Best 20 Comedies – The List

This 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. Anyway, the following list (I may have put just a slideshow here, but I don’t really like to push you to click and to click more, to finally find the first position) is a list with pictures, data, and my short, sometimes very short comments.

 

20. Coming to America

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Released in 1988
imdb rating 6.8
Directed by John Landis
Writers: David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein
Actors: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, Eriq La Salle, Frankie Faison, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Allison Dean, Samuel L. Jackson and others…

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.

 

19. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

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Released in 2008
imdb rating 7.3
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Writer: Jason Segel
Actors: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Liz Cackowski, Da’Vone McDonald, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd and others…

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.

 

18. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

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Released in 1988
imdb rating 7.6
Directed by David Zucker
Writers: Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Pat Proft
Actors: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Susan Beaubian, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Jeannette Charles and others…

A classic of the genre. One of the first spoof movies. The others are only time filing and laughts, but not as brilliantly mastered as they are in this movie.

 

17. Bad Teacher

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Released in 2011
imdb rate 5.7
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Writers: Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
Actors: Cameron Diaz, Lucy Punch, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins and more…

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.

 

16. Harold and Kumar Go to the White Castle

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Released in 2004
imdb rate 7.1
Directed by Danny Leiner
Writers: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Actors: John Cho, Kal Penn, Paula Garcés, David Krumholtz, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Ryan Reynolds, Neil Patrick Harris and more…

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!

 

15. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

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Released in 2008
imdb rate 6.6
Directed by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Writers: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Actors: John Cho, Kal Penn, Rob Corddry, Neil Patrick Harris, Danneel Ackles, Paula Garcés, Missi Pyle, Amir Talai, David Krumholtz, Eddie Kaye Thomas…

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.

 

14. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

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Released in 1997
imdb rate 7
Directed by Jay Roach
Writer: by Mike Myers
Actors: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Fabiana Udenio, Mindy Sterling, Will Ferrell, Charles Napier and others…

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.

 

13. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

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Released in 2007
imdb rate 6.7
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Writers: Judd Apatow, Jake Kasdan
Actors: John C. Reilly, Tim Meadows, Raymond J. Barry, Margo Martindale, Rance Howard, Kristen Wiig, Craig Robinson, Harold Ramis, Philip Rosenthal, Martin Starr, Jack White, Jenna Fischer, David Krumholtz, Eddie Vedder, Jack Black, Justin Long, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman and many more…

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.

 

12. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut

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Released in 1999
imdb rate 7.7
Directed by Trey Parker
Writers: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Pam Brady
Voices: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes, Mary Kay Bergman, George Clooney, Minnie Driver, Brent Spinner, Dave Foley, Toddy Walters

The series is one of my all time favorites, I like it more than a lot of big TV productions. The creators are geniuses. Their voicing the animated characters is brilliant. No more to say.

 

11. Small Times Crooks

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released in 2000
imdb rate 6.5
Directed by Woody Allen
Written by Woody Allen
Actors: Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, Michael Rapaport, Tony Darrow, Jon Lovitz, Hugh Grant and more…

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.

 

10. Young Frankenstein

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Released in 1974
imdb rate 8
Directed by Mel Brooks
Writers: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, (Mary Shelley)
Actors: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars, Madeline Kahn, Gene Hackman and some more…

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.

 

9. Anchorman (The Legend of Ron Burgundy)

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Released in 2004
imdb rate 7.1
Directed by Adam McKay
Writers: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
Actors: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Fred Willard, Kathryn Hahn, Vince Vaughn and more…

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.

 

8. Blades of Glory

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Released in 2007
imdb rate 6.4
Directed by Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Writers: Jeff Cox, Craig Cox, John Altschuler, Dave Krinsky
Actors: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer, William Fichtner, Craig T. Nelson, Rob Corddry, Luke Wilson and more…

Hilarious! No comments. You noticed I haven’t spoiled any movie yet. I’m not gonna do it, don’t worry.

 

7. Step Brothers

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Released in 2008
imdb rate 6.7
Directed by Adam McKay
Writers: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
Actors: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn and more…

One of the best team of comic actors to gather. Amazing movie, amazing comedy. A must see.

 

6. Zoolander

Released in 2001
imdb rate 6.4
Directed by Ben Stiller
Writers: Drake Sather, Ben Stiller, John Hamburg
Actors: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, David Duchovny, Jon Voight, Judah Friedlander, Vince Vaughn and many others, even playing themselves…

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 :).

 

5. The Dictator

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Released in 2012 (the newest comedy on this list!)
imdb rate 6.9
Directed by Larry Charles
Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer
Actors: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jason Mantzoukas, Anna Faris, Megan Fox and more…

A little missed to be Borat reloaded! Brilliant! Accurate! Can you imagine? Great comedy. Underrated, of course, too sensitive fore some.

 

4. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

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Released in 2006
imdb rated 7.4
Directed by Larry Charles
Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Mazer
Actors: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell, Pamela Anderson and some others…

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.

 

3. Team America: World Police

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Released in 2004
imdb rate 7.2
Directed by Trey Parker
Writers: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Pam Brady
Voices: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kristen Miller, Masasa Moyo, Daran Norris, Phil Hendrie, Maurice LaMarche, Fred Tatasciore

I cried of laughing. As I said, geniuses. Acting is the key to conquer the world. You must see it if you haven’t :).

 

2. Bridesmaids

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Released in 2011
imdb rate 6.9
Directed by Paul Feig
Writers: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Actors: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Rebel Wilson, Matt Lucas, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Chris O’Dowd, Jon Hamm and more…

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.

 

1. A Night at the Roxbury

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Released in 1998
imdb rate 5.8
Directed by John Fortenberry, Amy Heckerling
Writers: Steve Koren, Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan
Actors: Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Jennifer Coolidge, Loni Anderson, Dan Hedaya, Richard Griego, Meredith Scott Lynn, Michael Clarke Duncan, Molly Shannon, Colin Quinn, Chazz Palminteri, others

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. With this last movie, I end my list which I want to publish on imdb as well, soon enough, with their tools. I love movies, folks! I love you :). All suggestions will be considered and answered!

 

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