Best 20 Comedies
by DanMPopescu | created - 14 Aug 2012 | updated - 19 Aug 2012 | PublicThis is my list, it’s very personal and I have to confess that I have had real difficulties to make it short, not with hundreds of items even if they may be so, because I watched with very few exceptions, a lot of the movies on other lists, some of them too old, other just praised or named “comedies” I don’t know why. The order just doesn't matter, made it alphabetically. It was published before at http://rodolfogrimaldi.com
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1. A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
PG-13 | 82 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Two dim-witted brothers dream of owning their own dance club or at least getting into the coolest and most exclusive club in town, The Roxbury.
Director: John Fortenberry | Stars: Chris Kattan, Will Ferrell, Raquel Gardner, Viveca Paulin
Votes: 64,304 | Gross: $30.32M
My favorite comedy. I can watch it three times a day. If I need a smile transformed shortly in a big laugh, I’ll watch this movie. Great couple, a pity Kattan isn’t that good on his own.
2. Bridesmaids (I) (2011)
R | 125 min | Comedy
Competition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride's best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.
Director: Paul Feig | Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Terry Crews
Votes: 309,329 | Gross: $169.11M
One of the best comedies ever made. Wiig girl has the comedy in her veins. Witty, hilarious. I’ve seen it too late, but it’s fine. It’s never late for excellence.
3. Team America: World Police (2004)
R | 98 min | Action, Comedy
Popular Broadway actor Gary Johnston is recruited by the elite counter-terrorism organization Team America: World Police. As the world begins to crumble around him, he must battle with terrorists, celebrities and falling in love.
Director: Trey Parker | Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Elle Russ, Kristen Miller
Votes: 178,642 | Gross: $32.79M
I cried of laughing. As I said, geniuses. Acting is the key to conquer the world. You must see it if you haven’t.
4. Borat (2006)
R | 84 min | Comedy
Kazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell, Chester
Votes: 442,371 | Gross: $128.51M
The comedy itself. The essence of it, with a lot of wit. One may say it’s vulgar. Their life is more vulgar than this movie. This movie created controversy in that gypsy village in Romania where they virtually placed Kazakhstan :) . Stupid people. They sued production for misguiding the world about their “traditions”, all this after they’d been paid for the site and appearance.
5. The Dictator (2012)
R | 83 min | Comedy
The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, John C. Reilly, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 335,104 | Gross: $59.65M
A little missed to be Borat reloaded! Brilliant! Accurate! Can you imagine? Great comedy. Underrated, of course, too sensitive fore some.
6. Zoolander (2001)
PG-13 | 90 min | Comedy
At the end of his career, a clueless fashion model is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Director: Ben Stiller | Stars: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell
Votes: 292,021 | Gross: $45.17M
One of the most hilarious comedy ever made. Actually, all the following movies are not only comedies, they are hilarious, smart, witty. Except the first position, my all time favorite, personal and emotional, all these five remained (including this one), may be put in whatever order you like, doesn’t matter their position, they are actually all on the second place.
7. Step Brothers (2008)
R | 98 min | Comedy
Two aimless middle-aged losers still living at home are forced against their will to become roommates when their parents marry.
Director: Adam McKay | Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins
Votes: 319,179 | Gross: $100.47M
One of the best team of comic actors to gather. Amazing movie, amazing comedy. A must see.
8. Blades of Glory (2007)
PG-13 | 93 min | Comedy, Sport
In 2002, two rival Olympic ice skaters were stripped of their gold medals and permanently banned from men's single competition. Presently, however, they've found a loophole that will allow them to qualify as a pairs team.
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck | Stars: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett
Votes: 177,765 | Gross: $118.59M
Hilarious! No comments. You noticed I haven’t spoiled any movie yet. I’m not gonna do it, don’t worry.
9. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy
In the 1970s, an anchorman's stint as San Diego's top-rated newsreader is challenged when an ambitious newswoman becomes his co-anchor.
Director: Adam McKay | Stars: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd
Votes: 378,745 | Gross: $85.29M
Finally, one of my favorite comic actors, Will Ferrell. No need to talk to be funny. It’s funny even when he’s serious. This one is a great comedy. They’re all friends and friends do good things together.
10. Young Frankenstein (1974)
PG | 106 min | Comedy
An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.
Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle
Votes: 168,955 | Gross: $86.30M
The highest rate of them all in my list. You see, I liked it a lot myself, but after having the patience to pass the first ten minutes. I’m a big fan of Mel Brooks, and this is one of his best movies ever.
