Gareth's Top Ten Comedies of the 21st Century (So Far)

By Gareth Bunkham / June 9, 2013

It€™s been slim pickings for comedies this year on the big screen, but to coincide with the double DVD release yesterday of two of the year€™s best efforts: In the Loop and I Love You, Man, and as we are rapidly nearing the end of the first decade of the new millennium, it seemed like an opportune time to count down my Top Ten Comedies of the 21st Century (So Far). Much like the rules of Dogme, but less confusing, I had certain criteria that must be filled to make the list; so there is no place for hybrids like action-comedies and dramedies (although one self-professed hybrid did sneak in) we are focussing on straight up, 100%, pure comedies, or at least trying to. Sadly the movie of David Hasselhoff drunkenly eating a burger off the floor didn€™t make the cut; but some very funny films did, so sit back, put your feet up and wrap your laughing gear round my Top Ten Comedies of the 21st Century (So Far) and just remember €“ there€™s no accounting for taste.

#10 Hot Rod (2007)

It probably wouldn€™t make most of your lists, but hey, I€™m weird like that. I love Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island€™s whole shtick and firmly believe that sooner or later Samberg and to a lesser extent Jorma Taconne and Akiva Schaffer will be huge stars. Hot Rod has become somewhat of a cult hit on DVD after its rather disappointing and limited box office run €“ thanks mainly to Samberg€™s popularity on SNL and the Digital Shorts he and his Lonely Island compadres have been producing for Lorne Michaels€™ Saturday night institution. The film itself has a nice little cast, Samberg€™s SNL co-star Bill Hader and a pre-flavour of the week Danny McBride round out his crew and there are also appearances by Sissy Spacek and a scene-stealing Ian McShane as Rod€™s Mum and Stepfather respectively. Hot Rod has some great sight gags, some surreal Will Ferrell-esque humour (it was originally conceived as a Ferrell vehicle) and a very funny Footloose-riffing punch-dance number; and if that doesn€™t float your boat, how can you not love a film that features a soundtrack made-up almost entirely of Europe songs?