Movies are subjective no matter how viewers look at them, and what may be one person's cup of tea may not be another's. Still, fans occasionally come across movies that are so indelible that they transcend the written formula, becoming ingrained into modern culture and the way audiences think and consume entertainment! No genre benefits more from discovery than comedies; after all, it's a genre that takes the ordinary and makes it not quite what it seems.
Friday is still as fresh and relevant today as it was in 1995, thanks to its relatable main characters who exercise their wit and candor in uncomfortable times. With endless banter from Craig and Smokey, it enables an avenue to talk about romantic relationships, peer pressure, and the community with humor and heart, proving things can be poignant while also being drop-dead funny.
The characters themselves, from the quick-witted Armand to the larger-than-life Albert, are richly developed and endlessly entertaining. Providing a sharp satire of societal norms and roles that add layers of absurdity to which the characters feel they must conform to, The Birdcage is hilarious and clever, finding truth in its over-the-top humor.
From the opening scenes, where Peter endures soul-crushing commutes to work, to the ridiculousness of their workplace environment filled with mindless jargon and nonsensical policies, the movie sets a tone for its comedic exploration. Humor gets amplified by familiar yet exaggerated characters like the micromanaging boss, Bill Lumbergh, whose passive-aggressive demeanor and obsession with TPS reports are bombastic yet painfully relatable.
Airplane! sustains its humor from start to finish through a combination of clever satire within the absurdist situations that occur. Right from the beginning, the tone of a deadpan comedy is set with disastrous, over-the-top situations. Airplane! is timeless because it keeps audiences engaged through low and high forms of comedy, from visual gags and slapstick comedy to magnificent wordplay and set-ups.
The endless barrage of laughs derives from the satirical take of comedy legends portraying the knights as bumbling and inept rather than heroic. Monty Python and the Holy Grail maintains a constant comedic energy through its unique blend of irreverent humor and clever wordplay, all within the context of an absolutely bonkers situation.