Comedies from the 2010s

Champions (Campeones)
      2018 | Spain | Laughs: 3.8 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.3
      who was involved?

To expiate his drunk-driving offence, a high-profile basketball coach is condemned to three months of community service. His task? Coach a team of people with mental challenges.

First off, I'm a fan of the main actor Javier Gutiérrez, whom I enjoyed in the TV series Estoy Vivo then Vergüenza, in which he plays a similar role of insensitive egocentric.

This is not a laugh-a-minute kind of comedy, but I smiled a lot. Apart from that, I must say that the movie was very touching.

A worthwhile addition to the new wave of Spanish comedies.

(Last viewed: January 2019)

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Man Up
      2015 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.8 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A woman standing under a clock at a train station gets accosted by a man who mistakes her for his blind date. Since she has been harassed by her sister to "get out there" and meet men, she goes along with the stranger's mistake.

This was a good premise and it is an okay watch as romantic comedies go, but I can't recall laughing. Some will also dispute the authenticity of the lead actress's English accent. (Last viewed: September 2015)

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Stuber
      2019 | USA | Laughs: 3.8 (Smirk) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A meek taxi driver gets commandeered by a rough policeman in pursuit of a crazed killer. I was entertained and enjoyed seeing one of the lead actors from Silicon Valley, whose character made me smile throughout this decent little action comedy.

(Last viewed: October 2019)

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Spy
      2015 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A desk agent at the CIA gets pulled into the field and proves her worth against all expectations. This was an entertaining watch with some good moments, but it didn't trigger a lot of laughter and ran a big long. It would have been better if some of the big budget had been diverted to improve the writing. (Last viewed: September 2015)

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Tamara Drewe
      2010 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

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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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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Look Who's Back (Er ist wieder da)
      2015 | Germany | Laughs: 3.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

For unknown reasons, Adolf Hitler wakes up in present-day Berlin. As he takes stock of his situation and the problems of the modern world, he starts to broadcast his views and becomes an instant TV sensation. While everyone believes he is a comedian, many embrace his analysis. One interesting feature is that many of the scenes showing reactions to Hitler's interventions are raw, unscripted footage. Not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but an amusing and revealing film. (Last viewed: April 2016)

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Antes de la quema
      2019 | Spain | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 5.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A man who chronically struggles to make ends meet finds himself embroiled in the planning of an operation to steal drugs from a public incinerator.

Thankfully, the plot is far better than it sounds. The comedy doesn't stand out, but what redeems the movie, and by much, is the incredible accents — for those who, like me, have never been to Cádiz — of several of the protagonists.

Needless to say, this will only be of interest to Spanish speakers or learners.

(Last viewed: April 2021)

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Heartbreaker (L'Arnacoeur)
      2010 | France | Laughs: 3.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A man, his sister and her husband run a break-up agency whose business it is to change the hearts of future brides. One assignment days before the wedding in Monaco proves harder than usual. I found this romantic comedy original and entertaining—it had me smiling throughout. (Last viewed: August 2014)

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Paddington 2
      2017 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This first sequel to Paddington has a better villain (Nicole Kidman wasn't bad but Hugh Grant shines) who also contributes more to the comedy, helping raise it out of the "light-hearted" category into the "chuckle" bracket.

That said, I found parts of the plot a tad sadistic (such as the unfairness of the justice system), so even though I smiled more, there were moments when I didn't enjoy the movie at all.

Altogether, a solid choice for an adult to watch with a younger public as it can be enjoyed by people well over the age of six.

(Last viewed: September 2022)

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She's Funny That Way
      2014 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

During the production of a Broadway play, the lives of a call girl, the director and several characters get entangled to the highest degree. I'm usually not a supporter of Hollywood's habit of making self-referential movies (as though everyone in the world worked in show business); neither do I usually much like movies with a strong theatrical feel. But I found this little movie thoroughly entertaining. It was nice to see Owen Wilson, and everyone else did a fine job too. It wasn't one of those that makes you laugh, but it was funny and it hit the spot. (Last viewed: June 2015)

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Hall Pass
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 3.2 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 5.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

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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Four Lions
      2010 | U.K. | Laughs: 3.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

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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A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 3.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

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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The Sitter
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 5.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

To get his mother out of a bind, a young man agrees to babysit her friend's three children. Soon the situation goes from merely bad to being chased by a gang of drug dealers. There was plenty of potential for laughter, but the opportunity was missed. Still, the movie is entertaining enough to watch once if you've got nothing better around. (Last viewed: July 2015)

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