Nic Cage, Sonic's triumphant return,
and a gay take on Jane Austen. It's been a crazy year for comedy.
You have probably already heard of one of the most talked-about movies of the year, Everything
Everywhere All at Once. This is a movie that defies definition by dipping its hotdog-shaped
fingers into several different genres, such as action, adventure, drama, sci-fi, martial arts,
and many more. One of the constants throughout the mind-bending experience of watching this film is
just how funny it is, but that doesn't mean you won't need some help understanding the ending.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is an absurd dramedy about
a Chinese-American immigrant named Evelyn who is thrust into a maddening multiversal story
revolving around her family. This is one of those movies that manages to balance the bonkers
randomness of its humor with the grounded and realistic portrayals of its characters
to amazing effect, thanks in no small part to the performances of its main cast.
Upon release, the movie was met with universal acclaim and praise for its creative premise,
powerful performances, and genuinely hilarious comedy. It has gone on to be described by many
as one of the best films ever made, and it really can only be seen to be believed.
On the complete opposite end of the comedy spectrum is Jackass Forever,
a movie that has no pretensions of grandeur. The Jackass franchise has existed for over two decades
simply by giving us hilarious movies of funny guys and gals hurting themselves on camera. Sometimes
that's all you need. And considering that one of the stunts in this movie involving a bull nearly
killed star Johnny Knoxville, these guys literally put their blood, sweat, and tears into making it.
Jackass Forever is the fourth mainline film in the series, and like the others,
it focuses on putting its stars in dangerously compromising situations through extreme stunts,
pranks, and general tomfoolery. This latest installment features almost all the same
cast members from previous films and also aims to pass the torch of self-endangerment
to a new generation of daredevils. With even more on-set injuries than ever,
there's a reason that Jackass Forever has become the most highly-rated film in the franchise.
It should come as no surprise to film buffs out there that a Pixar movie ended up on this list.
Pixar films tend to strike a balance between humorous and heartwarming while wrapped in a
high-concept package, and Turning Red is no exception. This film features
an incredible cast and ambitious script that has sparked some unfortunate internet drama.
Turning Red is one of the latest films from Pixar Studios, telling the story of Mei Lee,
a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl who magically gets turned into a giant red panda during moments
of intense emotion. The film portrays this transformation as both serious and comedic,
with it being a condition passed down through her family that is meant to be controlled.
Once Mei and her friends realize the unique potential of using the panda to their advantage,
they fully embrace using it for money-making clout to hilarious results.
"I'm paying for the red panda. Not this garbage!"
As a classic coming-of-age tale about a teenage girl going through major changes,
the story walks the line between goofy jokes and more serious family drama
to create a film that many regard as one of Pixar's best in years.
One of the more strange and humorously named movies on this list is The Unbearable Weight
of Massive Talent, which stars and is entirely focused on Nic Cage,
who plays a version of himself. The film is an action-comedy that follows the escapades of
Cage as he deals with a struggling film career as well as family issues. All these things and more
come to a head as the famed actor gets himself involved in a massive plot beyond his control.
As a self-indulgent but undeniably charming film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
shows a Nic Cage whose career is struggling amid numerous box office flops and who is taunted by
visions of his past self. Out of desperation, Cage is brought to Spain to meet with a wealthy fanboy.
From there the plot goes off the rails, involving drug trafficking, kidnapping, and the CIA. By
being appropriately tongue-in-cheek, this movie has been regarded by many as one of Cage's best
roles in decades while also managing to be a genuinely hilarious comedy at the same time.
Could this be the start of a Nic Cage renaissance? That remains to be seen.
As one of the most anticipated animated comedies of the year,
it should come as no surprise to fans that The Bob's Burgers Movie lived up to the expectations.
Based on the award-winning Fox series of the same name, this movie took everything fun about Bob's
Burgers and turned it up for the big screen. Bob's Burgers is about the Belcher family with Bob,
Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise all dealing with the difficulties of running a burger business.
The show has gone on for 12 seasons since 2011 and has gained a massive
cult following for its wacky humor, puns, musical numbers, and endearing characters.
It was only a matter of time before Bob's Burgers got a feature film of its own.
The Bob's Burgers Movie focuses on the Belchers suffering financial woes after being denied an
extension on their business loan as well as having a massive sinkhole form right in front
of their restaurant. Upon release, critics have agreed that The Bob's Burgers Movie has
a successful mixture of laugh-out-loud silliness while maintaining a satisfyingly heartfelt story.
When people think of not-terrible video game movies, one of the few that comes to mind
is probably Sonic the Hedgehog. The first film was released in 2020, with audiences
everywhere being pleasantly surprised by the portrayal of Sonic and Jim Carrey's
over-the-top performance as the villainous Dr. Robotnik. It is because of that success
that Paramount Pictures continued the gravy train with this year's Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
"Hello, hedgehog. Did you miss me?"
Picking up where the first film left off, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 begins almost eight months later
as Dr. Robotnik seeks revenge against Sonic with the help of Knuckles the Echidna.
