Making a good parody movie is not easy. While it’s one thing to poke fun at other movies, it’s another thing to make a fun movie that stands out as its own in the process. Many genres have been parodied over the years to varying degrees of success. Whether it’s a biopic or a hit action movie, parody films have long been an important genre that has produced some truly classic films.
What separates great parody movies from bad movies is the sense of humor on display and the brain behind the joke. These films don’t really make fun of the genre, they just poke fun at the parts of the genre that people love the most. Here is a list of the 10 best parody movies ever made, according to MovieWeb.
10. “Hot Shots!” (1991)
Hot Shots of 1991! Most were parodies of Top Gun, and its 1993 sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux shook things up by essentially being a parody of the Rambo series, specifically the sequels to First Blood. It can also be seen as an elaborate spoof of the over-the-top and testosterone-fueled action films of the 1980s, with star Charlie Sheen physically looking the part here.
Jim Abrahams directed this spoof that parodied Top Gun, Gone With the Wind and Marathon Man. It also starred the future on-screen brothers of Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer.
9. “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” (2007)
Specifically riffing on James Mangold’s Walk the Line (itself a pretty good Johnny Cash biopic), Walkhard: The Dewey Cox also feels like it’s having good laughs at the expense of music biopics in general. And honestly, it was a genre that had such an upswing, considering the fairly common rise and fall (and sometimes resurgence) of famous musicians were – and still are – all too common.
John C. Reilly played a legendary musician in Judd Apatow’s spoof that mocked movies such as The Doors and Walk the Line.
8. The Austin Powers Franchise (1997-2002)
Michael Myers starred in 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, a parody of classic British spy films such as the James Bond franchise with films such as In Like Flint, which Austin claimed to have It was his favorite movie. The character and the film were inspired by music from the 60s and 70s and were the first to lampoon Bond’s villains and gadgets in a successful franchise of some of the best parody films, including The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember. The films also gave Mike Myers the opportunity to play several roles, each becoming famous in their own right.
Mike Myers created this parody of James Bond and other spy films. His dual role of Austin Powers and his arch-nemesis Dr. Evil was a highlight of the 90s comedy era. The film kicked off a successful trilogy that still has fans questioning whether or not they’ll ever see more of Austin “Danger” Powers.
7. “The Naked Gun” (1988)
The Naked Gun is one of the most remarkable comedies of all time, with everyone shooting it like a straight arrow for maximum laughs. The incompetent cop making his way through a life-or-death investigation provides constant opportunities to make fun of cop movies other than repair. Leslie Nelson has become such a fixture in comedy films that it’s almost hard to believe she started out as a dramatic actor. This franchise remains his most beloved. There were two sequels, neither as good as the first, but all very funny thanks to Nelson giving himself completely to the role. The first one is one of the best parody movies of all time.
6. “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” (1988)
The film follows hero Jack Spade as he tries to save the ghetto from the clutches of crime lord Mr. Big. I’m Gonna Git You Sucka was Wayan’s directorial debut and featured Chris Rock and Marlon Wayans in small supporting roles. The film also featured past Blaxploitation actors such as Jim Brown and Bernie Casey.
Keenan Ivory Wayans directed and starred in the 1988 movie which parodied Shaft. It also featured the film debut of both Chris Rock and Marlon Wayans in supporting roles.
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5. “This is Spinal Tap” (1984)
This Spinal Tap is a mockumentary that produced countless quotable moments, including “Hello, Cleveland!” Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Christopher Guest, it tells the story of a metal band that is less than self-aware with funny results.
Written by mockumentary master Christopher Guest and directed by Rob Reiner, the film tells the hilarious story of hair metal band Spinal Tap, a band whose lack of self-awareness makes them one of the most iconic examples of comedy.
4. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975)
Few fantastic films are as funny as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a parody so effective that it’s hard to take any story surrounding the legend of King Arthur seriously anymore. It was the first feature film of the British comedy group Monty Python, and it is also their funniest film.
Even the opening credits of the movie are funny, and you know that when the text before the movie is already talking about how “once my sister was killed”, you probably very Having a good time. It maintains such a chaotic energy throughout the film, delivering comical scene after scene while also deftly subverting various fantasy tropes and conventions.
3. “Blazing Saddles” (1974)
Generally heralded as a film that could only have been made at the time of its release, Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles is a riotous parody of the Western genre, filled with gags and set pieces that But no punch was thrown.
While the language was as bluesy as it gets, the message was brilliantly conveyed by Brooks and his cast, led by Cleon Little and Gene Wilder. This wasn’t a singing cowboy movie, it was the Wild West unapologetically presented.
2. “Airplane!” (1980)
A beloved comedy that’s up there with the best of its decade, Airplane! ZAZ shows the team at their collective comic peaks, with Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and David Zucker all credited as writers and directors. It takes aim at disaster movies of old (especially those popular in the 1970s), and parodies the genre to great effect.
It’s also possible to argue that post-Airplane disaster movies have become considerably less fashionable, even if such movies are running on fumes anyway. Disaster movies, as a genre, aren’t dead forever, but the comedy in Airplane has an impact! Perhaps the genre suffered for a while, and to this day, it remains one of the fastest-paced and most consistently funny films in history.
1. “Young Frankenstein” (1974)
Young Frankenstein is a 1970s horror-comedy directed parody of the horror classic Frankenstein, which was the second release in the Universal Monster Films series. Gene Wilder embodies his role as a young doctor who moves into his grandfather’s palace.
However, he also inherited a book that outlines how to reanimate corpses. The late Peter Boyle played The Monster and breathed life into a corpse. The film offers little horror but is a parody that endures through the ages.
