Comedies from the 2010s

Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem (Il primo Natale)
      2019 | Italy | Laughs: 1.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 5.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A priest and a thief are propelled to Judea in the moments preceding the supposed birth of the key figure of christianity. As is typical of comedies where a large budget is spent on costumes and action scenes, the humor part is woefully neglected. I gave up before the half-hour mark, but this movie might be closer to home for you if the christian faith is important to you.

(Last viewed: September 2022)

More About Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem

Ecotopia (Entelköy Efe Köye Karşı)
      2011 | Turkey | Laughs: 1.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.6
      who was involved?

A group of Istanbul tree huggers buy ruins in a small village to create an eco-commune. After a brief honeymoon period between the 'hippies' and the locals, friction arises when the villagers support the proposed construction of a coal plant.

This cute romantic comedy didn't really make me laugh, but it brought back memories of people in Turkey who are very dear to my heart and of their own journey with eco-tourism. (Last viewed: December 2018)

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

Eyyvah Eyvah
      2010 | Turkey | Laughs: 1.2 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A grown man who lives with his grandparents and earns a living by playing the clarinet at wedding parties becomes infatuated with the nurse-next-door. I was willing to settle for that simple plot and already considering a summary such as "if all you're after is a trip to a sunny land where people have simple problems (at least on film), this may be a good option." But the movie takes a left turn early on, and our man sets off to Istanbul in search of his father.

This is far from being the kind of comedy that will have you roaring with laughter, but it's cute.

In Turkey, the movie was successful enough to warrant a couple sequels as of date. Presumably the romantic quest resumes in the next installment. (Last viewed: December 2018)

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

The Brand New Testament (Le Tout Nouveau Testament)
      2015 | France | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

God's daughter rebels against her overbearing, obnoxious father, and goes out into the world (in Brussels) in search of six apostles. A sweet movie with no real laughs but funny moments. (Last viewed: June 2017)

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

Coming Soon (Pek Yakinda)
      2014 | Turkey | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.4
      who was involved?

A Turkish comedy with an 8-plus rating? I had to watch this.

In order to save his marriage, a man contrives to produce a movie in which his wife stars, unaware of his involvement. This is a light-hearted movie that feels more like a long sitcom than a comedy feature. It's sweet, but it didn't make me laugh, so I'd only recommend it if you're interested in watching it for cultural reasons—which I was. (Last viewed: August 2015)

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

Pitch Perfect 2
      2015 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Pitch Perfect—a movie about a university's all-female a cappella group—was funny. This sequel had close to nothing going for it in the first thirty minutes, and we just gave up. Sure, they threw money at it to make things bigger and brighter. But isn't that precisely the recipe for a doomed sequel? (Last viewed: September 2015)

More About Pitch Perfect 2:
=> Read what people say on Amazon
=> Add your own Review or Comments on
      laughDB's full page for Pitch Perfect 2

Empowered (Sin Rodeos)
      2018 | Spain | Laughs: 1.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 5.8
      who was involved?

A woman who faces a series of crises takes a potion that makes her tackle situations head-on and express herself without filters.

This is not an unpleasant movie, but neither is it particularly funny. I kept waiting for it to start. About halfway into it realized that I must have missed the cue and that there was nothing more to it than the featureless plot. (Last viewed: January 2018)

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

Arthur
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 5.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

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)

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

Everybody Loves Somebody (a.k.a Todos queremos a alguien)
      2017 | Mexico | Laughs: 1.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I was keen to watch another Mexican comedy but couldn't even get to the halfway point — which says a lot, considering that comedy movies tend to go downhill in the second half.

A female doctor is intrigued by a male nurse as a potential romantic interest, but becomes confused when a former boyfriend (by all appearances a first-class jerk) irrupts back into her life.

Skip.

(Last viewed: July 2019)

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

Everybody Wants Some!!
      2016 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

In the days leading up to the start of the college year, the players of the school's baseball team get acquainted and do their best to meet the ladies. High marks for the soundtrack and the 1970s texture, zero on laughs. (Last viewed: August 2016)

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

Microbe & Gasoline (Microbe et Gasoil)
      2015 | France | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Two privileged teenagers use the summer holiday to go on a road trip in a home-made campervan. This is not "slap your thighs" comedy, but it is light-hearted and I found it delightful. I've slowly come to realize that I'm a fan of Michael Gondry's, who has committed an incredible range of works across multiple continents. (Last viewed: October 2018)

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

Atomic Falafel
      2016 | Israel | Laughs: 1.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.0
      who was involved?

A new, highly-rated Israeli comedy had come out? I was intrigued. It involved falafel? That sounded promising. Sadly, instead of the restaurant romp I'd hoped for, this was yet another movie set around an army base.

This time, Israel and Iran are on the countdown for mutual nuclear attacks. Luckily, kids from both countries get involved, supported by a German weapons inspector and his Israeli girlfriend. While the movie completely failed to make us laugh, it at least seemed to have its heart in the right place, and scored points as a cultural artifact where Israelis poke fun at themselves and some of their own taboos.

If you're looking for an Israeli comedy in the Mash genre, the gold standard is still Hill Halfon Doesn't Answer. (Last viewed: August 2016)

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

Yesterday
      2019 | U.K. | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

After a blackout, a struggling musician wakes up in a world where he's the only one to remember the music of the Beatles, which he can claim as his own and exploit with tremendous success.

Not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but an easy and light-hearted little film which I thoroughly enjoyed and quickly forgot.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

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

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)

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

Isla Bonita
      2015 | Spain | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.1
      who was involved?

This is not a laugh-out-loud comedy but a light-hearted movie—a decent one. An ageing man from Madrid visits his friend on the island of Menorca, where life is much slower but relationships aren't any simpler. I heard the name Woody Allen mentioned in relation to the movie. The soundtrack, the main character's physique and the intertwined stories justify this impression. The dialog is decent and the photography is beautiful: as long as you're not expecting roaring laughter or anything deep, you may fall under the charm of Menorca and this little movie. (Last viewed: February 2017)

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