Top Comedy Movies of 2001

1. Shrek

And this is beating out some heavy hitters. Ten years ago, Dreamworks came out with the first major computer generated movie not from Pixar. It was a family comedy with an edge that the Disney stuff never had. Considering its effect on the animated comedy landscape in the time since, I'm giving it my top spot this year. It's also pretty funny too.

2. Ocean's Eleven

The only reason this isn't number one is because I consider it a comedic heist movie rather than a comedy about a heist. Otherwise, superb cast, solid plot, amazing subtle jokes. Seriously, I still notice new things watching it.

3. Zoolander

I've found the movie increasingly grating over the years, but a great deal of that is from over-saturation. A good collection of Frat Packers before that was really a thing, and all playing different kind of roles than say, Old School. Over the top and wonderfully so.

4. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Kevin Smith having perhaps the most fun he's ever had on a movie. This is all stupid humor, guest stars, and loose narrative. Somehow, excess causes a balance though. While not his best work, I give a lot of love when you can tell the people behind the scenes are enjoying making it.

5. Rat Race

2001 is apparently the year of the ensemble comedy. "Race" is certainly not the same caliber casting as the above entries, but it's an effective example of crazy premise demanding absurdity in all other regards.

6. Super Troopers

I can't keep a movie with such a cult following off my list. Despite the crazed love for this movie, the Broken Lizard comedy troupe hasn't been able to match the success of this one.

7. Wet Hot American Summer

Speaking of movies with cult followings... This one bombed in theaters and rightly so. It is so bad, but knows it. If you can embrace the summer camp camp, there is a good amount to enjoy here. The most amazing thing for me is looking at how good the cast is by today's measure.


HONORABLE MENTION
This is by far the most pack year for good comedies. A case could be made for any of these to be in the top 7.

Bridget Jones's Diary
Not my cup of tea (Get it? Because It's British), but a solid movie. A strong comedy from across the pond and certainly one of my favorite Hugh Grant as an asshole roles. Props to Renee Zellweger for doing Chicago between her two stints as chubby Bridget Jones.

Monsters, Inc.
Pixar's forth outing. As good as the movie is, this is one of the few years Dreamworks had a better product than Pixar.

Legally Blonde
A light, fluffy movie along the lines of anything Anna Faris does these days (eerily similar, in fact). Nothing notable about this except how easy it is to watch.

American Pie 2
Not quite as fresh as the original and inferior to it's follow-up (Wedding, that is. Not Band Camp). Solid on all accounts but too much rehashing of what worked in the first.

A Knight's Tale
If I could call this a comedy, it'd be ranked. Endlessly quotable (when I watch it) and very endearing. Bonus points for dead Heath Ledger.

Serendipity
Any other movie trying to pull this "right place, wrong time" shit would capture my ire, but the concept of the movie is flaunting that construct. As far as RomComs go, you could find worse.

Heartbreakers
Another non-challenging comedy that has a few strong sequences and many that fall flat. Ray Liotta made up a lot for the flat performances by Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Not Another Teen Movie
There was about a 2 year period when the Scary Movie generation of movie parodies appropriately walked the line between sincere satire and overly sophomoric. A lot of this movie goes too far although, compared to something like Meet the Spartans, it's The Shawshank Redemption.

Amélie

Quirky. Foreign. Distict Style. Upbeat. Subtitles. That sums it up.

The Princess Diaries
Introducing to the world, for the first time: Anne Hathaway. Cute movie full of cheap family-friendly laughs.

Joe Dirt
Enough of this movie works that I can't hate it. Really makes you wonder how different David Spade's career would be if he could still do a buddy movie with Chris Farley every once in a while.

Joe Somebody
I like this movie a lot and I don't know why. It's not particularly engaging or funny. Julie Bowen is always a plus. Otherwise, I can't say why.

Two Can Play That Game
Tyler Perry. Please take note. All black cast. Comedy movie. And, I don't want to tear my brain out.

Get Over It
Remember when teen comedies were rated PG-13 and attempted to get our interest by casting Sisqo and having modern Shakespeare nested plays with catchy songs? Me neither. It's probably for the best, although this one was better done than it should've been.