Top 30 Best Action Comedies of All Time
They're hilarious, they're action-packed... they have everything! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the funniest and most memorable action comedy movies ever.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 "You're very funny. Lieutenant Doctor's two days pay."
00:02 "Get outta here!"
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the funniest
00:08 and most memorable action comedy movies ever.
00:10 "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"
00:14 Number 30, Shazam.
00:16 The popular character of Shazam has been around since the 1940s,
00:20 first appearing in comic book form, and was long overdue for a more modern feature film.
00:24 "What happened to me? Why am... What did you do to me? What did you do to my voice?"
00:28 "You have been transformed to a full potential Billy Batson."
00:32 The 2019 film recounts the iconic story of Billy Batson,
00:36 a 14-year-old boy who can transform into the adult superhero Shazam simply by saying,
00:41 "Shazam!"
00:45 Throughout the film, he learns how to use his powers and enlists family members
00:48 to battle evil alongside him, and we see equal amounts of epic and heartwarming moments along
00:54 the way. This film has spawned one direct sequel so far, and we are excited to see where Shazam's
00:59 powers could take him next, but we can only hope it'll be as action-packed, quotable,
01:03 and hilarious as the first installment.
01:05 Number 29, Johnny English.
01:09 There are few actors who can do physical comedy as well as Rowan Atkinson,
01:13 and we see him in one of his best roles to date in this 2003 flick.
01:17 "I remember every agent would carry a pen that looked just like this.
01:20 Completely innocent to the untrained eye, but click it twice."
01:24 In the first film in the Johnny English trilogy, English finds himself as the lone agent tasked
01:30 with saving the British crown jewels. Accompanied by his sidekick Boff, some incredible luck,
01:36 and just a touch of skill, he's able to save the day, while keeping us in stitches the entire time.
01:41 "My bottom will be king of England before you are."
01:44 "Wrong again?"
01:48 "Perhaps you'd care to look behind you."
01:51 It's kind of like Mr. Bean meets James Bond, which is, of course,
01:55 a perfect role for the star to nail with absolutely hilarious results.
01:59 Number 28, The Man from UNCLE.
02:02 Based on the popular 1960s television series, the film takes place during that same time period,
02:07 with some seriously charming star power and a high-stakes plot leading the charge.
02:11 "It will be located in a computer disk.
02:15 And whoever has that disk will simply be the most powerful nation in the world."
02:20 Henry Cavill plays Napoleon Solo, the American partner of Russian Ilya Kuryakin,
02:26 polar opposite spy teammates whose characters hail from the original show.
02:30 In the film, Solo and Kuryakin are unwillingly paired up to stop a criminal organization from
02:35 obtaining nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Throughout the film, the main characters learn
02:39 to work together, and at the end, decide to continue doing so under the codename "Uncle."
02:44 "Oh, and you have a new codename."
02:46 "Codename?"
02:48 "Yes, rather a good one. UNCLE."
02:50 The movie perfectly pays homage to the original series,
02:53 while leaving us hopeful for further adaptations to come.
02:56 Number 27, Kindergarten Cop.
02:59 How could we complete an action-comedy list without featuring an offering from
03:03 iconic action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger?
03:05 "Ha ha ha, quiet."
03:07 In one of Arnold's first forays into comedy, he plays Detective John Kimble,
03:11 who poses as a substitute teacher in order to get close to one of the student's mothers,
03:15 whom he needs to testify against nefarious dealer Cullen Crisp.
03:19 He then surprises himself and the kids by finding his footing and enjoying his new role.
03:24 And the film takes hilarious twists and turns while dealing with the dramatic criminal backstory
03:29 as well.
03:30 "We're going to play a wonderful game called 'Who is my daddy and what does he do?'"
03:35 It's a great balance between action and comedy, and a classic for parents, teachers, and kids alike.
03:41 Number 26, Central Intelligence.
03:43 There's no better modern comedy pairing than the juxtaposition of Kevin Hart and
03:48 Dwayne Johnson working side by side.
03:50 "Hey look at you, you've lost like 200 pounds. See you gained it back in muscle.
