“Nothing to see here… Please disperse!…Nothing to see here…”
Standing as one type of movie within the broader comedy genre, the parody movie has an unusual history. Parody movies have existed for almost as long as cinema has, with the genre dating back as far as 1905, though it’s also safe to say that it took considerably more time for this type of film to truly take off. The 1970s and 80s likely represent the golden age for what’s now identifiable as a parody movie, with this brand of comedy being all over the place quality-wise in the decades since said golden age.
Though there are undeniably bad and/or disappointing parody movies, and fewer good ones now than there used to be, at least those old ones still exist and can continually be enjoyed. The following can be counted among the best parody movies of all time, and all do a remarkable job at spoofing either entire genres, or sometimes a more selective group of movies. They’re ranked below, more or less from funny to funniest.
20 ‘Team America: World Police’ (2004)
Directed by Trey Parker
Team America: World Police is a movie that comes from the minds of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the duo responsible for South Park. While it predominantly makes fun of U.S. militarism, it also takes aim at Hollywood in general, and plays out as something like a parody of action movies and the 1960s TV series Thunderbirds.
Parker and Stone like to make fun of just about everything under the sun, so it’s fitting that Team America takes aim at so many things, and does somehow successfully ridicule them all. No trope is safe; not even something as beloved as the humble movie training montage, torn apart here with a self-aware and impossible-to-forget song fittingly called “Montage.”
Team America: World Police
- Release Date
- January 14, 2004
- Director
- Trey Parker
- Cast
- Trey Parker , Matt Stone , Kristen Miller , Masasa Moyo , Daran Norris , Phil Hendrie
- Runtime
- 114
19 ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ (2001)
Directed by Joel Gallen
It’s always going to be a risky move to satirize a genre that’s already trying to be funny, given how traditionally, parodies make fun of movies that take themselves more seriously. But Not Another Teen Movie had a go at making fun of teen comedies regardless, in turn being a decently fun and engaging comedy making fun of other comedies.
Then again, not all teen movies are comedies, so Not Another Teen Movie also manages to parody the sorts of teenage-centered movies that were particularly popular in the 1980s (often thanks to John Hughes, perhaps the director most associated with this sub-genre). Also, a pre-Captain AmericaChris Evans stars in this. That’s kind of neat.
Not Another Teen Movie
- Release Date
- December 14, 2001
- Director
- Joel Gallen
- Cast
- Jaime Pressly , Mia Kirshner , Randy Quaid , Chris Evans , Chyler Leigh , Eric Christian Olsen , Deon Richmond
- Runtime
- 89 Minutes
18 ‘Mars Attacks!’ (1996)
Directed by Tim Burton
It’s quite amazing how such a silly and messy (though admittedly very fun) movie attracted such a huge cast, with that being the thing that jumps out most when it comes to Mars Attacks! This film features Jack Nicholson playing two characters, alongside Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Jack Black, and Natalie Portman, among many others.
Released the same year as Independence Day, the synchronicity made it feel like something of a parody of that blockbuster, but its real target was the charming yet cheesy sci-fi B-movies of the 1950s. It pays homage to and pokes fun at these sorts of movies expertly throughout, but for those not in on the joke, it can admittedly feel like an exasperating and one-note kind of movie.
Mars Attacks!
- Release Date
- December 13, 1996
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Cast
- Jack Nicholson , Glenn Close , Annette Bening , Pierce Brosnan , Danny DeVito , Martin Short , Sarah Jessica Parker , Michael J. Fox , Rod Steiger , Tom Jones , Lukas Haas , Natalie Portman
- Runtime
- 106
17 ‘Scary Movie’ (2000)
Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans
While it might not be entirely fair to blame Scary Movie for the overall decline in the quality of parody movies, the connection can be made from its title alone. This movie was enough of a success to not only get sequels, but also inspire a whole range of Scary Movie movies, all of which generally got worse in quality (the nadir perhaps being 2008’s calamitous Disaster Movie).
But as for Scary Movie, it’s actually pretty good, all things considered, and does a solid enough job at poking fun at a whole host of movies, including Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. It didn’t reinvent the parody genre or bring it to new heights, but it has enough funny moments to be worth watching, even if it regrettably helped pave the way for lesser films to follow.
Scary Movie
- Release Date
- July 7, 2000
- Director
- Keenen Ivory Wayans
- Cast
- Carmen Electra , Dave Sheridan , Frank B. Moore , Giacomo Baessato , Kyle Graham , Leanne Santos
- Runtime
- 88
16 ‘Black Dynamite’ (2009)
Directed by Scott Sanders
Even if you watch Black Dynamite without having seen many classic Blaxploitation movies, it’s still hilarious enough on its own to be one of the funniest comedies of the 2000s. Its character is a martial arts expert and womanizer who will stop at nothing to stomp out all the injustice he sees in the world around him, usually in over-the-top and comically violent ways.
