Top 20 Best Action Comedies of All Time

they combine pulse-pounding action with uproarious laughs what's not to love welcome to watchmojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 action comedies of all make it time shut up and watch me work for this list we're looking at action comedy films that have received critical acclaim worldwide popularity and a lasting legacy number 20 spy following bridesmaids in 2011 melissa mccarthy and director paul feig were hot commodities oh god you want to do a building okay well well done that's it time to call it a dana in 2013 they took their talents into the action comedy genre creating the solid if somewhat predictable the heat say that the process was eventually refined and in 2015 the team released the far better and more star-studded spy [Music] most of the praise centered around feig's writing and directing not to mention the uproarious performances from mccarthy rose byrne and a surprisingly hilarious and scene-stealing jason statham i've watched the couple that raised me explode in a van i watch the woman i love get tossed from a plane and hit by another plane midair spy was a huge hit scoring 235 million dollars at the box office and landing mccarthy her first golden globe nomination number 19 last action hero when it was released in 1993 last action hero did not receive a kind response critics hated it and it bombed at the box office he's okay banner both cops did but time has been quite kind to last action hero with many believing it was a little too post-modern for its time especially with arnold schwarzenegger and die hard's john mctiernan at the helm he's fantastic this is his best performance ever but that was you you were in that movie the movie is a hilarious spoof of action cliches and it up ends the genre in various unique and entertaining ways let's say this is a movie how many times have you heard someone say stay in a car and the guy doesn't what happens he saves the day or gets killed good point it's especially hilarious seeing schwarzenegger making fun of himself his storied career and the genre that made him famous if you get to los angeles call my office we can get your shopping center openings look i don't really like you right you brought me nothing but pain last action hero was ahead of its time and it now sits proudly among the greatest action comedies number 18 charlie's angels good morning angels good morning charlie no one was really clamoring for a charlie's angels movie especially 20 years after the conclusion of the television series but that didn't stop sony from doing it and we're glad they did the movie contains a brilliant and simply unbeatable cast in drew barrymore cameron diaz and lucy liu and it makes the right creative decision in ditching the series dramatic elements in favor of more tongue-in-cheek comedy [Music] the three angels work exceptionally well together and the supporting roles are all brilliantly cast the movie doesn't slouch on the action sequences either i'm sorry could you hold on a second sure you bet i like him so much to the surprise of absolutely everyone this movie reinvigorated the charlie's angels brand for a new generation number 17 true lies let me press the button for the top floor please [Music] following terminator 2 james cameron wrote and directed true lies starring a-listers arnold schwarzenegger and jamie lee curtis [Music] [Applause] the film follows the two actors playing a married couple in which helen discovers that harry isn't a boring computer salesman as she thought but actually a counter-terrorism officer have you ever killed anyone yeah but they were all bad at the time of release this was the most expensive film ever made and with cameron at the helm you better believe that we see all that money on the screen in its high octane adrenaline-fueled action scenes the set pieces are enormous the action is exciting the laughs are hysterical and the performances are all top notch you're fired number 16 the other guys the other guys is the fourth collaboration between will ferrell and writer director adam mckay following anchorman talladega knights and stepbrothers the city's dying for a hero is it yeah what about nine million socially conscious and unified citizens all just stepping up and doing their part by this point their process was razor sharp and well-oiled resulting in the hilarious and surprisingly clever the other guys believe everybody that was in on this orgy was more than willing in fact they even left you a note here thanks for the f shack love dirty mike and the boys the chemistry between farrell and mark wahlberg is outstanding and farrell does well playing against type as the straight-laced and mild-mannered dweeb someone's been playing grand theft auto i did that i did that the movie is also rife with some great action set pieces and a particular sequence involving samuel l jackson and dwayne johnson has to be one of the funniest things we've ever seen in an action comedy ain't for the bushes the other guys isn't original by any means but it's so well made that no one really cares number 15 the bad boys franchise bad teamed up with funnyman martin lawrence the fresh princess will smith plays one of two wisecracking detectives who hunt down various criminals in this franchise so i'm playing cop now while the first two films received mixed reviews they became highly popular thanks to multiple gut-busting scenes featuring hilarious banter between the partners so what you're wearing give me the phone give me the phone they also had over the