Now that Thanksgiving is over, its that time to take a look at the top ten comedy movies for 2008. We were tired of listening to top ten lists from critics, so our family put together a top ten comedy movies list for 2008 after Thanksgiving dinner. The movie taste and target audience varies a fair bit since everyone in the family had equal buy-in (4th grade through the grandparents), but we hope you enjoy!
1 – The Bucket List (2008)
Director: Rob Reiner
Movie Plot: Mechanic Carter Chambers and billionaire Edward Cole get thrust together sharing a room at the hospital with both having the same terminal illness. While sharing the room together, they decide to leave and do everything in life that they ever wanted to do before they die (their bucket list). In the process they become best friends.
Rating:PG
Overall: You have to like any movie that has Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman! Good fun, and suitable for the entire family this Holiday season, The Bucket List made it to the top of our Top Ten List this year!
2 – Stepbrother (2008)
Director: Adam McKay
Movie Plot: Will Ferrell plays Brennan Huff who is a little-employed 39 year old who lives with his mother, Nancy. Dale Dobeck is also an unemployed 40 year old who lives with his father Robert. When Robert and Nancy get married, Dale and Brennan have to live with each other and take a while to warm up to each other…eventually becoming friends.
Rating: R
Overall: This is one of the funniest Will Ferrell movies that he has done! Even though it is rated R, I would watch the movie with an older tween or teen.
3- Drillbit Taylor (2008)
Director: Steven Brill
Plot: Three kids that are just starting high school are getting tired of being harassed everyday at school by two bullies. They get the idea to hire a body guard to help them with the bullies. Owen Wilson plays Drillbit Taylor who is hired by the kids to be the body guard.
Rating: PG-13
Overall: If you like Owen Wilson, you’ll love this movie! Definitely suitable for tweens to watch with adults in the room and a great comedy to view this Holiday season!
4 – Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Plot: A heartbroken Peter (Jason Segel) takes a Hawaiian vacation so that he can deal with his recent break-up with his famous ex-girlfriend Sara (Kristen Bell). Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that she is traveling to not only Hawaii but also the same resort that he is going to as well as bringing her boyfriend!
Rating: R
Overall: I don’t recommend watching this movie with your tween because of some of the sexual innuendo and content, but for teens and older it is hilarious! Definitely one that you will want to watch twice.
5 – Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
Director: Eric Darnell
Plot: The highly anticipated sequel to the first movie, in the second round the New York Zoo Animals, Alex the Lion, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo, and Marty the Zebra, start the leave the island of Madagascar. All of a sudden the animals land in the middle-of-nowhere in the wilderness of Africa.
Rating: PG
Overall: Madagascar 2 is good, family fun! Eric Darnell follows the successful formula that made the first movie a hit, and the sequel does not disappoint!
6 – Baby Mama (2008)
Director: Michael McCullers
Plot: A very successful single business woman has foregone serious relationships to rise to the top in her career-field. Suddenly she realizes that she’s getting older and wants to have a baby–only to find out that she’s infertile! She hires a blue-collar woman through a clinic-service to be her surrogate mom.
Rating: PG-13
Overall: This is another great comedy from 2008 that you will watch more than once! You may watch with your older tweens depending on your views for exposing them to some adult portions of the movie that deal with sexual overtures.
7 – Hancock (2008)
Director: Peter Berg
Plot: Will Smith plays a superhero named Hancock who has great power, but is very conflicted and misunderstood by the local population because of the damage he does to the community when he saves people and fights crime! PR Executive Ray Embry (played by Jason Bateman) helps the super-hero with his image.
Rating: PG-13
Overall: If you are a Will SMith fan you should check out this movie! A great, action-packed comedy that came out earlier in the year with some fair elements of a good drama mixed into the story-line. PG-13 because of some of the violence and language in the movie, but one I would watch with my tween.
8 – Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Director: John (XI) Stevenson
Movie Plot: This movie has Jack Black featured as Po the Panda who is working as a waiter in a noodle restaurant and also a kung fu fanatic. Po ends up being named as the “Chosen One” to save the day but is a little inept with his Kung Fu skills but has to come up to speed quickly in order to help save the day.
Rating: PG
Overall: Kung Fu Panda is great movie comedy that all ages will enjoy and is our pick for the best comedy of 2008!
9 – Semi-Pro (2008)
Director: Kent Alterman
Plot: Will Ferrell plays Jackie Moon who is the owner coach of the American Basketball Association’s Flint Michigan Tropics. The league decides that they need to downsize based on which teams perform worse over the course of the remainder of the season before combining with the NBA. Moon attempts to rally his teammates to help make their dreams (and his) come true.
Rating: R
Overall: If you are a Will Ferrell fan, you will love this movie. Although not quite as good as his performance as Ricky Bobby, definitely a great comedy of 2008 to check out!
10 – Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Director: Kevin Smith
Plot:
The main plot for this movie revolves about the story of two friends (Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogan) who are in severe debt and decide to get into the amateur porn business to make money. Once they do so, they realize that they both want to be more than just friends!
Rating: R
Overall: Another hilarious movie that came out in 2008! Another one that I don’t recommend watching with your tween children or nieces and nephews, but great for a good laugh!
