Comedy

28 Days directed by Betty Thomas (2000)
[5/10]
"You don't see any remarkable performances or go through any emotional highs or lows, but you do end up with a warm-fuzzy feeling, hoping for the best as Gwen starts her sober life."
Accepted directed by Steve Pink (2006)
[5/10]
"I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but with a few really funny lines and the stereotypical warm-and-fuzzy comedy ending make a good starting point for freshman director Steve Pink."
Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, The directed by Gary Halvorson (1999)
[4/10]
"My two year old loved it, my eight year old liked it, the rest of my family tolerated it. Patinkin's performance provided, for me, the only real entertainment in the show. The songs seemed more contrived than usual for a Muppet movie. Noticeably missing: Kermit, Piggy, and Fozzy."
Argent de Poche, L' [Small Change] directed by François Truffaut (1976)
[7/10]
"François Truffaut returns to filming a classroom full of children with the theme that children exist in a state of grace -- they pass untouched through dangers that would destroy an adult."
Barnyard directed by Steve Oedekerk (2006)
[3/10]
"Imagine that Gary Larson had made a feature length version of his sentient cows from the 'Far Side' comics, then you might have an idea of what director Steve Oedekerk attempted with Barnyard."
Break-Up, The directed by Peyton Reed (2006)
[5/10]
"The utter lack of romantic chemistry between Vaughn and Aniston dooms The Break-Up, since the audience really doesn't care if the couple gets back together or not, and the few meager laughs don't really merit spending any time or money at the theater on this film."
Brothers Grimm, The directed by Terry Gilliam (2005)
[6/10]
"Expect to laugh, but you shouldn't expect comedy on the order of Gilliam's Monty Python days."
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle directed by McG (2003)
[4/10]
"It doesn't really matter to what assignment Charlie sends the angles since the film follows the path of greatest skin exposure, highest number of explosions, and maximum stern looks from Lucy Liu."
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 directed by Adam Shankman (2005)
[5/10]
"All of the twenty child actors seem to have good acting abilities, but with so many children in the cast the kids get about as much screen time as a cameo role in this movie dominated by Martin and Levy."
Coffee and Cigarettes directed by Jim Jarmusch (2003)
[5/10]
"Jarmusch has collected some weird and quirky stories that emphasize the variability of human nature, even over something as simple as coffee and cigarettes."
Corrina, Corrina directed by Jessie Nelson (1994)
[7/10]
"Corrina, Corrina takes a tender and careful look at death, loss, and healing from the point of view of a seven-year-old girl Molly (Tina Majorino) in the 1950s."
Curtain Call directed by Peter Yates (1999)
[5/10]
"Unless Spader can soon find a role where he does not play a bungling but gifted character, his career will soon slip until he'll be lucky to get roles like his in Curtain Call."
Devil Wears Prada, The directed by David Frankel (2006)
[6/10]
"I recommend seeing The Devil Wears Prada to watch Streep's amazing performance, but don't expect much from the emaciated storyline -- thin as a Runway model and with about the same I.Q."
Dirty Dozen, The directed by Robert Aldrich (1967)
[7/10]
"Compared to today's action genre, The Dirty Dozen doesn't have nearly as many scenes of intense action, but it does manage to entertain with it's fairly well composed plot and well integrated subplots."
Down Periscope directed by David S. Ward (1996)
[6/10]
"A fairly formulaic underdog-overcomes-all-odds movie with some good acting and better-than-average action."
Ghost World directed by Terry Zwigoff (2001)
[7/10]
"Ghost World defies most of the conventions of both comedy and romance movies. The comedy comes in dark waves of irony and sarcasm. The romance doesn't follow a typical reunification and happily-ever-after ending."
Girl Next Door, The directed by Luke Greenfield (2004)
[6/10]
"Director Luke Greenfield has created a well constructed teen comedy with a bit of a plot twist at the end."
Golden Child, The directed by Michael Ritchie (1986)
[5/10]
"Generally funny, but not riotously so."
Good Boy! directed by John Robert Hoffman (2003)
[5/10]
"You can appreciate Liam Aiken's development as an actor, but often the script gives lame dialogue to everyone, making Good Boy! somewhat painful to watch with not enough comedy to offset the pain."
Grosse Pointe Blank directed by George Armitage (1997)
[9/10]
"The story combines hit men, romance, fights, explosions, and comedy. And all this accompanied by well chosen music from the 1980s."
High School Musical directed by Kenny Ortega (2006)
[5/10]
"It can happen -- a made for TV movie from Disney that doesn't suck. In fact High School Musical does a pretty good job at providing snappy songs, occasionally interesting choreography, and a less than lame plot."
Holes directed by Andrew Davis (2003)
[7/10]
"I would have to guess that the book provides more satisfactory development of Stanley's character than the film. I liked the film, and as with any good underdog story, we cheer for Stanley and Zero as they work to overcome both the oppression of their immediate situation and their family history."