top yet mesmerizing action sequences that only director michael bay could bring to the big screen which added some welcome heart-stopping moments in between the goofy dialogue and characters though bay didn't direct the third film which came out 13 years after bad boys 2. directors adeline bilal along with smith lawrence and crew were able to successfully capture the fun and action of the previous flicks to surprisingly positive reviews [Music] daddy joker you a pop-up number 14 the nice guys mr march we're gonna play a game i think you have the wrong house it's called shut up unless you're me russell crowe and ryan gosling aren't exactly the hottest names in comedy but you wouldn't know it watching the nice guys not to be confused with the other guys american marijuana pot place freaks fit they're smoking it oh yeah i can't smell it but i got hit in the head a while back i lost my sense of smell written and directed by shane black of kiss kiss bang bang fame the nice guys is a visually gorgeous and stimulating throwback to the drug-fueled cop movies of the 70s full of bright colors ugly outfits funny hairdos and retro cars you lose your gun you take your header off the balcony and now you're gonna tell me it's like a uh hallowed time on a detective ploy right it was very slippery up there okay i was i was in the pool it's a fast-paced richly told story full of laughs and great character moments and gosling and crowe work extraordinarily well together you're not a murderer she just said she killed three people i know what i'm saying deep down hey look one's a mistake by the time you get to three don't paint her which is a brush because it's easy to live in your world right where everyone sits in an era of bombastic superhero movies aimed at families the nice guys was a refreshing ode to the mature adult-oriented action comedies of old number 13 kingsman the secret service exec would you like a lift home who are you spy comedies are as old as time itself get smart was enormously popular in the mid 60s thanks to the james bond boom and it received a film adaptation in 2008 starring steve carell and anne hathaway but perhaps the greatest spy comedy of our time is 2014's kingsman the secret service are we going to stand around here all day or are we going to fight the movie was an enormous hit grossing over 400 million dollars at the worldwide box office thanks to its stylish visuals unrelenting sense of fun and the unbelievably packed cast and this is our standard issue pistol it's quite unique as you'll see it also fires a shotgun cartridge for use in messy close-range situations how do they feel yeah good the church massacre going viral also helped kingsman was just like a james bond film only far funnier and way more violent can you hear me harry harry what the heck is going on are you trying to buy him down r-rated spy comedies are a risky venture especially at 90 million dollars but kingsman proved there still is an audience for this type of movie number 12. scott pilgrim vs the world after sticking to low budget english films with simon pegg director edgar wright broke into the mainstream or at least tried to with the 85 million dollar scott pilgrim versus the world you don't remember me do you we met at the party the other day or the pacman guy no not even that was some total ass i was the other guy scott pilgrim was adapted from brian lee o'malley's graphic novel of the same name and it has to be one of the most bonafide comic book movies ever made we're fighting over ramona didn't you get my email explaining the situation i skimmed it you will pay for your insulin it is proudly boisterous and it often honors its roots with comic book themed visuals and sound effects [Music] like all right films scott pilgrim was critically acclaimed for its visuals editing and kooky humor unfortunately it bombed at the box office making just 48 million dollars what was her name she was nat when i knew her but she stopped liking that name then she stopped liking me your hair is cute i like it long but it'd be cute or short wouldn't it what what why are you wearing that hat i thought we could go for a walk luckily it has since become a bit of a cult classic especially within the comic book fandom number 11. tropic thunder we can thank ben stiller for tropic thunder as he wrote produced directed and starred in the satirical comedy about a group of actors who are thrust into real danger let's go and make the greatest war movie ever yeah yeah the movie features some amazing performances including tom cruise's unrecognizable les grossman and robert downey jr's oscar actor kirk lazarus a role that ironically earned him an academy award nomination which is no small feat for a comedy film man i don't drop character till i've done a dvd commentary while many of its jokes would not work today considering the climate in which we live we can still appreciate the well-directed and exciting action scenes the movie's jungle locations are also beautiful to look at making tropic thunder both a visual and comedic treat you're more shredded than a julian salad man thanks yeah what's the secret dude it's a dying just diamond yeah cause i'm trying to come up a little but it's just it's tough oh you look good what and the tips you got number 10 48 hours hey my name is reggie hammond while appearing as the breakout star of saturday night live during one of its lowest periods this movie helped launch eddie murphy's career in mainstream hollywood and it deserves a spot on this list for that if nothing else you know