After hours and hours of watching side splitting comedy, I have come down to my top ten favorite comedy films. The list should be well over ten but I think these are the ones that make the list.
10. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
A Wes Anderson film starring Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, and Cate Blanchet, the understated comedy follows a zoologist on finding a rare shark that killed his mentor. As in other Anderson films, the characters' idiosyncrasies and character flaws make the film blur the realms of comedy and drama. It is a thoroughly funny movie but with heart as Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) tries to avenge his mentor, he must deal with his past and his own fulfillment with life. There are daddy issues, the struggle to persevere, romance, and Filipino pirates. The understated comedy and heart felt journeys of the characters makes this on the list.
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Jim Carrey is at his finest in this underrated Christmas film about the children's story by Dr. Seuss. The wackiness of Carrey's acting is there for all to see and enjoy as he plays the unlikeable Grinch. Carrey steals the show as a grouchy hermit but with a soft spot and the whole family can enjoy it.
8. When Harry Met Sally
Billy Crystal's best comedy makes the list. As you watch his character over many years falling in and out of love, you see the real and messy sides of relationships but with no depression, just laughs. Billy Crystal's charm and wit along with the oddities of love in modern times, this is a movie you'll never forget.
7. Shrek 2
You want music, dancing, action, romance, and a giant gingerbread man? Well you've come to the right place. This is by far the funniest sequel out there. Although it's a children's film, the references and jokes hidden within make it stand on its own. It's outrageousness and ability to entertain the adults makes the list.
6. Anchorman
Easily one of the most quotable movies of all time, this comedy is rife with good lines and general ridiculousness that doesn't leave you with brain damage. Well... maybe not, but it's worth it. As the anchormen of a news station face new challenges, the comedy ensues in front of the cameras as well as in the office. As Rob Burgundy (Will Ferrell) falls for the new anchorwoman (Christina Applegate) love and rivalry take the office by storm. This comedy pulls out all the stops for one of Ferrell's best films.
5. Arthur
The little guy with a funny laugh, Dudley Moore, takes you on a wild journey about love as a spoilt brat tries to impress a waitress (Liza Minnelli). The wacky playboy tries to be clever with the waitress, Linda, but she has seen his type before and the pair have a wonderful chemistry throughout. John Gielgud plays a very calm, clever, and loving butler that tries to watch over Arthur as his life comes to a turning point in the film. Moore's quick wit and lazze faire attitude make the film a crazy yet controlled joy ride.
4. Blazing Saddles 
Cleavon Little plays a black sheriff in the Wild West and teams up with Gene Wilder, a quick draw drunk to save the town. This Mel Brooks' satire is one of his best. From race to westerns to Hollywood, nobody is safe from the arm poking ridicule of Mel Brooks. There is not a scene that does not make you laugh. The comedy geniuses that created this masterpiece knew exactly what they were doing.
3. Airplane 
Clever and just plain stupid slap stick comedy is the name of the game. Airplane mocks every movie trope and stereotype out there from PTSD, classic films, the girl saying goodbye to her sweetheart at the train station, even the language of Jive. If there is a fourth wall in this movie it is shattered immediately and the characters won't let up on it. You will not stop laughing while watching this movie.
2. Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail 
If you like funny accents, hilarious lines, and medieval buffoonery, this is the one for you. Your friends probably can quote it by heart, even the most mundane parts like the instructions for using a Holy Hand Grenade. The absurdities of the Middle Ages are explained in hilarious fashion as our hapless heroes try to find the Holy Grail and help King Arthur and his knights.
1. Young Frankenstein 
This film is number one because of its sharp wit, satire of monster films, and its own storytelling on the Frankenstein monster. Gene Wilder plays a doctor with a less than loved grandfather who tried to create the monster. Frankenstein then goes to Transylvania to see his grandfather's workshop. There he meets his destiny as he recreates the monster. The lovely cast plays off each other wonderfully as Frankenstein tries to grapple with himself, his legacy, and his creation. The film is more than just a comedy, it is about the struggle against destiny, the pursuit of knowledge and remembrance, as well as the strained relationship between the creation and his creator. It is a film only Brooks and Wilder could have created and it is worth every minute of it.
