I'm over a year late on this post but a family viewing of Meet the Parents last night got me thinking that MTP probably belongs in the top 10 comedies of the '00s. DeNiro steals the show as Jack Byrnes, with the 'drive to the pharmacy' scene chock full of comedy genius:
"You see, Greg, when you yell at a dog, his tail will go between his legs and cover his genitals, his ears will go down. A dog is very easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection. They don't sell out the way dogs do."
I don't know about rank order but if we're using the simplest metric "how much did I laugh?" then Borat, Tropic Thunder, Team America: World Police, 40-year-old Virgin, Wedding Crashers, the Hangover, Old School, Napoleon Dynamite, Wet Hot American Summer might round out my top 10. This leaves off the second tier of Will Ferrell vehicles, a lot of Apatow hits and certainly some indie films I either didn't see or can't remember so help me out.
10 comments:
and, no, I didn't forget "Shaun of the Dead"...or -- shout out to Jaewon -- "White Chicks"
First of all, whoever wrote that dog comment, never met Diego. As for the funniest movies....sadly, looking at the options, I'd have to say that the 2000's was not the greatest decade for comedy. I guess nothing made me laugh as hard as Team America on first viewing. The Hangover and Old School are certainly new classics. Many of the movies on the list had their moments but weren't funny throughout. None of them made me fall out of my seat laugh like the first time I saw "There's Something About Mary". I'd have to add Superbad to your list.
I might disagree with the order of the movies you picked, but I can't disagree with the line-up overall. Maybe an argument can be made for Super Troopers?
My Jaewonesque "I know I am the only person on the planet who likes it, but I will mention it just to annoy people" nod goes to Joe Dirt.
The viewing audience has a huge impact on how funny a movie seems. When I first saw the Hangover in a packed theatre, I felt that it was one of the most brilliant comedies I'd ever seen. Second time, viewing at home, it seemed funny, but not quite as much so.
On the other hand, I saw Old School in a theatre alone on a Tuesday afternoon. No one laughed, and I still think that movie was HIGHLY overrated.
What about Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle? Hilarious.
Jackass 2? Also completely hilarious.
There's more:
BEST IN SHOW (my personal favorite of the Christopher Guest movies)
MEAN GIRLS
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE
Also, when did the South Park movie come out? That made me laugh out loud in a packed theatre.
Also, for funny/poinant:
HIGH FIDELITY
LOVE ACTUALLY
ABOUT A BOY
JUNO
What about Role Models? We liked that one, right?
OK so maybe we need a girls list and a boys list...
Julie, your funny/poignant sublist is like a 37 letter argument for why guys nights out were invented.
You saw Old School alone on a Tuesday afternoon ... that deserves serious respect but then...OK we can all agree it's fun to feed off the energy of a packed theater but you can appreciate some classics in an absolute vacuum. Old School comes at you like a spider monkey and doesn't let up ... I couldn't even settle in before the hysterics started:
Mitch: Sorry, your seatbelt seems to be broken. What do you recommend I do?
Cab Driver: I recommend you stop being such a bleep. You're in the backseat.
Hmmm. Let's compare Metacritic scores:
The Simpsons Movie: 80 (WHA? U 3> the simpsons?!?)
Juno: 81
Best in Show: 78
High Fidelity: 76
About a Boy: 75
Mean Girls: 66
Jackass 2: 66
Love Actually: 55
OLD SCHOOL: 54 (wh-wh-waaaah)
Ask any human -- especially male humans -- and Old School is at least a Top 3 comedy from the 00's. It's second for me (behind the Hangover).
And I don't think any movie from the 00's has more hilarious lines that are more instantly recognized by more people - Don't Panic!!!! We're Going Streaking!!! Ear Muffs. Maybe Bed, Bath, and Beyond... You're my boy Blue. Once it hits your lips, it's so good!
I also don't need a critic to tell me what is funny. The critics hated Caddyshack too. Caddyshack....
I loved "Simpsons: The Movie" the first 873 times, when it was called "Simpsons: The Television Show." Same for South Park. Charging me 8 bucks to watch a long tv show does not get you on the list.
I loved High Fidelity, but it's not a comedy.
Whoops. I spelled poignant wrong. Sorry. I got ahead of myself.
seriously, Julie, do you think the fact that Leonard Maltin didn't like Old School affects our enjoyment?
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