Sonic recruits the help of his friend Miles "Tails" Prower to find the Master Emerald
before his enemies do and save the universe as we know it. This may sound like heavy subject matter,
but Sonic the Hedgehog 2 manages to be a lighthearted cartoonish adventure with lots of
slapstick humor and tongue-in-cheek jokes along the way. With a stacked cast of acting talent,
it is no surprise this film gained significant buzz as being even better than the first film.
The Man from Toronto is a high-octane action-comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Woody
Harrelson, and Kaley Cuoco to name a few. The Man from Toronto has enough laughs and shootouts to
satisfy fans of the genre while also sporting enjoyable performances from its lead actors.
Hart stars as an unsuccessful fitness instructor who desperately wants to find success selling his
idea of "no-contact boxing." Over the course of the story, Teddy is swept into a plot of mistaken
identity when he is confused as being "The Man from Toronto," a highly trained killer who is
actually Harrelson's character. Together the two go on a globe-trotting adventure
while running away from other assassins and FBI agents as they navigate this absurd situation.
While the film has mostly been panned by critics and audiences alike, there is still
enough comedic gold between Hart and Harrelson in The Man from Toronto to keep anyone entertained.
The recently released Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers implements CGI, 2D animation,
and live-action performances together in the same movie. This film focuses on Chip and Dale, two
cartoon chipmunks who had a popular real-life show in the 1990s and have since become losers. In the
world of Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, animated characters and humans all live together and
interact with each other like normal. This movie seeks to blend comedy, action, adventure, mystery,
and nostalgia into a movie with lots of jokes that may go over the heads of younger audiences.
The story is centered around the kidnapping of Monterey Jack,
another character from the original show, and the investigation Chip and Dale must undertake
to discover what happened to their friend. For many, the main appeal of this movie is
the countless number of cameo appearances by other characters from animation history.
One of the more talked about appearances is that of "Ugly Sonic," voiced by popular
comedian Tim Robinson as the older, uglier version of CGI Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog.
Another entry in the popular genre of movies about humans becoming friends with dogs,
Dog is a road comedy about a U.S. Army Ranger with PTSD given the assignment of taking a military dog
to his friend's funeral across the country. Rooted in serious topics like war, trauma,
family, and death is also the comedic narrative of Jackson Briggs learning to
develop a relationship with a chaotic dog that wants to destroy everything in sight.
As with most road comedies, Briggs and Lulu the dog endure several
strange encounters throughout the film that lead to absolute belly laughs.
"You're just a demon! You're just a demon!!"
Dog satisfied audiences and critics alike with positive reviews and made
significant box office returns on its meager 15 million dollar budget. For dog lovers and
Channing Tatum lovers alike, Dog is a film that has a little something for everyone.
The Bad Guys is an animated comedy centered around a team of criminal animals who make a living
planning heists that fit within the reputation of their species. Based on a book for children,
this film features an impressive cast of actors in various roles.
As a team of criminals known as The Bad Guys, the animals embrace the negative
stereotypes of their various species by plotting elaborate heists led by the charming Mr. Wolf.
Once they accidentally get pictured doing a good deed during one of their schemes,
the team is roped into trying to reform themselves as good guys in order to atone
for their crimes. The Bad Guys is filled with witty humor, interesting animation, and lots
of exciting action that serves to make this one of the higher-rated animated movies of the year.
More than anything, many seem to agree that the film is genuinely funny for both kids and adults.
It's time to talk about the Minions. With the recent release of Minions: The Rise of Gru,
the world has once again been graced with the big-screen presence of everyone's favorite
little yellow banana-loving troublemakers. As the latest in the Despicable Me and Minions franchise,
this film serves as a sequel to the first standalone Minions film while also simultaneously
being a prequel to the first Despicable Me feature. Illumination Entertainment has managed to
create some of the most iconic animated characters of all time, and the film was a financial smash.
The Rise of Gru takes place in 1975 and serves to explain how the Minions came to serve the
villainous Gru, who is only a kid at this time. Gru and the minions are roped into a conflict
between the Villainous 6 and their former leader named Wild Knuckles as they struggle to collect
the Zodiac Stone. Minions: The Rise of Gru is full of the kind of minion-based shenanigans that the
series has become known for, with lots of yelling, cartoon violence, laughing, and banana enjoyment.
This film also sparked some real-life comedy when thousands of moviegoers around the world made it
a meme to see the movie dressed to the nines in suits, calling themselves "gentle minions."
Fire Island is a delightful romantic comedy about a group of gay men
vacationing on Fire Island off the coast of Long Island, while the story is inspired
by Pride and Prejudice. Things get more complicated as the men navigate romances,
rivalries, judgment, and outrageous circumstances during their weeklong stay.
"And this is why straight people hate us."
The narrative is mainly focused on Noah as he heads to Fire Island with his friends
as part of a yearly tradition among the five of them. From there, Noah has to deal with various
flames and sexual encounters as he and his other friends try to have a good time while
understanding this is the last opportunity they'll get to return to the island the way they used to.
Throughout the film are humorous moments of levity that embrace awkwardness and misunderstandings.
Fire Island has done considerably well with the critics, with many
praising its representation of gay men and engaging characters.