It packs so many jokes into its brief 85-minute runtime, and though most will watch it for its comedy rather than its action, it has to be said that star/co-writer Michael Jai White really knows his way around a fight scene. Black Dynamite certainly earns its status as a cult classic, and is justly seen as one of the best parody movies in recent memory.
Black Dynamite
- Release Date
- October 16, 2009
- Director
- Scott Sanders
- Cast
- Michael Jai White , Arsenio Hall , Tommy Davidson , Kevin Chapman , Richard Edson , Darrel Heath
- Runtime
- 91
15 ‘Tropic Thunder’ (2008)
Directed by Ben Stiller
Taking a page out of the Team America playbook when it comes to parody, Tropic Thunder is a film that’s unafraid to take aim at more than one target. Primarily, it is a satirical movie that mocks Hollywood and those who work within it, but it also works as a parody of cliches and excesses found in large-scale war movies.
It uses some fairly extreme methods to satirize certain targets, but uses such risky comedy to make insightful and oftentimes hilarious observations about hypocritical and ridiculous attitudes and practices within the American film industry. It’s a great time all around, and even if some of the humor might not work for everyone, it’s hard to imagine anyone not at least enjoying Tom Cruise‘s surprising and unforgettable role here.
Tropic Thunder
- Release Date
- August 9, 2008
- Director
- Ben Stiller
- Cast
- Jeff Kahn , Robert Downey Jr. , Anthony Ruivivar , Jack Black , Jay Baruchel , Brandon T. Jackson
- Runtime
- 106
14 ‘Galaxy Quest’ (1999)
Directed by Dean Parisot
Certainly one of the more wholesome and affectionate parody movies out there, Galaxy Quest is a very enjoyable and quite gentle spoof of old-school sci-fi, particularly the original Star Trek TV series. It’s about the cast members of a TV show who get mistaken as the real deal by an alien race, and as a result, they find themselves engaged in a conflict in outer space.
Though it’s primarily a comedy, it celebrates rather than mocks sci-fi and those who are fanatical about the genre, which helps make it stand out among more cynical (though still funny) great parody movies. As a uniquely satirical movie with a good heart, Galaxy Quest undoubtedly holds up as a cult classic.
Galaxy Quest
- Release Date
- December 23, 1999
- Director
- Dean Parisot
- Cast
- Tim Allen , Sigourney Weaver , Alan Rickman , Tony Shalhoub , Sam Rockwell , Daryl Mitchell
- Runtime
- 102
13 ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (2014)
Directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
Though it’s been spun off into a popular and now long-running TV show, the 2014 movie version of What We Do in the Shadows remains a compelling vampire comedy in its own right. It pokes fun at various conventions found in classic vampire fiction, following several blood-suckers – all from different eras – as they try to survive immortal life in modern-day New Zealand.
It’s done in the style of a mockumentary, which technically makes it, by definition, also a parody of the documentary format. However you want to define it, the core thing is that it’s very funny and quotable, and easily ranks among the greatest horror comedies of the past decade or so.
What We Do in the Shadows
- Release Date
- June 19, 2014
- Director
- Jemaine Clement , Taika Waititi
- Cast
- Jemaine Clement , Taika Waititi , Jonathan Brugh , Cori Gonzales-Macuer , Stuart Rutherford , Ben Fransham
- Runtime
- 86
12 ‘Spaceballs’ (1987)
Directed by Mel Brooks
It’s hard to talk about classic spoof movies without eventually bringing up Mel Brooks. While he has starred in and directed movies that aren’t direct parodies of certain things, it’s arguable that those parodies are what he’s best known for, and one of his many classic efforts is 1987’s Spaceballs, which largely serves as a comedic takedown of the Star Wars series.
It’s not one of Brooks’s very best parody movies, but he set a high bar in the 1970s (see below), so you can’t really blame him. And Spaceballs is still something of a minor spoof classic in its own right, featuring enough simultaneously dumb yet smart jokes delivered in rapid succession to be an overall good time.
Spaceballs
- Release Date
- June 24, 1987
- Director
- Mel Brooks
- Cast
- Mel Brooks , John Candy , Rick Moranis , Bill Pullman , Daphne Zuniga , Dick Van Patten
- Runtime
- 96
11 ‘Hot Shots! Part Deux’ (1993)
Directed by Jim Abrahams
1991’s Hot Shots! was largely a parody of Top Gun, and its 1993 sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux shook things up by predominantly being a parody of the Rambo series, particularly the sequels to First Blood. It can also be seen as a broad spoof of excessive and testosterone-fueled action movies most popular in the 1980s, with star Charlie Sheen looking the part here, physically.
