Thankfully, comedies are a cherished art form, with there seldom being a shortage of them in production at any one time. Yet, due to their mass production and wide popularity, it’s a fair assessment that a few too many fail at their primary purpose — making us laugh. The genre is plagued with flagrant rip-offs, tasteless cheese, and cringe-worthy wisecracking, which is merely an insult to some of the great comedies that have lived long in the memory, and that many still reference in jest today. The 2000s was a scintillating period for comic writers and comic acting, which translated into some excellent work, making the decade one of the best ever for original comedy movies. Here are the actually funny, significant, and timeless comedies from the first decade of our new millennium.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

6 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

     Apatow Productions

Ron Burgundy is everyone’s favorite news anchor. With the currently depressing newsworthy affairs reported on by equally dull news reporters, it regularly has us wishing that Ron Burgundy would be carted out to brighten the place up a bit, with Brick, Brian, and Champ in tow, of course.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundyis a rip-roaring barrel of frantic silliness. Will Ferrell plays the ignorant, narcissistic, and gloriously fake-tanned news presenter for KVWN television station, who is unprecedentedly rivaled by a female competitor in Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate).

5 Step Brothers

     Gary Sanchez Productions

When you ask a male non-movie fan what their favorite film is, Step Brothers is often, and perhaps rather predictably, their answer. It’s an answer that might ruffle a few movie-going snobs’ feathers, but while it may not be an example of true cinematic mastery, it certainly does exactly what it says on the tin — makes you howl with laughter.

Starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, two 30 to 40-something men (who still live with their single parents) become step-brothers when their parents marry. With the intellectual capacity of 10-year-olds (and that’s being generous) the pair develop an uproarious brotherly love that is outrageously surreal as it is hysterical.

4 Borat

     20th Century Fox

“Wa Wa We Wa” is a phrase written into 2000s heritage. Sacha Baron Cohen has the unique power of being able to unify a nation through their mutual feelings of utter detestation towards him, having made the world laugh at Kazakhstan’s expense, a country Cohen was subsequently banned from.

2006’s Borat (Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan) was written by and stars Sacha Baron Cohen in the titular role of Borat Sagdiyev, a Kazakhstani journalist who journeys to the United States to record a documentary about life in the country. The mockumentary-style movie is wacky, hilarious, and at times, downright grotesque. It features large segments of unscripted footage with various diplomats, political advisors, and judicial figures who have absolutely no idea Borat is simply taking them for a ride.

3 In Bruges

     Focus FeaturesUniversal

Director Martin McDonagh’s long-awaited The Banshees of Inisherin, which came out last month to wide acclaim, played host to the reunion of the loved pairing of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Their budding, on-screen bromance was originally formed in the picturesque medieval town of Bruges.

McDonagh’s debut feature In Brugesfollows the story of two hitmen, Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson), who are sent by their psychotic boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) on an unknown mission. It quickly transpires that Ken is expected to kill Ray, who unintentionally murdered a child following a hit gone wrong. In Bruges is expertly acted, exquisitely scored (by the esteemed Carter Burwell), and has a mouth-watering (and hilariously profane) storyline.

2 Shaun of the Dead

     Universal Pictures

“Let’s go to The Winchester, have a pint, and wait for all of this to blow over” is an utterance we can all probably relate to what with the world’s economic and political landscapes in drastic need of urgent reform. In Edgar Wright’s opening movie of his cult-celebrated Cornetto Trilogy, we are brought Shaun of the Dead, a comical and unconventional take on the subgenre of the zombie movie (a zom-com film, if you will).

Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, two best friends, and housemates who find themselves thrown into the midst of a zombie apocalypse. The pair, along with friends, family, and Shaun’s girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) must navigate themselves through the ensuing carnage and seek refuge.

1 Superbad

     Sony Pictures Releasing

McLovin would be technically 41 years of age now if he was, for some unknown reason, still using his Hawaii driving license. Superbad is a comical classic, a film that has come to the rescue in many an awkward social situation, which is rather ironic given the painfully awkward nature of some of the film’s funniest moments.

Starring Michael Cera and Jonah Hill as best friends Evan and Seth respectively, the pair attempt to enjoy their summer before beginning college. As is often the case with teenage boys, they’re led astray by their hopeless attempts at acquiring booze and attracting women. With the reluctant addition of their outlandish friend, Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) the trio embark on an epic night out that ends in police-encouraged disorder.