Comedies from the 2000s

Super Troopers
      2001 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

To avoid being shut down, a Vermont highway patrol unit competes with the local police to impress the Governor. The humor largely derives from the cops' inappropriate behavior. This made me laugh the first time around, but not on the second watch.

Edit: I watched the movie again after seven years to see how it compares with the sequel. Can't believe that much time had gone by! The good news is that the movie is so forgettable that after seven years it's a brand new movie. The bad news is that the 2018 version of my brain is incompatible with the 2011 version, so that it took over half an hour until the first chuckle. Don't hesitate to give the sequel a go though, you might find it superior. (Last viewed: Apr 2011 August 2018)

More About Super Troopers:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Super Troopers

The Age of Ignorance (a.k.a Days of Darkness) (L'Age des Tenebres)
      2007 | Canada | Laughs: 4.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This is a terrific movie about a civil servant who escapes the crushing pressures of modern decay by constructing grandiose, colorful daydreams. It's funny and has its shares of chuckles, but the humor is on the level of piece of chocolate that slowly melts in the mouth—not of explosive laughter. I never much liked The Decline of the American Empire by the same director, while I loved his Barbarian Invasions. The third installment in that loose trilogy is not a letdown. (Last viewed: July 2014)

More About The Age of Ignorance:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for The Age of Ignorance

I Love You Man
      2009 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Faced with the fact he doesn't have any male friends, a man who is about to get married tries to get a buddy, and soon succeeds. A cute story with perfect Los Angeles weather and a fun cast (but no side-splitting scenes). It was nice to see a bit of Andy Samberg from Hot Rod. In the main roles, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Rashida Jones all did a great job. Well worth a watch. (Last viewed: September 2012)

More About I Love You Man:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for I Love You Man

Run, Fatboy, Run
      2007 | U.K. | Laughs: 4.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.6
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Five years after leaving his fiancee at the altar, a man enters a marathon to win back her heart. This may not sound like much of a plot, and it isn't. But the movie has a lot of smiles, and as the romantic comedy genre goes it's just about watchable, especially if you're a fan of Simon Pegg. (Dylan Moran from Black Books.) On the other hand, if you've never heard of Simon, you'd be better off watching How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. (Last viewed: October 2015)

More About Run, Fatboy, Run:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Run, Fatboy, Run

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)

More About Sione's Wedding:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Sione's Wedding

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)

More About Four Christmases:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Four Christmases

Escuela de Seducción
      2004 | Spain | Laughs: 4.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 3.7
      who was involved?

A man with an unusual sensitivity to women's needs sets up a romance-coaching school and causes mischief for a man-hater, the female host of a radio show about relationships.

We found this to be an entertaining watch. The movie was surprisingly devoid of the nudity that seems so common in Spanish comedies. The ending was dismal, with an out-of-place, drawn out video of a live concert that occupied the screen for an incredible amount of time—we couldn't understand it. (Last viewed: February 2017)

More About Escuela de Seducción:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Escuela de Seducción

The Big Empty
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Chuckle) | imdb: 6.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A down-on-his-luck actor is given the lucrative assignment of delivering a mysterious suitcase to a mysterious man in a desert outpost.

The first five minutes rubbed me the wrong way, but once we left Los Angeles and left a couple of annoying character behind the movie grew on me. If you like frantic comedies, this one is not for you — it's more of a relaxed, offbeat ride.

Can't say that I laughed, but I'm fairly sure I chuckled. Worth a watch if you have nothing better to sample.

(Last viewed: December 2020)

More About The Big Empty:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for The Big Empty

The Spanish Apartment (a.k.a Pot Luck) (L'Auberge Espagnole)
      2002 | France | Laughs: 4.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A young man goes to Spain on an exchange program for a year and forms fast friendship. This is a terrific movie that perfectly captures emotions from a special time of life—or perhaps from several periods of life, for some. This is a not a laugh-out-loud comedy, hence the low ranking on this site. But I loved it.

The two sequels—Russian Dolls and Chinese Puzzle are also entertaining, but less tight. (Last viewed: July 2014)

More About The Spanish Apartment:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for The Spanish Apartment

Hot Rod
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

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)

More About Hot Rod:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Hot Rod

White Chicks
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 5.6
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

To foil a kidnapping attempt, two black FBI agents pose as high-society white females. Over the years, I've seen so many films where whites disguise as blacks that it's refreshing to see the opposite premise. The movie is a bit loud, and it's definitely not a roarer, but it has some good moments and might be worth a watch if you have nothing better on hand. (Last viewed: September 2015)

More About White Chicks:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for White Chicks

3 Idiots
      2009 | India | Laughs: 4.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 8.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Another Indian comedy. Three friends battle it out with the dean of their engineering college. There are definitely some very funny (and attaching) scenes here, but spread out too thin over this three-hour story. Dripping melodrama and heavy with themes of social ascension that may not resonate in the West. Oh, and one of the boys is a genius, in case that kind of plot hadn't already been flogged to death. (Last viewed: July 2010)

More About 3 Idiots:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for 3 Idiots

The Holiday
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 3.9 (Chuckle) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Eager two get over some toxic relationships, two professional women — one in England, one in California — swap houses over the holiday season. Plot-wise, this has the benefit of instantly creating two fish-out-of-water situations and of opening the door to exotic romantic possibilities.

As romantic comedies go, this one is extremely cute. I loved the accents and thought the cast did a splendid job. And as a fan of comedy, there was enough in there to keep me chuckling for most of the film's insane duration, although I'll confess I watched most of its 135 minutes at 120% of its regular velocity.

If someone close to you is more into holiday movies than you are, this one is a fine pick.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

More About The Holiday:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for The Holiday

Screwed
      2000 | USA | Laughs: 3.8 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 5.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

With the help of a friend, a millionaire baker's valet kidnaps her dog. This is one of these plots where everything goes wrong. The movie starts out in the burlesque register—in the worst sense of the word—but, thankfully, ever-so-slowly improves. There may in fact be a few decent lines with Dave Chappelle. But what redeems the movie (though not to the point where you'd want to go out of your way to watch it) is an extraordinary performance by Danny DeVito, who plays a disheveled mortician. (Last viewed: July 2014)

More About Screwed:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Screwed

A Pain in the A (L'emmerdeur)
      2008 | France | Laughs: 3.6 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 5.4
      who was involved?

Thirty-five years later, Francis Veber shot a remake of his own movie (see above). It's still not funny. (Last viewed: October 2010)

More About A Pain in the A:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for A Pain in the A