Of all the great movie genres that exists, there’s just none that hit the same way as a great comedy does. No matter what we may be dealing with in our everyday lives, comedy arguably provides a better escape from those problems than anything else. While there have been many great eras of comedies that we’ve seen on screen, there’s perhaps no era that stands out more than the 2000s. Although we had many comedy legends from the past who were still able to maintain that momentum throughout the decade, the 2000s also gave us some new faces who would redefine what a great comedy could be. Let’s not wait any longer as the time has come to break down Konscious Kurt’s 10 Favorite Comedies of the 2000s.
10. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
While Will Ferrell successfully made the transition from SNL star to movie star like many others before him, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was the movie that really put his acting career on the map. Set in the 1970s and also starring Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell, the film revolves lead San Diego news anchor Ron Burgundy and the rest of his news team. Burgundy’s ego takes a huge hit when he’s rejected by a woman named Veronica Cornerstone at an office party, and then it’s later revealed that the station has been forced to hire her. While they do eventually fall for each other, their relationship is tested when Veronica successfully fills in for him one day and she’s later promoted as his co-anchor. Despite being considered silly by some critics and getting mixed reviews at the time of its release in the summer of 2004, Anchorman still performed well at the box office and has since gone on to build a cult following.
9. The Simpsons Movie (2007)
The first animated show of its kind, The Simpsons became one of the defining shows of the 1990s. After being on the air for close to two decades, the series finally got its own movie that hit theaters in the Summer of 2007. The movie centers around Homer Simpson’s reckless actions leading to a pollution crisis that causes the entire city of Springfield to be quarantined under a giant glass dome. As the entire town is ready to lynch Homer and the rest of the family once they find out it was his fault, they somehow find a way to escape and go into hiding. While in many ways the movie played out like an extended episode of the show, the formula worked as it was successful both critically and commercially, grossing over $500 million during its theatrical run.
8. Zack & Miri Make a Porno (2008)
2008’s Zack & Miri Make a Porno stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as childhood friends/roommates Zack Brown & Miri Linky. Struggling financially to the point where they can’t keep the lights on in their apartment, Zack talks Miri into creating their own porno so that they can make money to pay off their bills. To save on resources, the two of them gather up all their friends to help them put the project together and even film it at the coffee shop Zack works at after hours. Despite their long-time friendship, things become complicated when a sex scene they film together leads to Zack & Miri catching feelings for each other. While director Kevin Smith blamed the lack of money Harvey Weinstein spent on marketing the film as the reason it underperformed at the box office, it was still received well by those who did see it and is widely considered one of the more underrated comedies of that era.
7. Borat (2006)
Starting Sacha Baron Cohen, 2006’s Borat was a mockumentary style movie that followed the escapades of Kazakh TV reporter Borat Sagdiyev. After seeing actress Pamela Anderson on TV during his first visit to America, Borat makes the sole mission of his trip there to find her and make her his bride. To no surprise, his time navigating through the states leads to him getting into countless situations where he hilariously makes an ass out of himself. While controversial and offensive to many, enough people liked Borat for it to gross $262 million at the box office. In addition to that, the movie was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay and Cohen even earned a Golden Globe for his performance.
6. Meet the Parents (2000)
Starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, Meet the Parents centers around male nurse Greg Focker and his relationship with his girlfriend Pam. Wanting to get her father’s blessing before he proposes to her, the couple travel to New York to visit Pam’s parents for the weekend. Despite his efforts to impress her father Jack, all of them hilariously blow up in his face. As the weekend progresses, his chances of receiving Jack’s approval to marry his daughter only grow slimmer. Meet the Parents was a huge success when it was released in the Fall of 2000 thanks to the crazy antics throughout it combined with the chemistry between Stiller and De Niro and its success led to it spawning several sequels (with another one out later this year).