03:54 Oh my god, you look great."
03:56 "No, no, you look great."
03:58 Their statures, humor, and acting chops complement one another perfectly.
04:02 And who doesn't love a good high school origin story?
04:05 Jumping off from their high school backstory, this duo's lives totally change in adulthood,
04:10 with former high school loser Bob transforming into a CIA agent in need of Calvin's help.
04:15 "I need your super sweet accounting skills to help me figure out the last piece of this puzzle,
04:19 which is a transaction number from the winning bid. That'll tell us where the deal is going down."
04:23 They help each other face their long-held insecurities,
04:26 while Bob shows that he may be the true master of disguise.
04:30 Along with the many entertaining action-packed sequences
04:32 comes a plethora of funny and touching moments.
04:35 Number 25, Midnight Run.
04:38 Charles Grodin and Robert De Niro are a golden comedic duo in this revered flick,
04:43 and make it non-stop fun to watch.
04:46 "You don't look like an FBI agent to me."
04:47 "Yeah, well you don't look like a Duke to me."
04:51 De Niro plays bounty hunter Jack Walsh, while Grodin plays an embezzler known as the Duke.
04:57 After Walsh captures the Duke, they are stuck together as they make their way across the United
05:01 States and find themselves ensnared in loads of entertaining scenarios along the way.
05:06 "Stealing 15 million dollars from Jimmy Serrano sounds foolish."
05:09 "I think I get caught."
05:13 "Now that's living in denial."
05:16 As they dodge both the mob and the FBI,
05:19 they form an unlikely bond when they realize they have more in common than they thought.
05:23 This film even spawned various adaptations, leaving behind a truly impressive legacy.
05:29 Number 24, Spy.
05:32 Following Bridesmaids in 2011, Melissa McCarthy and director Paul Feig were hot commodities.
05:37 "Oh god, he went into a building."
05:40 "Okay, well, well done, that's it. Time to call it a day now."
05:43 In 2013, they took their talents into the action comedy genre,
05:47 creating the solid, if somewhat predictable, The Heat.
05:50 "Stop it. Just cover me and go right."
05:54 "Well then, say that."
05:56 The process was eventually refined, and in 2015,
05:59 the team released the far better and more star-studded Spy.
06:02 "This can't be right!"
06:06 "Oh my god."
06:06 Most of the praise centered around Feig's writing and directing,
06:13 not to mention the uproarious performances from McCarthy,
06:16 Rose Byrne, and a surprisingly hilarious and scene-stealing Jason Statham.
06:20 "I watched the couple that raised me explode in a van.
06:24 I watched the woman I love get tossed from a plane
06:28 and hit by another plane, midair."
06:30 Spy was a huge hit, scoring $235 million at the box office
06:35 and landing McCarthy her first Golden Globe nomination.
06:38 Stephen Chow's 2004 flick is a love letter to the martial arts
06:45 and black comedy films that came before it.
06:47 It tells the story of the Axe Gang, a group of vicious gangsters in Shanghai
06:52 who wreak havoc in the slum named Pigsty Alley.
06:55 "Yee-haw!"
06:57 Both the gang and the residents of the alley are skilled in different types of fighting,
07:04 and battles ensue throughout the film that are both hilarious and riveting.
07:07 Its incredibly engaging martial arts comedy style,
07:14 paired with complex characters, a unique perspective on heroes and villains,
07:18 and the backdrop of the backstreets of Shanghai,
07:20 makes for a seriously fun film to watch.
07:24 #22. The Blues Brothers
07:26 Films inspired by SNL sketches have been hit or miss over the years,
07:30 but this iconic movie was a huge hit.
07:33 With Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi at the helm, it's a guaranteed good time.
07:37 "Are you the police?"
07:38 "No, ma'am. We're musicians."
07:40 The Blues Brothers tells the story of siblings Joliet and Elwood,
07:43 who set out to save their orphanage by recruiting their old bandmates
07:47 while fleeing from the law.
07:48 There's hilarity to be sure,
07:50 and the musical numbers are beyond entertaining and star-studded,
07:53 but the action side is something that is not praised enough in this classic.