11. Small Time Crooks (2000)
PG | 94 min | Comedy, Crime
A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, Hugh Grant, Carolyn Saxon
Votes: 40,667 | Gross: $17.07M
My favorite Woody Allen comedy. 95% of his movies can be considered comedies. I tried to eliminate movies with too much drama mixed in them, and put here the ones where comedic factor was much higher. Brilliant, I’ll use the term a lot, it’s maybe the condition I’ve made this list’ selection after all.
12. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
R | 81 min | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
When Stan Marsh and his friends go see an R-rated movie, they start cursing and their parents think that Canada is to blame.
Director: Trey Parker | Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, Isaac Hayes
Votes: 215,039 | Gross: $52.04M
13. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Music
Singer Dewey Cox overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.
Director: Jake Kasdan | Stars: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, David Krumholtz, Nat Faxon
Votes: 77,271 | Gross: $18.32M
Better rate here, but not enough. There aren’t many comedies appreciated to their great value, and this Walk the Line spoof (almost, but looks inspired by the style), was maybe considered a blasphemy. John C. Reilly is just great as usual, a complete actor.
14. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
PG-13 | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy
A world-class playboy and part-time secret agent from the 1960s emerges after thirty years in a cryogenic state to battle with his nemesis Dr. Evil.
Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers
Votes: 257,281 | Gross: $53.88M
Not sure that I like Mike Myers so much to even consider one of his movies, but this here was really, really funny. Almost British. Oh, by the way, as a matter of fact, you will not see here any of the two “Monty Python” series so much acclaimed by the list makers. It’s almost the same as with Lost in Translation. There are unconditioned fans of this movie (for various reasons) and people who declared that this was the worst movie they ever watched. The Life of Brian was one of the worst movies I have ever watched.
15. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)
R | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy
After being mistaken for terrorists and thrown into Guantánamo Bay, stoners Harold and Kumar escape and return to the U.S., where they proceed to flee across the country with federal agents in hot pursuit.
Directors: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg | Stars: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Corddry
Votes: 142,038 | Gross: $38.09M
Ironic and funny. Michael Moore who said that in Guantanamo Bay the health conditions are better than in America, may go to do whatever to himself. A douche. Again, an under praised and misunderstood movie.
16. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
R | 88 min | Adventure, Comedy
A Korean-American office worker and his Indian-American stoner friend embark on a quest to satisfy their desire for White Castle burgers.
Director: Danny Leiner | Stars: John Cho, Kal Penn, Ethan Embry, Rob Tinkler
Votes: 206,203 | Gross: $18.23M
Under praised. Maybe because of the descriptions. I even went over the advertisements in the movie because of the great talent there. Excellent comedy, excellent movie!
17. Bad Teacher (2011)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Romance
A lazy, incompetent middle school teacher who hates her job, her students, and her co-workers is forced to return to teaching to make enough money for breast implants after her wealthy fiancé dumps her.
Director: Jake Kasdan | Stars: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch
Votes: 212,719 | Gross: $100.29M
Look at this low imdb rate! I don’t know what it is with people there, they can’t recognize a good comedy anymore? Are they so purists? It was about the drugs in spite of the quality learning? Sometimes I feel “humor empty” as well, but this is a great mistreat.
18. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy, Crime
Incompetent police Detective Frank Drebin must foil an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.
Director: David Zucker | Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, O.J. Simpson, Ricardo Montalban
Votes: 185,123 | Gross: $78.76M
A classic of the genre. One of the first spoof movies. The others are only time filing and laughs, but not as brilliantly mastered as they are in this movie.
19. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Devastated Peter takes a Hawaiian vacation in order to deal with the recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah. Little does he know, Sarah's traveling to the same resort as her ex - and she's bringing along her new boyfriend.
Director: Nicholas Stoller | Stars: Kristen Bell, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Mila Kunis
Votes: 302,563 | Gross: $63.17M
Very praised movie, I was in doubt to watch it especially because of Russell Brand, who, after appearing a few years back at a British Music Awards ceremony, wasn’t funny at all, on the contrary. Funny movie, indeed.
20. Coming to America (1988)
R | 117 min | Comedy, Romance
An extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.
Director: John Landis | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Paul Bates, Garcelle Beauvais, Feather
Votes: 223,672 | Gross: $128.15M
I’m sure that a comedy list without Eddie Murphy is a poor list. This one could be, because I wanted it to be short, but Coming to America appealed to me deeply, with all it’s soapish making. Murphy and Hall are amazing in this one.
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