10 2000s Comedies Barely Anyone Remembers

The 2000s were decades filled with some truly funny comedy movies, but plenty of hilarious releases have been mostly forgotten by modern audiences. Although this was the decade where Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, and Ben Stiller achieved major success at the box office and Judd Apatow’s unique brand of comedy took over, there were some movies that came and went without leaving a lasting impact. However, this did not make them any less effective, and many of these forgotten comedies deserve to be revisited.

The best comedies of the 2000s were often crude and raunchy with plenty of over-the-top energy, although some of the most underrated and forgotten movies from this era were far subtler and valued sentimental more. Other comedies from shortly after the dawn of the millennium lacked the originality needed to make a lasting impact and were consumed and quickly forgotten by viewers. Whatever the reason, these 2000s comedies have been left out of the conversation by mainstream audiences.

10 Employee of the Month (2006)

Directed by Greg Coolidge

Almost ten years before the NBC sitcom Superstore realized the comedic potential of big-box chain stores, Employee of the Month explored a similar premise but has been mostly forgotten by modern viewers. With a talented cast including Dane Cook, Dax Sherpard, and Jessica Simpson, hot off her recent success in Dukes of Hazard, this lighthearted film was a glimpse into mainstream broad comedies of the mid-2000s, before cruder Judd Apatow-style releases had become the norm. While Employee of the Month received mixed reviews upon release, looking back, this comedy still boasted plenty of laughs.

The real issue with Employee of the Month was that although Simpson had the looks needed to portray a bombshell leading lady, she didn’t have the comedic talent or acting chops to sell a comedy like this fully. Unfortunately, Employee of the Month lacked the satirical bite of other workplace comedies like Clerks or Office Space and, for this reason, hasn’t had the lasting impact as those cult releases. If given the choice to go back and revisit Employee of the Month or rewatch the best episodes of Superstore, the America Ferrera sitcom will win every time.

9 The New Guy (2002)

Directed by Ed Decter

As the story of a nerdy high schooler given a chance to reinvent himself at a new school, The New Guy was a heartfelt teen comedy packed with cringe and gross-out humor. With DJ Qualls as Dizzy Gillespie Harrison, a funk music-obsessed teen with a love of video games who was branded an eternal loser in ninth grade, this story of second chances highlighted the woes of high school’s rigid social hierarchy and unspoken rules of popularity. With a new name, hairstyle, and attitude, Dizzy learned that a change of identity could transform his whole life.

There was some poignant sentimentality at the heart of The New Guy’s narrative, but its silly sequences and lackluster humor often missed the mark. While viewers will have a good time revisiting this story of school social systems, it’s also been forgotten for a reason, as it never delivered on its concept enough to truly endure two decades later. The New Guy was a modest success when it was released, but unlike Dizzy’s popular reinvention of himself, it didn’t make much of an impact in the long term.

8 Saving Silverman (2001)

Directed by Dennis Dugan

One underrated Jack Black movie that viewers have forgotten about was Saving Silverman, a bromance movie that outdated later Judd Apatow productions like I Love You, Man. With Jason Biggs as a soon-to-be-married young man, his childhood best friends and bandmates, played by Black and Steve Zahn, do everything they can to stop him from marrying his domineering and emotionally manipulative fiancé. With plenty of laughs throughout, the comedic duo of Black and Zahn was what saved this by-the-numbers comedy from mediocrity.

While Saving Silverman was often crude and over-the-top in its gross-out humor, it also featured great chemistry between the entire cast. Amanda Peet, in particular, deserved praise for her characterization of the overbearing and unlikable fiancé that led Biggs’ character’s friends on a mission to destroy their soon-to-be marriage. While Black gained his breakout role the previous year with High Fidelity, Saving Silverman was an exciting look at his unique comedic talents in the early days of his acting career.

7 Smiley Face (2007)

Directed by Gregg Araki

While 2000s stoner movies like Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Pineapple Express have gained devoted fanbases, Smiley Face was an excellent comedy rarely spoken about today. With Anna Faris as Jane F., a frequent marijuana user who unwittingly eats a plate of cupcakes laced with cannabis, this story of one wayward woman trying to get through her day was packed with off-the-wall humor. With a bafflingly stoned protagonist, what could have been a simple day turned into a series of absurd misadventures for Jane.

Smiley Face was genuinely funny, and it’s a mystery why it hasn’t built up a reputation as a true cult classic in the stoner movie genre. Faris delivered an exceptional, anxious-ridden performance as Jane’s day became increasingly convoluted and hard to manage. While this movie would surely give some marijuana users a case of the giggles, Smiley Face was so well-paced and featured such outrageously hilarious sequences that viewers will be laughing along even if they haven’t ingested some questionable cupcakes in advance.

Directed by Jody Hill

For lovers of Danny McBride’s unique comedic style, The Foot Fist Way was a highly underrated 2000s comedy that should not be overlooked. As the story of a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo who runs his own dojang in a small North Carolina town, it’s impossible not to notice the similarities between McBride’s Fred Simmons and the characterization of Johnny Lawrence in the later Karate Kid spin-off series Cobra Kai. The Foot Fist Way captured the hilarity of a crude and abrasive martial arts teacher years before the same concept found major success through the Miyagi-verse.