07:57 The car chases are legendary,
07:59 that final performance is unforgettable,
08:02 and we think you should sit down and re-watch this mission from God sometime soon.
08:06 #21. The Naked Gun Franchise
08:14 Who doesn't love Leslie Nielsen?
08:17 He brings his signature deadpan humor to this satirical film series,
08:20 which is a continuation of the Police Squad TV series,
08:24 and we are heartbroken that we won't see him in any future sequels.
08:27 "Do any of you understand how a man can hurt inside?"
08:32 "Frank, they're not here for you. Weird Al Yankovic is on the plane."
08:36 He plays Detective Frank Drebin, an agent of chaos who finds himself
08:40 at the center of plots that could destroy the world,
08:43 but he somehow always manages to save the day.
08:46 It's impossible not to laugh throughout these films,
08:49 as there are references and parodies throughout that almost every audience member can recognize,
08:54 while giving us some action sequences that are memorable to say the least.
08:58 "I got something big coming up on the outside, something really big."
09:01 "I could use someone like you in my gang."
09:02 "You got a dead on plan? Full coverage."
09:04 #20. Last Action Hero
09:06 When it was released in 1993, Last Action Hero did not receive a kind response.
09:12 Critics hated it and it bombed at the box office.
09:14 "He's okay, minor wound. Both cops dead."
09:19 But time has been quite kind to Last Action Hero,
09:23 with many believing it was a little too postmodern for its time,
09:27 especially with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Die Hard's John McTiernan at the helm.
09:30 "He's fantastic. This is his best performance ever."
09:34 "But that was you! You were in that movie!"
09:37 The movie is a hilarious spoof of action cliches,
09:40 and it upends the genre in various unique and entertaining ways.
09:43 "Let's say this is a movie. How many times have you heard someone say,
09:46 'Stay in the car' and the guy doesn't? What happens?"
09:48 "He saves the day."
09:51 "Or gets killed."
09:52 "Good point, I'll stay in the car."
09:54 It's especially hilarious seeing Schwarzenegger making fun of himself,
09:57 his storied career, and the genre that made him famous.
10:00 "If you get to Los Angeles, call my office. We can get you shopping center openings."
10:05 "Look, I don't really like you, alright? You brought me nothing but pain."
10:09 Last Action Hero was ahead of its time,
10:11 and it now sits proudly among the greatest action comedies.
10:14 Number 19. Charlie's Angels
10:17 "Good morning, angels."
10:20 "Good morning, Charlie."
10:21 No one was really clamoring for a Charlie's Angels movie,
10:25 especially 20 years after the conclusion of the television series,
10:28 but that didn't stop Sony from doing it, and we're glad they did.
10:31 The movie contains a brilliant and simply unbeatable cast in Drew Barrymore,
10:36 Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu,
10:37 and it makes the right creative decision in ditching the series' dramatic elements
10:41 in favor of more tongue-in-cheek comedy.
10:43 "Do you like fast cars?"
10:45 "I like fast everything."
10:52 The three angels work exceptionally well together,
10:55 and the supporting roles are all brilliantly cast.
10:58 The movie doesn't slouch on the action sequences either.
11:01 "I'm sorry, could you hold on a second?"
11:03 "Sure, you bet."
11:04 "I like him so much."
11:06 "Oh, shit!"
11:07 To the surprise of absolutely everyone,
11:10 this movie reinvigorated the Charlie's Angels brand for a new generation.
11:14 Number 18. True Lies
11:16 "Hey, press the button for the top floor, please."
11:19 "That's okay."
11:20 "Thank you."
11:22 Following Terminator 2,
11:24 James Cameron wrote and directed True Lies,
11:26 starring A-listers Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.
11:29 "Let me in! Do it! Please!"
11:32 "Let me in! Let me in!"
11:34 "Oh, God, Harry!"
11:36 "Come on!"
11:37 "Harry!"
11:38 The film follows the two actors playing a married couple,
11:41 in which Helen discovers that Harry isn't a boring computer salesman as she thought,
11:45 but actually a counter-terrorism officer.
