does (with the help of an excellent supporting cast). The first thirty minutes were weak, not by the actors' fault but owing to a deficient script and awful lipstick. The movie's second half was a pleasure to watch, full of smiles and chuckles. Parents, watch out for adult themes. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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The Party
      1968 | USA | Laughs: 8.8 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.5
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A clumsy actor from India causes one disaster after another at a Hollywood big wig's party where he has been invited by mistake. This is close to being a perfect movie. You may grin and chuckle more than you laugh, but you'll probably remember laughing more than you actually did because the movie is just so good. I have watched it every few years for a long long time, and it refuses to age, which is remarkable when you consider that other famous comedies from the 1960s (such as One, Two, Three and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World) are now unwatchable. (Last viewed: Nov 2008 October 2012)

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I Love You ALice B Toklas
      1968 | USA | Laughs: 5.0 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I have loved this movie for a long time. It doesn't really make me laugh anymore (and I don't recall whether it ever did), but it makes me grin to the point where my jaw muscles are a bit sore. Intrigued by his brother's hippie girlfriend, a Los Angeles lawyer abandons his pinned-up lifestyle for long hair and groovy clothes. But leaving the "square world" doesn't mean you don't have to compete—are you as hip as the next guy? In some ways, this is more a documentary than a work of fiction. One of Peter Sellers' better roles, and that's saying a lot. (Last viewed: Mar 2008 October 2012)

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EuroTrip
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 9.0 (Laugh Out Loud) | imdb: 6.6
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Joined by three friends, a young man travels through Europe in search of a young woman from Germany he's fallen in love with over email. I know this is not a movie to remember, but it managed to make me laugh many times, which is all that matters in this section—and very rare. There are adult themes and some nudity, but none (or little) of the crassness so common in contemporary comedies. I was reluctant to watch it as I thought it was a college comedy, a genre that doesn't particularly excite me. But it worked. I was in my forties when I watched it, so even if you're way past the years when some people go to college, consider giving Eurotrip a chance. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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Mr. Deeds
      2002 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 5.8
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When the owner of a rural pizza restaurant learns that he has inherited a controlling stake in a New York media conglomerate, he has to swim with the sharks, while they have to learn to handle a straight-shooting small-town boy. Adam Sandler tries his best, but the producers spent too much money on wardrobe and too little on the script. That's too bad, because the story had potential: the only missing ingredient is the laughs. In the instant-millionaire genre, forget this one and watch the very funny Trading Places instead. (Last viewed: October 2012)

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Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 8.5 (Laugh Out Loud) | imdb: 7.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Warning: this movie is sometimes extremely graphic and often very vulgar. I didn't want to watch it again because I remembered how vulgar it often is. So it almost pains me to say that despite all this, Borat is a very funny movie. You laugh, but the movie leaves you feeling dirty. A television reporter from Kazakhstan is sent to New York to report on America. Soon, he decides to travel cross-country in order to marry Pamela Anderson. From the way he moves to the way he speaks, Sasha Baron Cohen is simply brilliant in this role. And yet, you hate him a little bit for the crass material he subjects you to. Keep children away when you are watching. (Last viewed: Oct 2008 October 2012)

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What about Bob
      1991 | USA | Laughs: 8.6 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A clingy new patient stalks his psychiatrist all the way to the doctor's lakeside holiday home. The family loves Bob, but the doctor wants him gone. Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray are excellent opposite each other. I love this movie—it has me grinning from beginning to end. Side-note: Bill Murray gets to practice his Heimlich Maneuver as in Groundhog Day, but not as expertly. (Last viewed: Nov 2008 October 2012)

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Life of Brian
      1979 | U.K. | Laughs: 2.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 8.1
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The story of Brian of Nazareth, who had a parallel though more obscure life than a celebrated contemporary prophet. The movie has funny and perhaps clever moments, but I don't think you will laugh. It quickly loses points in the opening scenes by featuring a man who uses a shrill voice to play the role of a woman, a device I always find irritating—and hard on the ear. What's the point? Is that funny? On the more pleasant side, there's a lot of John Cleese to be seen, as well as pretty Tunisian landscapes. There's an animated Star Wars sequence, and the movie ends on the now classic song Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle. The movie was banned in some places, which speaks less for the movie itself than about a rampant disease, human idiocy. If only for cultural reasons, it is worth a watch. (Last viewed: Jul 1995 October 2012)

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Monty Python and the Holy Grail
      1975 | U.K. | Laughs: 1.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 8.2
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

King Arthur and the knights of the round table go searching for the holy grail. Many people rate this as the funniest movie ever. I take that as proof that collective hallucinations do happen. In fact what people remember as being funny may well be the experience of watching this film in a drunken group. After forcing myself to watch it again on my own, I can assure you that the funniest part of the movie is the opening credits. To be sure, there are scenes that will bring you a smile, but they are all stretched out for so long that you'll want to yawn. That, some worthless musical scenes, and some boring animation, combine to make this 90-minute movie feel like two hours and a half. Oh, and let's not forget the amazingly bleak colors, which cannot all be put on account of English weather as some English movies are beautiful, but must be the result of appalling cinematography. Burn me at the stake, but it has to be said: This is a boring movie. If you want to laugh, watch Fawlty Towers, also featuring John Cleese. (Last viewed: Nov 1991 October 2012)

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