what i am i'm your worst nightmare murphy and nick nolte play a criminal and a cop who joined forces to nab a cop killer you want gans get me out of here the movie is regarded as the first entry in the buddy cop genre and its influence is still being seen in the genre today i'm serious i'm not in the mood and i'm just going to put you up out here it's gonna be embarrassing to you and the police force their performances are what make the movie great with murphy's golden globe nominated role as convict reggie hammond being a true highlight it is an undeniable influential classic forget this man we ain't brothers we ain't partners and we ain't friends and if dance gets away with my money you're gonna be sorry you ever met me i'm already sorry number nine deadpool despite the superhero boom of the 2010s deadpool was a major risk for 20th century fox it was a hard r which alienated a large segment of the superhero fandom this form looks good [Applause] barely anyone knew who deadpool was and those who had heard of him were still reeling from his horrid portrayal in x-men origins wolverine because as of now you only have one course of action damn straight find stars horror films but an aggressive marketing campaign and the always charismatic ryan reynolds ensured its success creating what is arguably the finest and funniest superhero movie ever made you gonna do a superhero landing wait for it superhero landing yeah that's really hard on your knees totally impractical they all do it reynolds performance was widely acclaimed as was the movie's subversive writing and profane humor i prefer not to hit a woman so please please i mean that's why i brought her oh no finish your tweet it ended up grossing an astounding 782 million dollars making it the highest grossing r-rated comedy at the time it has since been surpassed by its own sequel number eight pineapple express are you k you do you have the easiest job on earth you do smoke weed all day you wouldn't expect to see awesome action scenes in a stoner comedy but in this flick it is the norm i buzzed it open the door when i buzz it in three seconds exactly one two work on three i did it on three on one two three go just on three featuring seth rogen and james franco in a golden globe-nominated role pineapple express follows two stoners as they go on the run from a drug dealer who wishes to take them out you okay man look i'll get you another bong all right it's my kid's birthday franco's performance is hilarious and helped jump start his comedy career in film the action is relentless and we know we said this already but it's much better than you think there's also a sweet friendship and a good message underneath all the blood and smoke where'd you come from man where'd he come from directed by david gordon green but produced by judd apatow and shauna robertson it's another film that's developed a cult following and for good reason number seven hot fuzz do i have any choice in this new the second film in edgar writes acclaimed three flavors cornetto trilogy hot fuzz follows simon pegg and nick frost as cops who discover that their small town is not what it seems i'm not talking about that i'm talking about the others what others the others the nwa have murdered both a spoof and a loving homage to cheesy 80s action films this flick features all the action cliches you love including a developing bromance between the partners and ridiculously over-the-top explosions and gunfire scenes the fact that this all occurs in small town england is just icing on the already hilarious cake and proved that wright was a director to watch out for yeah the way we see it it's all for the greater good the greater good well that's as may be but the laws the law and they'll have to go also it's just laugh out loud funny number 6. big trouble in little china wait a minute pal this is the hot fuzz of cheesy kung fu movies proudly embracing the genre while intelligently spoofing and subverting its tropes [Music] this blending of humor and action delighted critics many of whom praised the movie's writing kurt russell's performance and the direction of hollywood legend john carpenter go off and rule the universe from beyond the grave or check into a psycho ward whichever comes first huh however it also received its fair share of critiques and bombed at the box office resulting in john carpenter feeling discouraged with the major studio industry [Music] luckily the movie received a strong following through home video and repeated television airings and it's now considered a cult classic three years later russell would star in the far more financially successful action comedy tango and cash number five drunken master big trouble in little china owes its very existence to the 1978 masterpiece drunken master this martial arts comedy starring jackie chan was enormously popular at the hong kong box office becoming the second highest grossing film of nineteen seventy eight comedy it gave rise to the comedic kung fujara of which big trouble in little china is a part and it helped popularize the drunken fist fighting style it also launched a film series containing a sort of sequel sort of reboot various spin-offs a prequel and a host of imitators that desperately tried to recapture its magic [Music] [Applause] unfortunately for them there is no recapturing the magic of jackie chan number four the jump street franchise a remake of the television drama of the same name these movies like the previously mentioned hot fuzz serve as both a hilarious parody of and a tribute to