11:48 "Have you ever killed anyone?"
11:49 "Yeah, but they were all bad."
11:54 At the time of release, this was the most expensive film ever made.
11:58 And with Cameron at the helm,
11:59 you better believe that we see all that money on the screen
12:02 in its high-octane, adrenaline-fueled action scenes.
12:05 The set pieces are enormous,
12:07 the action is exciting,
12:09 the laughs are hysterical,
12:10 and the performances are all top-notch.
12:12 "You're fired."
12:14 Number 17. The Other Guys
12:24 The Other Guys is the fourth collaboration between Will Ferrell and writer-director Adam McKay,
12:29 following Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers.
12:32 "The city's dying for a hero."
12:33 "Is it?"
12:35 "Yeah."
12:35 "What about nine million socially conscious and unified citizens
12:39 all just stepping up and doing their part?"
12:41 At this point, their process was razor-sharp and well-oiled,
12:44 resulting in the hilarious and surprisingly clever The Other Guys.
12:48 The chemistry between Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg is outstanding,
12:51 and Ferrell does well playing against type as the straight-laced and mild-mannered dweeb.
12:56 "Someone's been playing Grand Theft Auto."
12:58 "Oh! I did that! I did that!"
13:02 The movie is also rife with some great action set pieces,
13:05 and a particular sequence involving Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson
13:09 has to be one of the funniest things we've ever seen in an action comedy.
13:13 "Aim for the bushes."
13:14 The Other Guys isn't original by any means,
13:16 but it's so well-made that no one really cares.
13:19 Number 16. The Bad Boys Franchise
13:26 Teamed up with funnyman Martin Lawrence,
13:28 the Fresh Prince's Will Smith plays one of two wisecracking detectives
13:31 who hunt down various criminals in this franchise.
13:34 "So I'm playing cop now."
13:35 While the first two films received mixed reviews,
13:38 they became highly popular thanks to multiple gut-busting scenes
13:41 featuring hilarious banter between the partners.
13:43 "So what you wearing?"
13:44 "Man, give me the phone! Give me the phone!"
13:46 They also had over-the-top, yet mesmerizing action sequences
13:50 that only director Michael Bay could bring to the big screen,
13:53 which added some welcome heart-stopping moments
13:55 in between the goofy dialogue and characters.
13:56 Though Bay didn't direct the third film,
14:09 which came out 13 years after Bad Boys 2,
14:11 directors Adil and Bilal, along with Smith, Lawrence, and crew,
14:14 were able to successfully capture the fun and action of the previous flicks
14:18 to surprisingly positive reviews.
14:20 "Daddy!"
14:20 "Joker! You a pop-pop."
14:29 We can thank Ben Stiller for Tropic Thunder, as he wrote, produced,
14:37 directed, and starred in the satirical comedy
14:39 about a group of actors who are thrust into real danger.
14:42 "Let's go and make the greatest war movie ever!"
14:46 "Yeah!"
14:47 "Yeah!"
14:47 The movie features some amazing performances,
14:49 including Tom Cruise's unrecognizable Les Grossman
14:52 and Robert Downey Jr.'s Oscar-hungry actor Kirk Lazarus,
14:56 a role that ironically earned him an Academy Award nomination,
14:59 which is no small feat for a comedy film.
15:02 While many of its jokes would not work today,
15:04 considering the climate in which we live,
15:06 we can still appreciate the well-directed and exciting action scenes.
15:10 The movie's jungle locations are also beautiful to look at,
15:13 making Tropic Thunder both a visual and comedic treat.
15:16 "Are you going to let me go?"
15:20 "No! We owed you for ransom! Much more money now!"
15:24 Number 14. Pineapple Express
15:27 "You have the easiest job on Earth. You do smoke weed all day."
15:30 "Yeah, that's true."
15:32 "You didn't think of that."
15:33 You wouldn't expect to see awesome action scenes in a stoner comedy,
15:37 but in this flick, it is the norm.
15:39 "So, it's sale! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in!