While The Foot Fist Way didn’t gain the same kind of cult following as later McBride vehicles like Eastbound & Down, it was still a hilarious martial arts comedy from director and co-writer Jody Hill. With outrageous sequences and a sharp script, The Foot Fist Way has been lying dormant, just waiting to be rediscovered by a new audience of comedy lovers. Don’t sleep on this one because it’s a total knockout.

5 Blades of Glory (2007)

Directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon

Will Ferrell was one of the biggest comedy box office draws of the 2000s and had so many hilarious releases during that time that have been sadly been forgotten. Nestled between classics like Talladega Nights and Step Brothers was the woefully underrated ice-skating comedy Blades of Glory. Following a pair of banned ice skaters who discover a loophole that lets them compete once again, this hilarious parody was packed with non-stop jokes and deserves far more attention.

The comedic pairing of Ferrell with Jon Heder was a match made in heaven, which, coming just a few short years after his breakout role in Napoleon Dynamite, highlighted his often underutilized comedic talents. Blades of Glory was genuinely hilarious, and the fact that it’s not spoken out in the same vein as Ferrell classics like Anchorman or Elf was a real shame. While some viewers may have forgotten about Blades of Glory, they won’t regret it if they decide to revisit this undervalued sports comedy classic.

4 Death to Smoochy (2002)

Directed by Danny DeVito

While discussion around the directing career of Danny DeVito often gets overshadowed by his 1990s success with Matilda, Death to Smoochy was an enjoyable 2000s comedy that rarely gets recognized by modern viewers. With a cast including Robin Williams and Edward Norton, this satirical black comedy set in the world of children’s entertainment had a uniquely odd premise. Williams played a disgraced former kids’ TV host who attempted to sabotage the career of his replacement for his character Smoochy the Rhino.

Death to Smoochy received poor reviews upon release, as critics responded negatively to its over-the-top concept and provocative script. However, looking back on it today, the film was a clever and cynical glimpse into the darker side of DeVito’s comedic leanings. While Death to Smoochy did not have much lasting legacy, DeVito would channel this unhinged energy into his character of Frank Reynolds on the long-running FX sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

3 Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Directed by Marc Forster

Occasionally, Will Ferrell gave audiences a glimpse into his untapped dramatic talents as an actor, which were on full display in the highly underrated film Stranger Than Fiction. As the story of a man who learned he’s the main character of a novel in which the protagonist was destined to die, this was an insightful and thought-provoking look at the power of fiction and ethical questions around life and death. With a metacontextual spin, Stranger Than Fiction was one of the most unique and original comedies of the 2000s.

The sweet and poignant script of Stranger Than Fiction made its humor all the more effective as audiences grew to care about the fate of Ferrell’s Harold Crick. Although it’s made clear that he’s destined to die from the movie’s opening, Stranger Than Fiction had audiences rooting for his survival as he became increasingly erratic through the knowledge of his own untimely demise. Stranger Than Fiction showcased a new dimension to Ferrell’s talents and boasted strong chemistry between himself and his co-star Emma Thompson, as his novel’s notorious author.

2 Role Models (2008)

Directed by David Wain

Although witnessing Superbad’s McLovin and Stifler from the American Pie franchise sharing the screen sounds like a recipe for a 2000s comedy classic, Roles Models has been largely forgotten by mainstream viewers. With a cast including Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, this story about two friends forced to become adult role models to children was a cynical comedy that kept the jokes coming throughout. Wildly underrated in the years since its release, Role Models was ranked the number one comedy of 2008 by IGN.

With plenty of R-rated antics, this ensemble comedy featured strong performances from every single cast member. Whether it’s Rudd’s cynical and 30-something energy, Williams’s likable vulgarity, or witnessing Mintz-Please give his all the unusual fantasy world of LARPing, Role Models was side-splittingly funny. With the perfect mix of crude humor and genuine heart, Roles Models should be discussed a lot more when it comes to 2000s comedies.

1 Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Directed by Craig Gillespie

Perhaps the reason Lars and the Real Girl has been mostly forgotten is that it’s just too weird to recommend it to people. However, as one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies, this story about a kind-hearted, socially awkward young man falling in love with an anatomically correct sex doll named Bianca was truly the most underrated comedies of the 2000s. With Gosling exploring a romantic, although not sexual, relationship with a doll, this film touched on topics around the true nature of love and the strange processes people must go through to find meaning in life.

While Lars and the Real Girl was a comedy, part of its appeal was in how real it made Gosling’s relationship with Bianca feel. As a therapist encouraged his family to go along with his delusions, Lars and the Real Girl was an off-beat and nuanced exploration of a character who could have come across as a creepy one-note joke. Lars and the Real Girl was a sweet and innocent comedy, which is not what viewers would usually expect from a movie and a man and his sex doll.

Source: IGN