Comedy action movies are practically as old as the film industry itself. Action comedies are a subgenre of gods comedy movies that normally include 2 contrasting protagonists that provoke action and sharp humor. 1970s movies typically followed fast-talking lawmen and criminals, while 1980s police officer movies featured 2 completely different officers; one was generally a staunch supporter of the law, while the other was typically a free-spirited offender.
Over the years, the action comedy movies has developed to suit the times, often blending into various genres, be it secret agents, scary stories or science fiction. Everyone has their favorites and the best have become movie classics of all time. Here is a list of the best action comedies ever.
Action Comedy Movies of the Silent Era
The High Sign (1921)
The High Sign is a 1921 two-reel silent action comedy movie starring Buster Keaton, written and directed by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. It’s a 21-minute short film. Dissatisfied with the result, Keaton shelved it and the film did not launch. The title describes the secret hand signal used by the film’s underworld gang. Keaton plays a drifter who cheats his time in a shooting gallery at a theme park. Believing Keaton to be a sharpshooter, both the murderous Blinking Buzzards gang and the man they wish to eliminate end up hiring him. The film ends with a wild chase through a house full of secret passages and trap doors.
In contrast to the “violent slapstick” of the films he actually made with Fatty Arbuckle, this short film shows the peaceful, dry and fun dtile that became Keaton’s hallmark. The culminating scenes of the chase inside the house take place on a two-level set, with revolving wall panels, hatches and secret passages.
The Three Must-Get-There’s (1922)
The Three Must-Get-Theres is a 1922 American silent comedy action film directed by Max Linder. The film follows the plot of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers of 1844. It is also suggested as a parody of the previously released 1921 film The Three Musketeers, starring Douglas Fairbanks. This was Linder’s last American film before returning to Europe, where he co-directed his last finished film in Austria, Max, King of the Circus. It is an ironic and sincere film, with acute satire. His approach is that of absurdity and burlesque.
Dart-In-Again, a wicked young noble from Gascony takes a trip to Paris with the desire to become one of the king’s musketeers. When he meets 3 Musketeers, Walrus, Octopus and Porpoise, he starts dueling with them, but soon becomes their friend. Together they fight the guards of Cardinal Li’l Richie-Loo, Prime Minister of King Louis XIII.
Safety Last ! (1923)
is a 1923 American silent romantic comedy action film starring Harold Lloyd. There are some of the most famous images from the silent film period: Lloyd squeezing the hands of a large clock as he hangs on a skyscraper above the moving traffic. The film was extremely effective, and sealed Lloyd’s status as a significant figure in the early films. It is still popular in revivals and is seen as one of the best comedies today. Lloyd performed some of the stunts himself, despite having actually lost his thumb and forefinger 4 years earlier in a movie crash.
The film begins in 1922, with Harold Lloyd behind bars. His mother and wife, Mildred, are comforting him when authorities and a grieving priest appear. The 3 walk towards what looks like a noose. So it ends up being evident that they are in a train station and the “noose” is actually a runway gathering circle used by train crews to get orders without stopping, and the bars are simply the ticket barrier.
The Navigator (1924)
The Navigator is one American comedy directed and starring Buster Keaton. The film was written by Clyde Bruckman and co-directed by Donald Crisp. The Navigator was Keaton’s biggest hit. Buster Keaton’s action comedy is unpredictable and innovative, with underwater settings.
Rich Rollo Treadway (Buster Keaton) unexpectedly chooses to propose to his neighbor across the street, Betsy O’Brien (Kathryn McGuire), and sends his maid to book a honeymoon cruise in Honolulu. When Betsy rejects her curt agreement, however, she chooses to embark on the journey anyway, embarking without delay. Because the dock number is partially covered, it ends up on the wrong ship, the Navigator, which Betsy’s rich dad (Frederick Vroom) has offered to a small warring nation.
Sherlock Jr., (1924)
Sherlock Jr. is a 1924 American silent comedy action film directed and starring Buster Keaton and written by Clyde Bruckman, Jean Havez and Joseph A. Mitchell. Includes Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, and Ward Crane. The film is considered one of best comedies ever made.