15:42 I just saw some crazy shit, man! Let me in! Please, for the love of God, let me in!
15:44 It's sale! Let me in, man! Let me in!"
15:46 "Dale?"
15:47 "Yes, Dale! That's what I said! It's Dale! Dale, let me in!"
15:50 "Oh, alright, man. Come on up."
15:52 Featuring Seth Rogen and James Franco in a Golden Globe-nominated role,
15:57 Pineapple Express follows two stoners as they go on the run from a drug dealer
16:01 who wishes to take them out.
16:02 "You okay, man? Look, I'll get you another bong, alright?"
16:09 "It's my cat's birthday today."
16:11 Franco's performance is hilarious and helped jumpstart his comedy career in film.
16:16 The action is relentless, and we know we said this already, but it's much better than you'd think.
16:21 There's also a sweet friendship and a good message underneath all the blood and smoke.
16:24 "Man, where'd you come from, man? Where'd he come from?"
16:28 "He came back to save us."
16:29 "He saved us?"
16:30 Directed by David Gordon Green, but produced by Judd Apatow and Shana Robertson,
16:34 it's another film that's developed a cult following, and for good reason.
16:39 #13 The Nice Guys
16:41 "Mr. March, we're gonna play a game."
16:43 "I think you have the wrong house."
16:44 "It's called 'Shut Up Unless You're Me.'"
16:48 Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling weren't exactly the hottest names in comedy,
16:54 but you wouldn't know it watching The Nice Guys, not to be confused with the other guys.
16:57 "Marijuana?"
16:59 "Marijuana, pot. Place drinks if it has smoke in it."
17:02 "Oh, yeah. I can't smell."
17:04 "What?"
17:05 "I got hit in the head a while back. I lost my sense of smell."
17:08 Written and directed by Shane Black of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fame,
17:12 The Nice Guys is a visually gorgeous and stimulating throwback to the drug-fueled
17:16 cop movies of the 70s, full of bright colors, ugly outfits, funny hairdos, and retro cars.
17:22 "You lose your gun, you take your header off the balcony,
17:25 and now you're gonna tell me it's like a, uh, a hallowed time on a detective ploy, right?"
17:29 "It was very slippery up there, okay? I was, I was in the pool."
17:33 It's a fast-paced, richly told story full of laughs and great character moments,
17:37 and Gosling and Crow work extraordinarily well together.
17:40 "You're not a murderer."
17:42 "She just said she killed three people."
17:43 "I know, but I'm saying deep down."
17:46 "Hey, look, one's a mistake. By the time you get to three, you're a murderer."
17:48 "Don't paint her with that brush, 'cause it's easy to live in your world, right, where everyone sits."
17:52 In an era of bombastic superhero movies aimed at families,
17:55 The Nice Guys was a refreshing ode to the mature, adult-oriented action comedies of old.
18:01 #12 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
18:03 After sticking to low-budget English films with Simon Pegg,
18:07 director Edgar Wright broke into the mainstream, or at least tried to,
18:10 with the $85 million Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
18:13 "You don't remember me, do you? We met at the party the other day."
18:16 "Were you the Pac-Man guy?"
18:17 "No, not even. That was some total ass. I was the other guy."
18:21 Scott Pilgrim was adapted from Brian Lee O'Malley's graphic novel of the same name,
18:25 and it has to be one of the most bona fide comic book movies ever made.
18:30 "We're fighting over Ramona?"
18:31 "Didn't you get my email explaining the situation?"
18:34 "I skimmed it."
18:36 "You will pay for your insolence!"
18:40 It is proudly boisterous,
18:44 and it often honors its roots with comic book-themed visuals and sound effects.
18:49 [Heartbeat]
18:55 Like all Wright films, Scott Pilgrim was critically acclaimed for its visuals,
19:05 editing, and kooky humor.
19:07 Unfortunately, it bombed at the box office, making just $48 million.
19:11 "What was her name?"
19:12 "She was Nat when I knew her, but she stopped liking that name.
19:17 Then she stopped liking me."
19:18 "Your hair's cute. I like it long."
19:20 "But it'd be cute if short, wouldn't it?"