It was directed and co-written by Jim Abrahams, who’s best known for making numerous classic comedies alongside brothers David and Jerry Zucker, with this trio sometimes known as ZAZ. It doesn’t feel quite as dynamic as the films where all three are involved, but it’s still a funny (and gloriously silly) take on action movies that feels like one of the better parody films of the 1990s.
10 ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)
Directed by Edgar Wright
The only way to make Shaun of the Dead better is to call it by its Italian title, which translates roughly to Dawn of the Dead Idiots. It’s admittedly less clever, and not even close to subtle, but it’s funny. However, the original title still makes it pretty clear that the movie’s going to have something to do with zombies, and that is indeed the case (though it’s by no means a direct parody of Dawn of the Dead).
What’s great about Shaun of the Dead is that it manages to parody zombie movies while also being a genuinely good zombie movie, as it’s unafraid to get a little more tense and serious in its final act without ever becoming too heavy. It’s a well-made and exceptionally balanced film, and it’s understandable why it made several people involved (mostly director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) household names.
Shaun of the Dead
- Release Date
- April 9, 2004
- Director
- Edgar Wright
- Cast
- Simon Pegg , Kate Ashfield , Nick Frost , Lucy Davis , Dylan Moran , Nicola Cunningham
- Runtime
- 99
9 ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’ (1997)
Directed by Jay Roach
Though its sequels are still very funny (for the most part), it’s the original Austin Powers movie, 1997’s International Man of Mystery, that’s arguably the best. At its core, it’s a spoof of classic movies in the long-running James Bond series, with its titular hero a goofier version of the titular hero from that spy-centered franchise.
Naturally, his enemies (led by Dr. Evil) and the situations he finds himself in are also a good deal sillier than those found in James Bond, and that was a series that was already willing to get pretty campy at times. Mike Myers wrote the film and also gives two iconic performances as both hero and villain here, with this trilogy being what he’s best known for. Even if you’re fed up with people quoting Austin Powers either ironically or unironically, you’d have to admit that at least this first movie in the trilogy is pretty funny.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
- Release Date
- May 2, 1997
- Director
- Jay Roach
- Cast
- Mike Myers , Elizabeth Hurley , Michael York , Mimi Rogers , Robert Wagner , Seth Green , Fabiana Udenio , Mindy Sterling
- Runtime
- 89 Minutes
8 ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)
Directed by Edgar Wright
Three years on from Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost reunited for Hot Fuzz, which does for classic buddy cop movies what that 2004 film did for zombie movies. Its plot sees a hyper-competent police officer relocated to a sleepy, seemingly peaceful country town, only to end up unearthing a dark secret at its core.
Beyond making fun of Hollywood cop movies, it also parodies action movies in general, and also puts its own unique (and at times surprisingly intriguing) spin on the mystery genre, too. It’s a film that bites off a great deal and still manages to chew it all, working simultaneously as a great send-up of action/cop movies and a genuinely good and quite exciting action/cop movie.
Hot Fuzz
- Release Date
- February 20, 2007
- Director
- Edgar Wright
- Cast
- Simon Pegg , Martin Freeman , Bill Nighy , Robert Popper , Joe Cornish , Chris Waitt
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
7 ‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’ (2007)
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Riffing specifically on James Mangold‘s Walk the Line (itself a pretty good Johnny Cash biopic), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox also feels like it has a good laugh at the expense of music biopics in general. And honestly, it was a genre that sort of had it coming, considering fairly generic rise and fall (and sometimes rise again) narratives about famous musicians were – and arguably still are – all too common.
John C. Reilly gives what’s likely a career-best performance as fictional musician Dewey Cox, with this hilarious film showing his comically turbulent rock star lifestyle in all its ups and downs. It’s consistently funny and never shies away from ridiculing every single cliché it can, with the film being an inevitably great time, as a result.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
- Release Date
- December 21, 2007
- Director
- Jake Kasdan
- Cast
- Nat Faxon , John C. Reilly , Tim Meadows , Conner Rayburn , Chip Hormess , Raymond J. Barry
- Runtime
- 96
6 ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ (1975)
Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
Few fantastical movies are as funny as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which is so effective a parody that it’s hard to take any story surrounding the legend of King Arthur seriously now. It was the first feature film from British comedy group Monty Python, and is arguably the funniest they ever made, too.
Even the opening credits of the movie are funny, and you know that when pre-movie text is already ranting about how “A møøse once bit my sister,” you’re probably in for a pretty great time. It maintains that sort of chaotic energy throughout the whole film, providing scene after scene of hilarity while also cleverly taking down various fantasy-related tropes and conventions.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Release Date
- May 25, 1975
- Director
- Terry Gilliam , Terry Jones
- Cast
- Graham Chapman , John Cleese , Eric Idle , Terry Gilliam , Terry Jones , Michael Palin
- Runtime
- 91 minutes
5 ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984)
Directed by Rob Reiner
One of the best films released in 1984, This Is Spinal Tap feels like the pinnacle of music-centric comedies (not musicals, but comedies centered around musicians). It’s about a fictional rock band called Spinal Tap, showing them embarking on a disastrous U.S. tour where everything that could go wrong does, to usually hilarious effect.