Sherlock Jr. Buster is a projectionist and janitor. When the cinema is empty, study a book on How to Be a Detective. He loves a beautiful woman but has a competitor, the “local sheikh”. Neither has much money. He discovers a dollar bill in the trash that he swept away in the lobby. He takes it and includes it in the $ 2 he has. A lady claims she lost a dollar. He offers it back. So even an old woman claims she lost a dollar. A boy goes through the garbage and discovers a wallet full of cash.
Lazybones (1925)
Lazybones is a 1925 American romantic comedy produced and directed by Frank Borzage and starring Madge Bellamy, Buck Jones and Zasu Pitts. We are around the year 1900. The Lazybones owner loves Agnes. His sister, Ruth, returns home with a baby and a marriage to a sailor who was lost at sea. She attempts suicide by jumping into the river, but Lazybones saves her. Agnes’s mother is extremely strict and when Ruth informs her of the baby she hits her with a walking stick.
For Heaven’s sake (1926)
is a 1926 American silent comedy action film directed by Sam Taylor and starring Harold Lloyd. It was among Lloyd’s most successful films and the twelfth highest-grossing film of the silent era, earning $ 2,600,000. Millionaire J. Harold Manners finds himself in the bad part of town. When he inadvertently sets fire to a charity cart offering totally free coffee owned by benefactor Paul, he takes out his checkbook to cover the damage. After Manners checks in the newspaper that he is sponsoring a caisa, he goes there to dissociate himself from it. He is shocked to discover that his name is J. Harold Manners Mission.
The General (1926)
The General is a 1926 American silent comedy action film released by United Artists. It was inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, a true story that occurred during the American Civil War. The story was adapted from William Pittenger’s 1889 short story The Great Locomotive Chase. The film stars Buster Keaton, who co-directed it with Clyde Buckman. At the time of its release, The General, an action-adventure comedy made towards the end of the silent era, was not well received by audiences and critics alike, leading to average returns. Due to his huge $ 750,000 spending plan and failure to make sizable revenue, Keaton has lost his self-sufficiency as a director. The General has been re-evaluated and is now generally ranked among the best films ever made.
When Western & Atlantic Railroad engineer Johnnie Gray shows up in Marietta, Georgia, he finds Annabelle Lee’s home, between the two loves of his life, the other is the locomotive nicknamed the general. News arrives that the American Civil War has broken out and Annabelle’s brother and father are quick to get hired into the army. To please Annabelle, Johnnie rushes to be drafted, but is rejected because he is better as an engineer. Upon departure, he meets Annabelle’s father and brother, who motion him to join them, however he leaves, leaving them with the impression that he does not wish to enlist. Annabelle informs Johnnie that she won’t talk to him again until he’s in uniform.
Play Safe (1927)
Play Safe is a 1927 American action comedy movie by Joseph Henabery starring Monty Banks. A gang of villains threaten a man’s love. He hides in a freight car and a mistake causes the otherwise empty train to leave the station with the lever pressed at full speed. As the train picks up speed, the hostage’s fiancée would have to move onto the runaway train from a car racing together, fend off the gang of pursuers, get her lady out of the wagon, and somehow bring the two of them to safety. An approaching engine, a water tower, a steep climb, a torn rope and a damaged slab between the vehicles make the hero’s job complex.
Speedy (1928)
It is a 1928 American silent action comedy movie starring comedian Harold Lloyd in the main role of the same name. It was Lloyd’s last silent film to hit theaters. The film was directed by Ted Wilde, the last silent film to be directed by him, and was shot in both Hollywood and the New York City area.
Everyone in New York City is in such a rush that they bathe on Saturdays on Fridays so they can clean up on Monday on Sunday. In a slower-paced “old-fashioned corner of town”, Pop Dillon (Burt Woodruff) owns the latest horse-drawn tram. His niece Jane Dillon (Ann Christy) loves Harold “Speedy” Swift (Harold Lloyd). Fast, a devoted New York Yankees fan, works in a soda shop. While doing his job, he gets distracted during the Yankees games and passes the kitchen orders by putting the food items in a case.