19:22 "What?"
19:23 "What?"
19:23 "Why are you wearing that hat?"
19:26 "I thought we could go for a walk."
19:27 Luckily, it has since become a bit of a cult classic,
19:30 especially within the comic book fandom.
19:32 Number 11. The Austin Powers Franchise
19:36 Mike Myers is at his over-the-top best as both the hero and the villain,
19:40 and even some other characters,
19:42 in this modern classic film series that spoofs the 60s-era spy genre.
19:46 "I have one simple request,
19:48 and that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads."
19:54 Austin Powers is a British agent who also fancies himself a smooth-talking ladies' man,
19:59 and is tasked with taking on Dr. Evil and thwarting his quest to take over the world.
20:04 Although it's set in the 1990s, Powers is a broad Bond parody
20:08 that gives the films an undeniably nostalgic aesthetic vibe.
20:15 The physical comedy, catchphrases, and even the music
20:19 are the shagadelic cherries on top of these modernized throwback flicks.
20:23 Not only were they insanely popular when respectively released,
20:27 but they are also to this day.
20:28 Number 10. Kingsman The Secret Service
20:31 Spy comedies are as old as time itself.
20:40 "No, no, there's never a way. That's not cheese."
20:43 "Max, be quiet!"
20:46 Get Smart was enormously popular in the mid-60s thanks to the James Bond boom,
20:52 and it received a film adaptation in 2008 starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway.
20:56 But perhaps the greatest spy comedy of our time is 2014's Kingsman The Secret Service.
21:02 "Are we going to stand around here all day, or are we going to fight?"
21:06 The movie was an enormous hit, grossing over $400 million at the worldwide box office
21:10 thanks to its stylish visuals, unrelenting sense of fun, and the unbelievably packed cast.
21:16 "And this is our standard issue pistol. It's quite unique, as you'll see.
21:19 It also fires a shotgun cartridge for use in messy, close-range situations.
21:24 How do they feel?"
21:24 "Yeah, good."
21:25 The church massacre going viral also helped.
21:28 Kingsman was just like a James Bond film, only far funnier and way more violent.
21:33 R-rated spy comedies are a risky venture, especially at $90 million,
21:37 but Kingsman proved there still is an audience for this type of movie.
21:41 Number 9. 48 Hours
21:43 While appearing as the breakout star of Saturday Night Live during one of its lowest periods,
21:50 this movie helped launch Eddie Murphy's career in mainstream Hollywood,
21:54 and it deserves a spot on this list for that if nothing else.
21:57 "You know what I am? I'm your worst f***ing nightmare, man."
22:00 Murphy and Nick Nolte play a criminal and a cop who join forces to nab a cop killer.
22:04 "You want dance? Get me out of here!"
22:06 The movie is regarded as the first entry in the buddy cop genre,
22:09 and its influence is still being seen in the genre today.
22:12 "I'm serious. I'm not in no mood, and I'm just gonna f***ing you up out here.
22:15 This is gonna be embarrassment to you and the police force."
22:18 Their performances are what make the movie great,
22:20 with Murphy's Golden Globe-nominated role as convict Reggie Hammond being a true highlight.
22:25 It is an undeniable influential classic.
22:28 "Forget this, man. We ain't brothers, we ain't partners, and we ain't friends.
22:32 Now if Gans gets away with my money, you're gonna be sorry you ever met me."
22:35 "I'm already sorry."
22:37 Number 8. Deadpool
22:38 Despite the superhero boom of the 2010s, Deadpool was a major risk for 20th Century Fox.
22:45 It was a hard R, which alienated a large segment of the superhero fandom.
22:50 "This form looks good."
22:54 Barely anyone knew who Deadpool was, and those who had heard of him were still
22:58 reeling from his horrid portrayal in X-Men Origins Wolverine.
23:01 "Because as of now, you only have one course of action."
23:04 "Damn straight. Find Francis."
23:06 "Star in horror films."
23:08 But an aggressive marketing campaign and the always charismatic Ryan Reynolds ensured its
23:12 success, creating what is arguably the finest and funniest superhero movie ever made.