Hot Fuzz directed by Edgar Wright (2007)
[7/10]
"I didn't find Hot Fuzz as riotously funny as Shaun of the Dead. Hot Fuzz has much more subtle humor, mostly irony created by the totally metropolitan Angel trying to fit in to a small town lifestyle. But Hot Fuzz has a much more intelligent plot than Shaun of the Dead."
Incredibles, The directed by Brad Bird (2004)
[9/10]
"Before seeing The Incredibles in the theater, I was skeptical after hearing all the hype from the media and friends about the film. Without even a grudge, I have to say the movie lived up to most of the hype, and it has taken its place in my mind as Disney's all-time best animated movie."
Jakob the Liar directed by Peter Kassovitz (1999)
[6/10]
"Worth seeing once, but it won't loose much in the transition to home video."
Jumanji directed by Joe Johnston (1995)
[5/10]
"A movie with a promising premise, but the frame stories created to present the premise lack adequate character development to make all the special effects worth watching, especially since half the characters have their development revoked at the end of the film."
Juno directed by Jason Reitman (2007)
[8/10]
"Juno does a good job at portraying a particular girl's experience with teen pregnancy, although I don't think you can extend this portrait much beyond Juno's character since she has more self-confidence and personal determination than most adults."
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang directed by Shane Black (2006)
[5/10]
"Individual scenes did make me laugh, but no synergy takes place between the noir and parody elements to make Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang more than a well-made, well-intentioned curiosity."
Kung Fu Hustle directed by Stephen Chow (2004)
[8/10]
"Kung Fu Hustle takes all the stereotypes of the martial arts genre, exaggerates them to an extreme, and provides a hilarious tribute to the genre."
Kung Fu Panda directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson (2008)
[6/10]
"Watching Kung Fu Panda, I came to the realization that animated martial arts just don't impress me. No one had to study for years in order to make the amazing moves demonstrated on the screen. Instead, the characters were just drawn that way."
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events directed by Brad Silberling (2004)
[7/10]
"In most cases where I have both read the book and seen the movie adaptation, I recommend the book as the better experience. In the case of A Series of Unfortunate Events, I have to recommend the movie over the books."
Little Manhattan directed by Mark Levin (2005)
[9/10]
"Little Manhattan handles the themes of first love and lost love with sensitivity and uncommon depth."
Lori, I Love You, But . . . by Gary Davis (1993)
[2/10]
"One could tell this story in any number of modes. Davis chose comedy. In fact, all of his characters seem to be sharpening their wit for a comedy club audition."
Ma Vie en Rose [My Life in Pink] directed by Alain Berliner (1997)
[5/10]
"Seven-year-old Ludovic (Georges Du Fresne) believes he's a girl. Somehow when the stork delivered him, Ludovic's second X chromosome fell in the garbage, leaving him with a male body."
Madagascar directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath (2006)
[6/10]
"Darnell and McGrath know that their plot only holds up for so many jokes, and mercifully Madagascar runs a trim eighty-six minutes -- just enough time to enjoy the story and the laughs without getting beat up by the same jokes over and over."
Matador, The directed by Richard Shepard (2005)
[5/10]
"In spite of the excellent acting of the parts, I cannot agree with the moral message of this film -- that one can benefit from the killing of other people."
Miss Congeniality directed by Denald Petrie (2000)
[5/10]
"Put a hard nosed, glamour neutral, female FBI agent undercover as a contestant in a major beauty pageant (under threat of terrorist attack) and you could get a lot of laughs. But the writers of Miss Congeniality didn't write an all-out gut-busting comedy."
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day directed by Bharat Nalluri (2008)
[7/10]
"Really you can't say much more than Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day presents charming characters in a well crafted love polygon. The humor comes easily, the plot never gets too heavy, and you get a double warm-fuzzy feeling as the two leads find true love emerging out of the chaos that swirls around them."
Monster House directed by Gil Kenan (2006)
[7/10]
"Monster House provides a nice, family-friendly movie with a good story and well developed characters."
Monty Python and the Holy Grail directed by Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones (1975)
[9/10]
"The special edition DVD with an extra 30-seconds doesn't add much value to the film, but the interviews with the cast and especially the tour of the locations with Michael Palin and Terry Jones give some interesting insights into the production."
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium directed by Zach Helm (2007)
[4/10]
"The film tries to do to much in the short running time. Just resolving any one of the four major plot problems could have occupied the entire space of the film, and the resolutions we do get leave too many unanswered questions."
My Fellow Americans directed by Peter Segal (1996)
[7/10]
"Both Lemmon and Garner make believable presidents, and they easily execute their lines from the well crafted script. A cub reporter from the Washington Post could work out the political intrigue of My Fellow Americans in a matter of minutes, but then you don't need a Tom Clancy class scandal for a light comedy."