Steamboat Bill, Jr, (1928)
Steamboat Bill, Jr. is a 1928 silent action comedy starring Buster Keaton. Launched by United Artists, the film is the final product of Keaton’s independent production group and a series of gag writers. It wasn’t a box office hit and ended up being the last film Keaton produced for United Artists. Keaton moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he made a final film in his signature style, The Cameraman, before his imaginative directing was removed from the studio.
Charles Reisner directed the film and the author of the story credited was Carl Harbaugh. The film, named after Arthur Collins’ popular 1911 recording of the 1910 melody “Steamboat Bill”, also included Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron and Tom Lewis. The film is intended for what may be Keaton’s most famous cinematic stunt: the exterior of a house falls around him as he stands in the exact area of the open window to avoid being crushed. Steamboat Bill, Jr. was a failure and garnered mixed reviews upon its release. After many years, Steamboat Bill, Jr. ended up being considered a work of art of his period.
William “Steamboat Bill” Canfield is the owner and captain of a paddle cleaner, the Stonewall Jackson, which has actually seen much better days. A new cleaner, J King, is taking all of his clients. King also owns the local bank and city hotel. In a well-attended launch celebration, he belittles the Stonewall Jackson. Costs receives a telegram stating that his son is arriving on the 10am train, having completed his research studies in Boston. King’s daughter Kitty returns from college to visit him. You drive a stylish car.
1940s and 1950s Action Comedy Movies
Hellzapoppin ‘(1941)
Hellzapoppin’ is a 1941 film adaptation of Hellzapoppin, the musical staged on Broadway from 1938 to 1941. Broadway actors were originally slated to appear in the film, but most refused. Shemp Howard begins the film as Louie, a cinema projectionist, showing what appears to be the beginning of a song-and-dance number composed with classy dressed actors strolling down the stairs. The ladder transforms and falls down into a slide, taking professional dancers directly to the devil, where they are injured by devils.
Jiggs and Maggie in Court (1948)
Jiggs and Maggie in Court is a funny 1948 American film directed by William Beaudine and starring Joe Yule, Renie Riano and also George McManus. It was the second in a collection of 4 films featuring Yule and Riano as the title characters. Angry at being recognized on the street by people who know her anime, Maggie takes the comic artist to court to try to force him to stop suing her.
Pehli Jhalak (1955)
Pehli Jhalak is an action comedy, made with by MV Raman. The story focuses on the life of Beena (played by Vyjayanthimala) – A simple lady who lives with her family. Her father has arranged her marital relationship with an evil man, Pran, whom she detests. He consults with Rajan, a rascal of little account and a love is born between them. But things get complicated when she catches him in a web of deception.
Azaad (1955)
Azaad is a 1955 Hindi-language action comedy written and directed by SM Sriramulu Naidu. It was the leading Hindi film in the year of its launch. Additionally, Dilip Kumar won his 2nd Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in this film. After the death of his widowed father, Kedarnath, Shobha has to deal with his father’s friend Charandas and also his wife Shanta, who lost their boy as a child. Years later, Shobha has grown up and Charanda is the ideal spouse. A rich man, Sundar, would like to marry Shobha, yet the family hates him. One evening Shobha is kidnapped. The police are notified but their search fails. A couple of days later, they learn that Shobha may be under Sundar’s hands. Shobha returns home and informs them that she was rescued by a rich boy named Azaad, housed in a castle, looked after extremely well, and brought home. Eventually they discover that the rich man is none other than a notorious outlaw named Azaad.
Ebn Hameedo (1957)
Ebn Hameedo is a law enforcement secret agent who shows up with his colleague Hassan at a trafficked fishing spot near Suez of drugs. They meet 2 brothers, Azeeza, the youngest, and Hameeda. They rent an area in their father’s residence and fall in love with both women. Their love could have led to a marital relationship had it not been for al-Baaz Effendi who wished to marry Azeeza and also attempts to eliminate Hassan. Al-Baaz is also associated with narcotics trafficking. Action comedy with numerous quotes that) made it into popular culture. Nobody runs into the real world like they do in this comedy action movie.