23:17 "You gonna do a superhero landing? Wait for it."
23:23 "Woo! Superhero landing! Yeah, that's really hard on your knees."
23:27 "Totally impractical, they all do it."
23:29 Reynolds' performance was widely acclaimed,
23:31 as was the movie's subversive writing and profane humor.
23:34 "I prefer not to hit a woman, so please, please."
23:37 "I mean, that's why I brought her? Oh no, finish your tweet."
23:50 It ended up grossing an astounding $782 million,
23:54 making it the highest-grossing R-rated comedy at the time.
23:57 This is the hot fuzz of cheesy kung fu movies,
24:09 proudly embracing the genre while intelligently smoothing and subverting its tropes.
24:12 "Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!"
24:24 This blending of humor and action delighted critics,
24:27 many of whom praised the movie's writing, Kurt Russell's performance,
24:30 and the direction of Hollywood legend John Carpenter.
24:33 "Go off and rule the universe from beyond the grave."
24:36 "Indeed!"
24:37 "Or check into a psycho ward, whichever comes first, huh?"
24:39 However, it also received its fair share of critiques and bombed at the box office,
24:44 resulting in John Carpenter feeling discouraged with the major studio industry.
24:47 Luckily, the movie received a strong following through home video
24:54 and repeated television airings, and it's now considered a cult classic.
24:59 Three years later, Russell would star in the far more
25:01 financially successful action comedy, Tango & Cash.
25:09 The second film in Edgar Wright's acclaimed Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy,
25:12 Hot Fuzz follows Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as cops,
25:15 who discover that their small town is not what it seems.
25:18 "I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about the others."
25:20 "What others?"
25:22 "The others the N.W.A. have murdered!"
25:24 Both a spoof and a loving homage to cheesy 80s action films,
25:27 this flick features all the action cliches you love,
25:30 including a developing bromance between the partners
25:33 and ridiculously over-the-top explosions in gunfire scenes.
25:36 "Nicholas! Nicholas!"
25:38 "I thought you was a goner."
25:46 The fact that this all occurs in small town England
25:48 is just icing on the already hilarious cake,
25:50 and proved that Wright was a director to watch out for.
25:53 "Yeah, the way we see it, it's all for the greater good."
25:55 "The greater good."
25:57 "Well, that's as may be, but the law's the law and they'll have to go."
26:01 Also, it's just laugh out loud funny.
26:05 Big Trouble in Little China owes its very existence
26:08 to the 1978 masterpiece Drunken Master.
26:10 This martial arts comedy starring Jackie Chan
26:20 was enormously popular at the Hong Kong box office,
26:22 becoming the second highest grossing film of 1978.
26:27 [speaking Chinese]
26:29 It gave rise to the comedic kung fu genre
26:40 of which Big Trouble in Little China is a part,
26:42 and it helped popularize the drunken fist fighting style.
26:54 It also launched a film series containing a sort of sequel, sort of reboot,
26:58 various spin-offs, a prequel,
27:00 and a host of imitators that desperately tried to recapture its magic.
27:04 Unfortunately for them, there is no recapturing the magic of Jackie Chan.
27:15 Number 4. The Jump Street franchise.
27:17 A remake of the television drama of the same name,
27:26 these movies, like the previously mentioned Hot Fuzz,
27:29 serve as both a hilarious parody of and a tribute to terrible 80s culture.
27:34 "You look really old. Were you held back or something?"
27:36 "No, you look super young. Were you held forward?"
27:40 The films follow Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill as detectives
27:44 who infiltrate various institutions in order to bust criminals.
27:47 The chemistry between the two actors is palpable,
27:50 and their witty interplay is always great for a laugh.
27:52 "One particle of unatanium has a nuclear reaction with a flux capacitor.
27:55 Carry the two, changing its atomic isotoner into a radioactive spider."
27:58 Some fantastic action scenes and cameos only add to the fun,
28:02 making these films a true blast to watch,
28:04 even if you've never seen the original show.
28:13 "What happened?"
28:13 "I don't know. It just didn't explode."