5. Superbad (2007)
Arguably considered one of the last great teen movies, Superbad follows a hectic day in the lives of high school seniors Seth, Evan, Fogell (aka McLovin). Despite not being the most popular kids in school, they end up getting invited to the last big party of the year before graduation. Wanting to make a good impression on the girls who invited them combined with their desperation to lose their virginities before college, they use Fogell’s fake ID to buy alcohol for the party. From the store they go to buy the alcohol from being robbed mid- transaction, Seth being hit by a car, to ending up at a random party where the host is ready to beat up Seth for unknowingly dancing with his fiancé, endless obstacles come between them and the promise land. Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg as it’s largely based on their high school experiences, Superbad instantly has become a cult classic since it hit theaters in the Summer of 2007 that launched the careers of its leads Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz- Plasse.
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
While dealing with a breakup is never easy, imagine how much harder it is when you go on vacation and end up at the exact same hotel as your ex with her new man. That’s exactly the predicament that plays out in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. When music composter Peter Bretter goes on vacation to Hawaii after his TV actress girlfriend Sarah Marshall dumps him out of the blue, he gets a surprise he didn’t ask for when he discovers that Sarah along with her new boyfriend are staying at the same hotel as him. While the scenario puts a damper on his trip in the beginning, Peter starts to climb out of his rut as he gets closer to the hotel’s concierge (making Sarah jealous in the process). Starring Jason Segal (in his first leading role), Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Russell Brand in a show stealing performance, Forgetting Sarah Marshall was a huge hit with critics and audiences that succeeded in using raunchy comedy to tell a romantic story.
3. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
While many people had previously known Steve Carell for his memorable roles in Bruce Almighty and Anchorman, his first leading role in 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin made him a household name. The movie tells the story of Andy Stitzer, a 40-year-old electronics store worker who’s left embarrassed when his co-workers find out that he’s a virgin. As they all make it their mission to get him laid, every attempt at it goes comically wrong. Everything becomes even more complicated when Andy begins dating a woman named Trish, as he feels pressured to hold off on sex with her out of fear that she’ll discover his little secret. Directed by Judd Apatow and featuring a strong supporting cast of Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Catherine Keener, and Romany Malco, the film was heavily embraced by audiences as it grossed $177 million at the box office and is credited as the film that ushered in the era of comedies that defined the latter part of the 2000s.
2. Knocked Up (2007)
One of the comedies that spawned from the success of The 40-Year-Old Virgin arrived two years later with the release of Knocked Up. Also directed by Judd Apatow and starring Seth Rogen along with Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up revolves around a random one-night stand between slacker Ben Stone and media personality Allison Scott. Several weeks later, the two of them are shocked to find out that their one-night stand resulted in a pregnancy. After Allison decides to keep the baby, the two of them deal with all the challenges that come with becoming new parents from lifestyle changes, career changes, and deciding whether or not they should even stay together. Not only did Knocked Up prove to be a critical success when it hit theaters in the Summer of 2007, it also went on to be an even bigger financial success than The-40-Year-Old Virgin and helped establish Rogen’s career as a credible leading man.
1. The Hangover (2009)
Released at the tail end of the decade as it hit theaters in the Summer of 2009, The Hangover centers around Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug making the trip to Las Vegas for Doug’s Bachelor party right before Doug’s wedding to Alan’s sister later that weekend. The problems quickly arise the next morning as once they wake up, they find their entire hotel suite wrecked (with a tiger in the bathroom) and with zero memory of anything that happened the night before. What makes things even worse is that the groom Doug is nowhere to be found. All of this leads to Alan, Phil, and Stu going on a mission to find Doug before his wedding day but in the process, they slowly discover all the wild, crazy, and also illegal shenanigans they got into before they blacked out. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and featuring a cameo from Mike Tyson, The Hangover was a smash hit with audiences and critics as it broke the record for being the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time and is widely considered as the comedic peak of the entire decade (which is saying a lot).
Honorable Mentions:
• I Love You, Man (2009)
• Bruce Almighty (2003)
• Blades of Glory (2007)
• Scary Movie (2000)
• Wedding Crashers (2005)
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