Nadodi Mannan (1958)
Nadodi Mannan (The Vagabond King) is a 1958 Indian Tamil-language action comedy movie directed by MG Ramachandran in his launch as a director. The film focuses on a king who is changed by a lookalike after being kidnapped on the eve of his coronation. The double begins to apply financial and social reforms to increase the evil that annoys the high priest of the kingdom, who has actually kidnapped the individual extremely similar to the double.
Recorded in both black and white in addition to Gevacolor, it was launched on August 22, 1958. It was an industrial success, earning 11 million, making it only the second Tamil film to make over 10 million later. another by Ramachandran Madurai Veeran (1956). Nadodi Mannan has become a cult in Tamil cinemas, as well as becoming a transformative factor for Ramachandran in both his acting and political profession.
Dilli Ka Thug (1958)
Dilli Ka Thug (The Trickster of Delhi) is a 1958 Hindi-language action comedy movie directed by SD Narang. The protagonists are Kishore Kumar, Nutan, Madan Puri and also Iftekhar. The songs were by Ravi as well as the verses were by SH Bihari, Shailendra and Majrooh Sultanpuri.
Kishore Kumar Sharma (Kishore Kumar) bets to earn money. Kishore’s father and his friend were killed by the notorious Anantram who currently uses a mask to hide his true identity. The medical facility that Kishore uses is run by Anantram and his 2 henchmen Sevakram and Bihari.
1960s Action Comedy Movies
Kohinoor (1960)
Kohinoor is a 1960s Bollywood action comedy from SU Sunny. A box office success, it was the third highest-earning Indian film of 1960. Dilip Kumar is alleged to have entered clinical depression after playing heartbreaking roles in films such as Devdas and his psychoanalyst suggested he play light characters. One of these characters duties was Kohinoor. Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari play a royal prince and a princess. The film contains sword dances, battles and songs. This film is also notable for some unusual and funny humorous scenes of Meena Kumari, who is called the disaster queen.
After the death of King Chandrabhan of Kailash Nagar, General Veer Singh crowns Prince Dhivendra Pratap Bahadur Chandrabhan as the next king. Veer’s wife, who raised Dhivendra like her son, Surinder, would surely have the new king marry Princess Chandramukhi of Rajgarh. The king of Rajgarh is delighted to hear this and also asks his daughter to declare it to Kailash Nagar. During the journey, she is kidnapped by her own general and locked up.
Pigs and Battleships (1961)
Battleships and Pig is a 1961 Japanese action comedy from director Shōhei Imamura. The film tells the story of Kinta, a participant of the Himori Yakuza. It is revealed that Kinta collaborates with various other mobsters, attacks a shopkeeper who deals with Americans, and pays individuals who work with the pig farm. The film won the 1961 Blue Ribbon Award for Best Picture. The story is complicated but with a basic message about social expansionism, with a critical spirit and cruelly fun.
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American action comedy directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and a screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast, has to do with a crazy search for $ 350,000 in stolen cash by a group of unknown people.
“Smiler” Grogan, a prisoner, escapes from police security but collides with his car on California State Route 74. 5 drivers stop to assist him: Melville Crump, a dentist in second honeymoon with his wife Monica; Lennie Pike, furniture moving company; Ding Bell and Benjy Benjamin, 2 friends on a trip to Las Vegas; and also J. Russell Finch, a seaweed trader, who takes a trip with his wife Emmeline and his noisy and ridiculous mother-in-law, Mrs. Marcus. Just before he died, Grogan tells them about $ 350,000 hidden in Santa Rosita State Park under “a huge W”. After the team stops looking for a compromise to split the money, they decide to run to find it.
Les Tontons flingueurs (1963)
Les Tontons flingueurs is a 1963 action comedy movie with dialogue in French, directed by Georges Lautner. It is an adaptation of Albert Simonin Grisbi’s publication. The film was not preferred by critics at its initial launch in 1963, however it was loved by the general public. Its status has expanded over the years to become a cult and entered pop culture.
