Blank Newspaper's Top 15 Comedies of the decade (2000-2009)
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15. The Hangover (2009) Todd Phillips
Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms embark on a wild goose chase to find their soon-to-be-married friend after a forgotten bachelor party in Las Vegas. The film balances the grotesque and the absurd with humor that was unmatched in the last year of the decade. A sequel is already in the works.
14. Dodgeball (200 ) Rawson Marshall Thurber
Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) owns Average Joes gym in this slacker turned hero flick. The genius of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story lies within the conflict between LaFleur and White Goodman (Ben Stiller), and their fight for the rights to the lovable gym. The love of Kate Veatch (Christine Taylor) also serves as a reason for disagreement in the film. Jason Bateman’s commentator role is one for the ages, but Goodman’s over-the-top character and his ridiculous ideas create moment after moment of laughter. Dodgeball is a great watch, no matter what else is on.
13. 40-Year-Old Virgin (2004) Judd Apatow
Steve Carell pops his cherry as a lead performer with this touch-in-cheek performance about a man who spent his post-adolescent years collecting action figures instead of learning about the opposite sex. Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd and Catherine Keener co-star.
12. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Jared Hess
A peculiar high school kid from Idaho struggles as he tickles the line between being unpopular and being artistically respected. In the end, he finds himself on top, but not before experiencing
every kind of frustrating emotion in the book. The movie made approximately a hundred times what it cost to make in theaters and became a cult classic with DVD sales. Its hard to imagine casting a vote for anyone other than Pedro, but its even harder not to root for this awkwardly confident fellow and his friends.
11. Best in Show (2000)
It has been a while since we first saw the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. But what fond memories we all have. Christopher Guest brings back all the usual suspects for his funniest movie since "This is Spinal Tap" in this dogumentary about the ridiculousness that dog-show-participants might be like. Noone makes fun of stereotypes better than this crew, which includes Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard and Guest himself among many other hilarious caricatures.
10. Superbad (2007) Greg Mottola
Seth Rogan and childhood pal Evan Goldberg began writing the script for this movie when they were 13 years old. The movie made an astonishing $170,000,000 at the box office with a cast of mostly unknown actors, though in looking back, its easy to see why.
Superbad was the first feature film for still rising stars Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin) and Michael Cera while it also served as Jonah Hill’s first headlining gig. It was the first of many successful movies produced by Judd Apatow and started a dynasty that still stands into the twenty-teens.
9. Pineapple Express (2008) David Gordon Green
James Franco and Seth Rogan pay tribute to the stoner-buddy comedies of yesteryear in the funniest movie of the last few years of the decade. Franco’s portrayal of a morally bankrupt goldbricker earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor, a rare feat for a comedic role. "Santiago and Dunbar" go through the ups and downs of friends on the lamb along with newcomer Danny McBride, who played "the guy who wouldn’t die" role. Just as important as the movie was the partnership that was formed between McBride and director David Gordon Green. The two later hooked up to create the irresistible HBO series "Eastbound and Down."
8. Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wes Anderson
The first of two Wes Anderson movies on this list, the Royal Tenenbaums is hard to forget. The plot revolves around Gene Hackman’s "Royal Tenenbaum," the missing father in a large family of extremely strange individuals. To get back into good favor with his children, Royal tells them that he is terminally ill. The assists of Ben Stiller, the Wilson brothers, Gwenyth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray and Danny Glover are miraculously unique and previously untouched. This is a chance to see all involved in roles unlike anything they’ve ever done.
7. Anchorman (2004) Adam McKay
Anchorman is one of those movies that gets funnier over time. Though the first watch forces plenty of laughs, it is the second, third, or tenth watch that really earns your trust. Veronica Corningstone completely turns a male-dominated San Diego TV station upside down when she brings her hiphugging women-power into the male-dominated field. Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Fred Willard accompany Will Ferrill’s Ron Burgandy as the staff at the station. With more cameo’s than any other comedy of the decade, there is plenty to go around for everyone with Anchorman.
6. Knocked Up (2007) Judd Apatow
Knocked Up was the most interesting take on a romantic comedy in quite some time. It also introduces us to Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan as lead characters. Their chemistry slowly develops and is never forced. The supporting cast is also huge. Paul Rudd gains credibility as a legitimate funny man while Jason Segal, Jonah Hill and Leslie Mann all pepper memorable moments throughout. Knocked Up was a great movie, not just a funny movie and it meant that Apatow, the director, wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) Nicholas Stoller
Yet another Judd Apatow production, this Hawaiian love adventure offers plenty of fresh comedy. FSM was written by Jason Segal, who also stars in the film as a composer for an ironic crime TV show which also employs his former girlfriend, whom is the source of his pain. In hopes of getting away from it all, Segal’s character (Peter Bretter) escapes to Hawaii. But once he arrives, he finds that his ex is staying at the same hotel with her new boyfriend Aldous Snow, who is played by Russell Brand. Brand offers the funniest supporting role of the decade by far, creating a figure who will long be a source of humor. Kristen Bell, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd and many others round out the cast nicely, but Mila Kunis steals every scene that Brand isn’t in. She is as irresistibly tough and charming as ever and helps the protagonist through his heartache before showing up at the premiere of his Dracula-themed Puppet show. Beautiful scenery and a great story make this movie as funny as any of the era.
4. Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) Wes Anderson
In his funniest performance of the decade, Bill Murray plays an arrogant has-been oceanographer on the hunt for a mysterious sea-being who took the life of his partner, Esteban.
As the journey for revenge unfolds, Zissou falls in and out of good favor with his crew and his family. Wes Anderson’s writing is played out perfectly by Murray and a phenomenal cast which includes Owen Wilson, Kate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willam Defoe and Jeff Goldblum. Seu Jorge, who plays Knockout Ned in the film: City of God, also appears in the film and periodically serenades members of the crew with Portugese covers of David Bowie songs.
The film examines the humbling process that someone on the decline must face while exploring jealousy and family like never before in a comedy. It’s the small things that matter, and that’s why this comedy has aged better than any other of the decade.
3. Borat (2006) Larry Charles
There really wasn’t anything to compare Borat to when it first hit theaters worldwide in the fall of 2006. If you hadn’t seen "The Ali G Show" on HBO, you probably had no idea who Sacha Baron Cohen was. One part audacious, one part intrusive, ten parts controversial, the film earned almost as many enemies as it did loyalists. Lawsuits came from every direction upon the film’s release but so did the money.
The best way to make fun of other people is to first make fun of yourself, and Cohen does just that each time he speaks of hating Jews, when in real life, he is Jewish. Cohen held no punches with full understanding that the people he interacted with in the movie would probably do the same. Always foul and rarely fair, this movie may be the finest example of guilty pleasure in cinematic history.
2. Old School (2003) Todd Phillips
Old School set the bar for comedies in the 2000's. Starring Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, and older Wilson brother Luke, Old School gets its name from a group of post-college friends who decide to start a fraternity. The only problem is that none of the members attend school. Though the new extra-curricular group is unaffiliated with the local university, the brotherhood slowly gains steam. That is, until the college Dean (Jeremy Piven) does some scheming to get the fraternity shut down. The story that finishes the plot is one of absolute comic genius. The fraternity members, the parties, the situations, the sub-plots, nearly everything is not just funny, but hilarious. Old School is a modern classic and is a movie every one should see some time in their life.
1. Wedding Crashers (2005) David Dobkin
Wedding Crashers is arguably one of the best comedies of the last two decades, possibly three. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson deliver the perfectly witty script with precision.
The duo had each taken turns playing the role of supporting funny guy, but never before had either been given the chance to truly enforce their comedic will. As 1a and 1b, each actor shines equally and the results are unforgettable.
Wedding Crashers takes you on a wild ride that starts in the opening scene. These two "thirty-somethings" play cat and mouse as well as any comedic duo in history as they literally crash wedding after wedding, sweeping women off their feet at each stop with timely conversation and wild-eyed promises. This film also presents the comedic skills of Will Ferrell, Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Dwight Yoakum, Sen. John McCain, and the Ragin' Cajun, Mr. James Carvel. Everyone's role is unique, which only adds to the hilarity this movie offers. This is definitely one for the guys, but ladies with a good sense of humor will enjoy this one as much as anyone. Wedding Crashers will leave you in tears of joy and laughter after you witness the antics of its stars, who get more than they bargain for when they scheme up a plan to crash "The Kentucky Derby of weddings." Though Vaughn and Wilson have become a bit repetitive in their roles since, this was the peak of each’s career, and together they were untouchable in the 2000's.
Entertainer of the decade
Judd Apatow, writer, director, producer
Noone did more for film than Judd Apatow in the aughts. He blended the comedic styles of Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan, Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen and Jason Segal and Russell Brand. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface. Apatow was given credit as a writer, producer or director for Anchorman, The 40-year-old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Superbad, Walk Hard, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Drillbit Taylor, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express and Funny People this past decade.
The beginning of the ten-year-span started swiftly for Apatow. While everyone was freaking out about Y2K, the young comedian was working on a show called "Freaks and Geeks."
That show, which shows up on our best tv shows of the decade as well, started the careers of several entertainers including Seth Rogan, Jason Segal, James Franco, Linda Cardenellini and Busy Phillips. The show also featured Martin Starr (Fanboys, Superbad, Knocked Up) and Samm Levine (Inglorious Basterds). But Apatow has resurrected as many careers as he has developed. Noone had their hands in more successful movies than Apatow and as a result, he earned the respect of everyone without spending much time in front of the camera. He has built an empire, and nearly everything he stamps turns to gold. Future plans include a possible sequel to Pineapple Express and a TV series based off of a website he and Ferrell started called Funny or Die. Movies with Aziz Ansari and Jason Woliner are also planned. Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen will play Sherlock Holmes and Watson as well in the near future. But next up for Apatow is a continuation to Forgetting Sarah Marshall which will follow Russell Brand’s Aldous Snow character and will costar Jonah Hill.
Star to Watch in the 2010's: Clark Duke