28:15 "That's weird."
28:16 When it comes to the buddy cop film genre,
28:18 these are really some of the best in recent years.
28:20 Number 3. The Rush Hour franchise.
28:23 Who knew the pairing of legendary martial artist Jackie Chan
28:27 and comedian Chris Tucker would work so well?
28:30 "You never told me you spoke Chinese."
28:32 "I never told you I didn't. You assume I didn't."
28:34 These buddy cop movies follow two perfectly opposite police officers
28:38 as they thwart, what else, various criminals,
28:41 and get into mischief along the way.
28:43 "Good God, you all."
28:45 "It ain't you all, it's y'all."
28:47 The flicks are notable for their intricate action sequences,
28:50 particularly those involving Jackie Chan,
28:52 who never used a stunt double and had our jaws dropping because of it.
28:57 Tucker provides some welcome laughs,
29:06 and the two make an entertaining, enjoyable duo
29:09 that no one would have expected to work.
29:10 "Oh, man, what the hell are you doing?"
29:13 "I was just being polite."
29:16 "Well, next time be polite to my nuts."
29:18 While the sequel's critical reviews weren't as positive
29:20 as they were for the first flick,
29:21 both were box office smashes,
29:23 with Rush Hour 2 becoming one of 2001's highest grossing movies.
29:27 "Well, tell me I'll show some respect around here."
29:29 Number 2. The Lethal Weapon franchise.
29:32 "Diplomatic immunity."
29:34 "It's just been revoked."
29:45 Bringing us ever closer to the quintessential action comedy
29:48 is this film series,
29:49 starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover
29:51 as mismatched LAPD detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh.
29:55 "Guess what?"
29:56 "What?"
29:56 "I don't want to work with you."
29:59 "Hey, don't."
30:00 "Ain't got no choice."
30:01 Every action comedy fan knows these movies' influence on the genre,
30:05 with the cops' witty banter and exciting action scenes
30:07 ramping up the tension with each new entry.
30:09 "Hey, hey, Riggs, what are you waiting for? Shoot the bastard! Shoot him! Shoot him!"
30:13 The performances are excellent,
30:20 the dialogue is always on point,
30:22 and the friendship the two cops share
30:24 provides a welcome heart to all the laughs and carnage.
30:26 "Yo baby is having my baby!"
30:29 "My baby is having his baby!"
30:32 "Yo baby! Oh baby!"
30:36 "Oh baby, my baby!"
30:38 While critics gave varied reviews for each subsequent installment,
30:41 when it comes to the box office,
30:42 the first three were runaway financial successes,
30:45 while the fourth was one of 1998's highest-grossing films.
30:49 "Why don't you save your strength? You're gonna need it."
30:51 "Lose the chin."
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31:07 Number 1. The Beverly Hills Cop Franchise
31:12 "My name's Axel Foley."
31:13 Clearly, the action comedy genre works for Eddie Murphy,
31:16 as he has starred in numerous films in this series as Officer Axel Foley.
31:22 While 48 Hours got Murphy's name out there,
31:24 these movies are what really shot him to superstardom,
31:27 as his performance was unanimously praised by fans and critics alike.
31:31 The first flick was even nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award,
31:35 which is almost unheard of for comedic action films.
31:38 "Your ass is skating on thin ice as it is."
31:41 "Hey look, we're talking about a friend of mine here!"
31:43 With Murphy's star-making turn and its memorable catchy theme song,
31:47 the Beverly Hills Cop movies are considered some of the best of the genre.
31:50 "Guys, that's the last straw. That was the last straw. You guys are too nice."
31:55 Not only were they insanely popular when respectively released,
31:58 but they are also to this day,
32:01 with a hotly anticipated fourth entry set to drop in summer 2024.
32:05 "Before I go, I just want you two to know something, alright?
32:07 That the super cop story was working, okay?
32:12 Was working, and you guys just messed it up, okay?"
32:16 Was your favorite laugh-out-loud action film featured on this list?
32:20 Let us know in the comments.
32:21 Did you enjoy this video?
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32:38 [outro music]