Fernand is a former gangster with a plant rental organization in Montauban. His quiet little life is cut short when his good childhood friend, Louis “the Mexican”, who actually ended up being the head of a mafia organization in Paris, summons him to his deathbed. Louis appoints Fernand as head of his company and also guardian of his teenage daughter, Patricia, who only thinks about having fun and has never lasted in any type of school more than 6 months.
1980s Action Comedy Movies
Something Wild (1986)
Something Wild is a romantic comedy 1986 American action Jonathan Demme, written by E. Max Frye and starring Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels and Ray Liotta. It was in competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. The film has a lot of quirky scenes and excellent direction by Jonathan Demme, with his unpredictable twists. Demme is a master at discovering the strange in the normal. The success of Demme and the author, E. Max Frye, is to believe their characters: they understand everything about Charlie and Lulu. This is among those uncommon films where the plot appears to be driven by what the characters do.
Charlie Driggs is a financial investor operating in New York City. After leaving a restaurant without paying he meets a woman with bobbed hair who goes by the name of Lulu. Lulu provides Charlie with a ride downtown, but heads to New Jersey. Lulu drinks alcohol while traveling and stops in one town to buy more. While Charlie telephones his workplace, Lulu, unbeknownst to him, rob a liquor store.
1990s Action Comedy Movies
Cops Story 3 (1992)
Cops Story 3, launched as a Supercop in the United States, is a 1992 Hong Kong action comedy movie starring Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh. Jackie returns with her character “Kevin” Chan Ka-Kui, a Hong Kong police officer from Police Story and Police Story 2. It is the third installment in the Police Story series, the first in the Police Story franchise not to be directed by Jackie, with Stanley Tong taking control of the helm.
Ka-Kui is the “super cop” of the Hong Kong authorities with incredible martial arts skills. He is sent to Guangzhou, where the Interpol director of the Chinese police, Inspector Jessica Yang (Michelle Yeoh), informs him about his next project. The target is Chaibat, a Hong Kong-based drug lord. To enter Chaibat’s company, Ka-Kui must approach Chaibat’s henchman, Panther, who is in a Chinese prison. Ka-Kui. Impersonating a criminal inmate, he manages Panther’s escape with the connivance of the guards. Grateful, Panther welcomes Ka-Kui to choose him in Hong Kong and join the Chaibat gang.
The credits are among the highlights of Police Story 3. There is more laughter in this humorous three-minute sequence than in the entire film. Chan realizes his true love in Khan, the main Asian action star. Like Chan, Khan does his own battles and stunts. Unlike Hollywood, Chan and Khan are not dependent on tarot cards and cinematic effects. Connoisseurs will find Chan’s helicopter chase far riskier, more surprising, and more credible than its equivalent in American films. In 2009, director Quentin Tarantino named Police Story 3 one of his favorite films of the past seventeen years. He claimed that Supercop includes “the greatest stunts ever shot in a movie”.
Drunken Master (1994)
Drunken Master II is a 1994 Hong Kong kung fu action comedy movie directed by Lau Kar-leung and starring Jackie Chan as a Chinese martial arts master. It is the sequel to Chan’s 1978 film Drunken Master, directed by Yuen Woo-ping. A jaw-dropping action-packed movie that sets something of a standard – it may not be possible to film a better battle scene. 6 years after its release in Asia, and over twenty years after the initial Drunken Master made Jackie Chan a star in Hong Kong, The Legend of Drunken Master may be the most jaw-dropping kung fu action comedy ever. The film showcases Chan in his easygoing magnificence, stunning in his ability to make complex duels look like fun. Jackie starred and directed numerous action films in her pre-Hollywood days. This can be his masterpiece.
The film is set in early 20th century China. Wong Fei-hung, in addition to his father Wong Servant and kei-ying Tso, is in Canton after a trip to the northeast when he meets Fu Wen-chi, a former Qing-period soldier. After an exchange, Wong and Fu unintentionally change their packages. Wong ends up with the imperial seal while Fu receives the ginseng that Wong’s father bought for a customer. Unidentified by Wong, the imperial seal is among the many Chinese artifacts that the British consul is attempting to smuggle from China to Britain.