It pokes fun at rock bands, popular music, and less-than-intelligent musicians by making Spinal Tap a band filled with lovable idiots, and presenting everything like a documentary (it was a defining movie for the mockumentary genre), making all the ridiculousness on screen feel strangely believable. It’s a masterful comedy, and the fact that some of the music here is surprisingly catchy definitely doesn’t hurt, either.
This is Spinal Tap
- Release Date
- March 2, 1984
- Director
- Rob Reiner
- Cast
- Rob Reiner , Michael McKean , Christopher Guest , Kimberly Stringer
- Runtime
- 82 minutes
4 ‘Blazing Saddles’ (1974)
Directed by Mel Brooks
Blazing Saddles isn’t just a great Western spoof; it’s up there as one of the best movies released in the 1970s, across any and all genres. It was one of two excellent parody movies Mel Brooks directed that ended up being released in 1974 (more on the other one in a bit), and it’s equal parts clever and daring in ways that ensure it still packs a satirical punch to this day.
Not only does it make fun of old-fashioned Western movies, but it also works as a takedown of regressive values, particularly those surrounding race that show up in old Westerns sometimes, and were likely held by real people living in Old West times. Some of its humor can be shocking, but it always punches up, making its racist characters the butt of the jokes, all the while making Sheriff Bart (a Black man) seem both cool and even heroic, all things considered.
Blazing Saddles
- Release Date
- February 7, 1974
- Director
- Mel Brooks
- Cast
- Cleavon Little , gene wilder , Slim Pickens , Harvey Korman , Madeline Kahn , Mel Brooks
- Runtime
- 93
3 ‘Airplane!’ (1980)
Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
A beloved comedy that’s up there with the best of its decade, Airplane! shows the ZAZ team working at their collective comedic peaks, with Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and David Zucker all being credited as writers and directors. It takes aim at old-fashioned disaster movies (particularly those that were popular throughout the 1970s), and parodies the genre to striking effect.
It’s even possible to argue that disaster movies became considerably less fashionable in Airplane!’s wake, even if such films were perhaps running on fumes in any event. Disaster movies, as a genre, didn’t stay dead forever, but the effectiveness of the comedy found in Airplane! probably hurt the genre for a good while, and to this day, it remains one of the fastest-paced and most consistently funny spoof movies in history.
Airplane!
- Release Date
- July 2, 1980
- Director
- Jim Abrahams , David Zucker , Jerry Zucker
- Cast
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Lloyd Bridges , Peter Graves , Julie Hagerty , Robert Hays , Leslie Nielsen
- Runtime
- 88 minutes
2 ‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!’ (1988)
Directed by David Zucker
If there’s one ZAZ movie that could debatably be better than Airplane!, it’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! It would be understandable for someone to prefer the former, with humor being subjective and all, but many would agree that Leslie Nielsen was the funniest part of Airplane!, and in this first Naked Gun movie, he plays the protagonist Lt. Frank Drebin.
Seeing this stoic and oblivious character make a mess out of every situation he gets himself in never stops being funny, and as a send-up of cop shows/movies, The Naked Gun continually nails every chance it takes to be funny. It’s comedic gold from start to finish, and with each passing year, it continues to age like fine wine, being Nakedly, Gunbelievably good.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad
- Release Date
- December 2, 1988
- Director
- David Zucker
- Cast
- Leslie Nielsen , Priscilla Presley , Ricardo Montalban , George Kennedy , O.J. Simpson , Susan Beaubian
- Runtime
- 85 minutes
1 ‘Young Frankenstein’ (1974)
Directed by Mel Brooks
It was always going to come down to Mel Brooks versus ZAZ for the top spot when assessing all-time great parody movies, and here, it feels safe to crown Young Frankenstein the winner overall. Somehow, this was released the same year as Blazing Saddles, meaning in 1974, Brooks was responsible for two of the best parody movies of all time; one a Western spoof, and the other a spoof of old horror movies (particularly the Universal Frankenstein movies).
It’s a great parody because of how well it replicates the look and feel of the films it makes fun of, all the while delivering the kinds of constant (and consistent) jokes Brooks was well-known for. It features an energetic Gene Wilder at his best in the lead role, and another legendary Gene (surname Hackman) even makes a cameo… what’s not to love?
Young Frankenstein
- Release Date
- December 15, 1974
- Director
- Mel Brooks
- Cast
- gene wilder , Peter Boyle , Marty Feldman , Cloris Leachman , Teri Garr , Kenneth Mars
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
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This article was originally published on collider.com