My Super Ex-Girlfriend directed by Ivan Reitman (2006)
[5/10]
"The script does a good job at thinking through a lot of the situations for superhero-human relationships, but spends a bit too much time developing the sexual characteristics of such relationships."
Nacho Libre directed by Jared Hess (2006)
[5/10]
"It has some memorable lines, but the plot meanders without much drive or purpose and may go down as one of Black's low points in his career."
Night at the Museum directed by Shawn Levy (2006)
[5/10]
"You don't want to think too hard about the premise or the motivations behind the characters, but you can have a few good laughs watching Stiller in a typical slapstick role."
Notting Hill directed by Roger Mitchell (1999)
[6/10]
"Can the boy love the girl and live happily ever after, even though the girl is a movie star? Of course, they have one last chance to reunite and make up and to leave the audience with the requisite warm-fuzzy feeling."
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest directed by Gore Verbinski (2006)
[6/10]
"If you want action and don't care much about plot or character development, then see Dead Man's Chest. If you like your action movies to have some purpose behind the action, then you will probably find this movie runs a bit long -- like I did."
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl directed by Gore Verbinski (2003)
[8/10]
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl provides a fresh, funny adventure story that you can watch over and over."
Prairie Home Companion, A directed by Robert Altman (2006)
[6/10]
"The performances please and provide adequate reason to see the film, but the plot seems just an excuse on which to hang the performances."
Romancing the Stone directed by Robert Zemeckis (1984)
[7/10]
"The overall plot is fairly predictable, but the romantic and comedic elements mesh together well and create a light and funny story with just enough suspense to keep the story interesting."
Santa Clause 3, The: The Escape Clause directed by Michael Lembeck (2006)
[4/10]
"It does seem that Tim Allen has driven his career into a rut, and The Santa Clause 3 merely provides one of the better run-of-the-mill movies Allen has made in quite a while."
Shanghai Noon directed by Tom Dey (2000)
[7/10]
"Shanghai Noon offers slightly better than usual Jackie Chan dialog, typical improvizational martial arts, and fun but merely average stunts (at least for Jackie)."
Shaun of the Dead directed by Edgar Wright (2004)
[8/10]
"If you like British comedy, than you should find Shaun of the Dead riotously funny, and the humor comes from the characters' interactions and not just from bashing zombies with a cricket bat or trying to decapitate zombies with flying vinyl LPs -- and we get some of that too, but not overly much."
Silverado directed by Lawrence Kasdan (1985)
[9/10]
"Westerns and comedies don't get much better than Silverado. You get good crisp writing, witty remarks, great characters, and fun rough-and-tumble, .45-blasting action."
Siu Lam Juk Kau [Shaolin Soccer] directed by Stephen Chow (2001)
[7/10]
"Although not as riotously and continuously funny as Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer does have quite a few good laughs, and you can see how this successful venture led to the even funnier Kung Fu Hustle."
Smoke Signals directed by Chris Eyre (1998)
[8/10]
"Smoke Signals succeeds on many levels: as a coming-of-age movie where two young men learn that they have more in common than they thought; as a road-trip movie; as a light comedy; and as a portrait of Native American life. Alexie successfully weaves these aspects together into a story that you can watch again and again."
Three Amigos directed by John Landis (1986)
[4/10]
"With fondness, I anticipated watching the Three Amigos on DVD. Some of the jokes still made me laugh, but the plot didn't have enough interesting material to really make me want to watch the movie over and over."
Time Bandits directed by Terry Gilliam (1981)
[7/10]
"A blow-by-blow description of Time Bandits doesn't do it justice. Director Gilliam has infused every scene with subtle humor, blatant slapstick, and cosmic justice."
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story directed by Michael Winterbottom (2006)
[7/10]
"Watching Tristram Shandy, you get an idea of the novel's plot, but more importantly, you get a feeling for Sterne's style in the novel. The film's self-referential presentation, the constant shifting from one subject to another, the refusal to resolve just about any issue or story arc produces the same effect in the viewer as the novel does on its readers."
Vita è Bella, La [Life is Beautiful] directed by Roberto Benigni (1997)
[10/10]
"Benigni and Cerami have finely woven all the plot elements together as you would expect in a superb short story. The story never denies life's harsh realities, yet still encourages us to live with more joy, regardless of our situation."
Young Frankenstein directed by Mel Brooks (1974)
[8/10]
"Even if you haven't ever seen Young Frankenstein, you have probably heard at least half of the dialog from ubiquitous quotes and samples. The script by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks spoofs its predecessors and the black-and-white horror movie genre but these spoofs synergistically create an icon of comedy."
Zoom directed by Peter Hewitt (2006)
[2/10]
"I don't think that I have ever seen a movie that tried harder than Zoom only to fall flat on its face. It wants to make you laugh. It wants you to have fun. It wants you to like the characters. It wants to do a lot of things, but it just can't muster up enough energy to do any of these things."

Average score: 6.13