2000s Action Comedy Movie
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Shaolin Soccer is a 2001 Hong Kong sports action comedy movie directed by Stephen Chow. The storyline is fun and the football in the film is unlike any other played anywhere in the world. Sing is a master of Shaolin kung fu, whose goal in life is to promote the useful and spiritual benefits of martial art in modern society. It explores numerous approaches, but none are successful. Then he meets Fung “Golden Leg”; a famous Hong Kong soccer star in his day, who now walks with a limp. Sing describes his wishes to Fung, who in turn uses his services to coach Sing in football. Sing is obsessed with promoting kung fu through football and agrees to hire his former Shaolin brothers to form a group under Fung’s management. Sing and Fung strive to put together an unsurpassed soccer group.
Kiss Kiss Bang (2005)
Kiss Kiss Bang is one black comedy written and directed by Shane Black and starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen. The screenplay is partly based on the novel Brett Halliday Bodies Are Where You Find Them (1941) and is inspired by the traditional hardboiled literary category in an ironic style. It earned favorable reviews from critics and made $ 15 million worldwide. Ironic satire mixes well with fun action and neo-noir style. It’s a fun relationship covered in edgy speeches and shootings and a victorious rebirth for noir.
There are a lot of twists and turns and Downey and Monaghan are great at playing characters who compensate for the cruelty of their past with irreverent bravado. The film includes a great deal of fun and innovation. Harry Lockhart is sent to Los Angeles for an audition. At a party there, Harry meets his youthful crush Harmony Lane and “Gay” Perry van Shrike. Party host Harlan Dexter, a retired star, recently settled a quarrel over his wife’s legacy.
Black Dynamite (2009)
The plot of this comedy action film centers on a former CIA agent Black Dynamite, who needs to avenge his brother’s death while clearing the streets of a brand new drug that’s damaging the neighborhood. . The film is a parody and a tribute to the blaxploitation category. Black Dynamite was shot in 20 days in Super 16 format. A thoughtful and thoughtful retelling of the 1970s blaxploitation films, Black Dynamite is fun enough and creative enough for fans of the genre. It mixes cinema, fond memories and deconstruction of satire in a unique fun high, with the language and atmosphere of blaxploitation.
In the early 1970s, Black Dynamite, a Vietnam War veteran and former CIA officer, kung fu expert, vows to clear the streets of drug dealers and gangsters after his Jimmy younger brother is killed. O’Leary, a colleague of the CIA, offers his support because he does not want him to seek revenge on his own. As he attempts to get to the bottom of Jimmy’s murder, he discovers that his brother was actually working undercover for the CIA.
Spy (2015)
Spy is a 2015 American spy and action comedy movie written and directed by Paul Feig. Portrayed by Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham and Rose Byrne. film follows secret agent Susan Cooper (McCarthy) as he attempts to track down a nuclear ordogno. The film garnered favorable critical ratings and earned $ 235 million worldwide against a budget of $ 65 million. McCarthy’s film was critically acclaimed. Finally, after several weak screenplays in films like Melissa McCarthy she gets a story worthy of her skills. In addition to McCarthy, most of the cast members were cheered.
Susan Cooper is a 40-year-old single CIA staff member who helps her partner, Bradley Fine. Great mistakenly eliminates arms dealer Tihomir Boyanov, interrupting his work to discover a nuclear bomb. Susan discovers evidence that Rayna, Boyanov’s daughter, called the terrorist Sergio De Luca, so Fine infiltrates his home. He shoots him to death, while Susan watches helplessly. She then reveals that she has understood the identities of the main representatives of the company, consisting of Rick Ford and Karen Walker.
The Paper Tigers (2020)
The Paper Tigers is a 2020 American action comedy movie about martial arts written and directed by Bao Tran in his feature film directorial launch. The Paper Tigers mixes fun, action and feeling to produce a new martial arts film with a lot of backstage. The story is a diverse mix of Hong Kong and Hollywood that provides an overwhelming development on a shoestring budget.
3 young kung fu prodigies turned into middle-aged men. When their master is killed, they must manage their father’s duties, responsibilities and overcome old rivalries to avenge his death.