terrible 80s culture you look really old were you held back or something no you look super young were you held forward the films follow channing tatum and jonah hill as detectives who infiltrate various institutions in order to bust criminals the chemistry between the two actors is palpable and their witty interplay is always great for a laugh one particle of titanium has a nuclear reaction with a flux capacitor carry the two changing its atomic isotoner into a radioactive spider some fantastic action scenes and cameos only add to the fun making these films a true blast to watch even if you've never seen the original show [Music] what happened i don't know it just didn't explode that's weird when it comes to the buddy cop film genre these are really some of the best in recent years number three the rush hour franchise who knew the pairing of legendary martial artist jackie chan and comedian chris tucker would work so well you never told me you spoke chinese i never told you i didn't you assume i didn't these buddy cop movies follow two perfectly opposite police officers as they thwart what else various criminals and get into mischief along the way good god you are it ain't you always y'all the flicks are notable for their intricate action sequences particularly those involving jackie chan who never used a stunt double and had our jaws dropping because of it tucker provides some welcome laughs and the two make an entertaining enjoyable duo that no one would have expected to work i mean what the hell you doing i just being polite well next time people liked my nuts while the sequel's critical reviews weren't as positive as they were for the first flick both were box office smashes with rush hour 2 becoming one of 2001's highest grossing movies by the time y'all show some respect around here number two the lethal weapon franchise diplomatic community it's just been revoked bringing us ever closer to the quintessential action comedy is this film series starring mel gibson and danny glover as mismatched lapd detectives martin riggs and roger murtaugh guess what what i don't want to work with you hey don't ain't got no choice every action comedy fan knows these movies influence on the genre with the cops witty banter and exciting action scenes ramping up the tension with each new entry the performances are excellent the dialogue is always on point and the friendship the two cops share provides a welcome heart to all the laps in carnage while critics gave varied reviews for each subsequent installment when it comes to the box office the first three were runaway financial successes while the fourth was one of 1998's highest grossing films why don't you save your strength you're gonna need it who's the chin before we decide on our top action comedy of all time here are some honorable mentions central intelligence dwayne johnson and kevin hart have fantastic chemistry together all right well before this whole thing goes down you should know one thing about me what's that [Music] i don't like bullies kindergarten cop schwarzenegger as a schoolteacher is a dream come true [Music] shut up shut up shut up midnight run a classic buddy cop film starring the always brilliant robert de niro well why would you do something that you know that's not good for you because i don't think about it or that's living in denial living in denial yeah i'm aware of that bunkhop bad cop hilarious buddy cop flick claiming to be canada's first bilingual film martin ward david buchardt enchanted johnny english another great spy spoof starring rowan atkinson as a bumbling bond figure click it twice ah english there you are um have you seen my circuitry before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one the beverly hills cop franchise my name is axel foley clearly the action comedy gyro works for eddie murphy as he has starred in numerous films in this series as officer axel foley while 48 hours got murphy's name out there these movies are what really shot him to super stardom as his performance was unanimously praised by fans and critics alike the first flick was even nominated for the best original screenplay academy award which is almost unheard of for comedic action films your ass is skating on thin ice as it is hey look we're talking about a friend of mine here with murphy's star making turn and its memorable catchy theme song the beverly hills cop movies are considered some of the best of the genre guys that's the last straw that was the last show you guys are too nice not only were they insanely popular when respectively released but they are also to this day with a fourth entry currently in development as of 2020. before i go i just want you to know something all right that the super cop story was working okay it was working and you guys just messed it up okay do you agree with our picks check out this other recent clip from watchmojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos [Music] you

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Keywords: best action comedies of all time, best action comedies, best action comedy franchises, action comedy franchises, comedy franchises, action franchises, best franchises, best action movies, best action comedy movies, best comedy movies, best buddy cop movies, best action adventure movies, hot fuzz, lethal weapon, beverly hills cop, the nice guys, spy, 21 jump street, rush hour, Film, Movies, Action, watchmojo, watch mojo, top 10, list, mojo

Id: _EdjaTXOEP4

Length: 26min 18sec (1578 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 05 2020