Critically Underrated Comedies

Critics are wrong... A lot. Comedy movies especially seem to be hit and miss on critical competence. Movies are very subjective with elements of objectivity, but comedies are even more so. Sometimes a comedy will just hit you the right way, and despite how dumb it is, you will love it. Here are several comedies that critics seem to hate, but I think are great:


1. Nacho Libre

Rotten Tomatoes says: 40% fresh. "At times hilarious, but other times offensive, Director Jared Hess is unable to recapture the collective charisma of his Napoleon characters, instead relying on a one-joke concept that runs out of steam. Sure to entertain the adolescents, however."

This has to be one of the greatest critical misses of all time. Nacho Libre is outstanding. It is laughs from beginning to end. The whole movie is played straight by the amazing Jack Black. There are no "jokes" per se, just Black's horrible Spanish accent and ridiculous hair. Like half the laughs come from his accent and facial expressions. An impressive comedic scene is Black's first scene with his love interest, Encarnacion. His facial expressions are so wildly varied during such a short period of time, it's amazing. This movie is so quotable, but it must be done in a mimic of Black's horrible accent. It's a shame this movie bombed, Jared Hess made Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, and then fell back into obscurity. Both of these were absolute gold, and I would love to see more Jared Hess comedies.

2. The Cable Guy

Rotten Tomatoes says: 54% fresh

The Cable Guy is an often overlooked gem in Jim Carrey's catalog. Directed by Ben Stiller and co-starring Matthew Broderick, The Cable Guy put many people off because of its darker tone, especially in comparison with Carrey's previous efforts. But if you can accept the darker tone, you will find a riot. The basketball scene is one of, if not the, funniest scenes in movie history. I will never forget watching it for the first time on HBO with my Dad. We both looked like we were having simultaneous heart attacks we were laughing so hard and so irreverently. Just take a look below, and you'll see what I mean.

3. Blue Streak

Rotten Tomatoes says: 36% fresh. "Martin Lawrence lends his comedic touch, but the movie isn't much more than standard action-comedy fare."

Martin Lawrence is one of the most hit and miss comedic actors out there. At times he can be downright hilarious, at other times he can be offensively unfunny. Blue Streak is one of those times when he is hilarious. Luke Wilson plays the straight man, and Lawrence is a jewel thief posing as a cop. The premise is utterly absurd, but Lawrence makes it great. His "tactics" that he teaches to Wilson about being a police officer are hilarious, especially his driving skills. While Blue  Streak is nothing that will set the world on fire, it is definitely a funny and worthy of a viewing if you are looking to turn your brain off for some  laughs.

4.  Last Action Hero

Rotten Tomatoes says: 38% fresh

I've never understood the hate for Last Action Hero. Most people consider it to be one of Arnold's worst films (which is absurd, these people have obviously never seen Collateral Damage, which was a turd). The movie is basically Arnold making fun of himself and the action movies that made him a star. Yes, the kid is a bit annoying, but so was Edward Furlong in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, an unquestioned classic. There are many great jokes poking fun of the action genre. When Arnold goes into the real world and he punches out a windshield and exclaims, "Wow, that actually hurt!" is a particularly great gag. At another point he falls into a tar pit, and wipes himself clean in 10 seconds with a Kleenex. Everything is extremely over the top and played for satire. If you are a fan of Arnold (the greatest action star of all time) at all, Last Action Hero is highly recommended.

5. Malibu's Most Wanted

Rotten Tomatoes says: 30% fresh. "There are some laughs, but not enough to sustain the running time."

This one definitely surprised me. Jamie Kennedy acting "gangster" for 80 minutes definitely didn't sound like I was in for many laughs. But surprisingly, the ruse works. Taye Diggs and Anthony Anderson are especially hilarious as the actors portraying thugs. Kennedy plays the son of a politician who has lived in privilege his whole life, yet longs to roll with the gangsta's. When he is confronted with the real streets, the results are entirely absurd and often hilarious. The part where he goes crazy in an actual gangland shooting is one of the best scenes of the film.