20 Best Parody Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

A great parody combines the familiar with the absurd. These are the best according to the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer.

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Parody movies give us something that normal comedies don’t necessarily bother with. They take things we’re familiar with, even respectable, revered subjects, and pokes fun through imitation, subversion, and referential jabs. The best of them stand alone as excellent movies you don’t necessarily need to know their inspirations to fully enjoy watching them.

A lot of these eclipse their sources of inspiration entirely, so you might have to do a double-take when you realize that an amazing scene isn’t originally from the comedy we love so much. Here are the best parody movies of all time.

Updated on May 2nd, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Parody movies continue to be a popular genre and although some of the most iconic parody movies were released in the 70s and 80s, there are still new ones being released today that are sure to be classics. These spoof movies take a particular genre and approach it in a new and typically comedic way whether it be the spy genre, horror movies, apocalyptic movies, superheroes, or the war genre. There are even multiple best spoof movies in one franchise such as Deadpool or Borat where there are multiple movies in the franchise that are well-loved.

20 Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997) (71%)

Michael Myers starred in 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, a parody of classic British spy movies like the James Bond franchise in the same vein as films like In Like Flint, which Austin claimed was his favorite movie.

The character and film were inspired by the music of the 60s and 70s and lampooned Bond villains and gadgets in the first of a successful franchise of parody films that included 1999’s The Spy Who Shagged Me and 2002’s Goldmember, with fans still hoping to see more from the characters.

19 Team America: World Police (2004) (77%)

Trey Parker and Matt Stone took a break from their hit series South Park to write and direct the action movie spoof of the classic sci-fi Thunderbirds TV marionette series with 2004’s Team America: World Police.

Team America featured a groundbreaking use of puppetry that hilariously parodied the premise of Thunderbirds – a highly trained squad of heroes with special vehicles – while also lampooning overly political celebrities and U.S. foreign policy with one of the most jaw-dropping sex scenes ever seen on the big screen.

18 Tropic Thunder (2008) (82%)

2008’s Tropic Thunder was directed by Ben Stiller, who also starred in the action movie parody about action stars filming a war movie in Vietnam that turns deadly and hilarious when they are lost in the jungles of Cambodia.

The being filmed in Tropic Thunder lampoons films like Platoon while the stereotypical cast of extreme method actors, washed-up action stars, hopeful rookies, one-note comedians, and a rapper-turned-actor perfectly tears apart Hollywood with an honest look at the industry and its players.

17 This Is The End (2013) (83%)

This is the End spoofs the apocalyptic genre where characters try to survive the end of the world. The movie sees several celebrities portraying themselves and exaggerated fictional versions of themselves and how they would act at the end of the world.

The rapture happens and some are swallowed by massive sinkholes while others are brought into heaven and some are left to fight each other on Earth from James Franco and Seth Rogen to Emma Watson and Channing Tatum.

16 Hot Shots! (1991) (83%)

Jim Abrahams and Pat Proft were responsible for a number of hilarious parody films that helped define the genre in the 80s and 80s, which included 1991’s Hot Shots! which starred Charlie Sheen, Valeria Golina, Cary Elwes, and Lloyd Bridges as well as a cast of hilarious characters in a parody of Top Gun.

Hot Shots didn’t hit with fans as well as critics based on the Tomatometer score, though it was successful enough for a sequel called Hot Shots! Part Deux that spoofed action movies like Rambo: First Blood Part II that was released in 1993.

15 Sausage Party (2016) (83%)

The raunchiest food-based movie this side of well, it’s a niche genre, to begin with. Between Deadpool and Joker cementing the R-Rated movie as a box-office force again, this surprisingly intelligent ‘Capital R’ romp used what we’d come to expect from CGI animated films to parody them.

There are elements of the Toy Story series all over this thing, except where that series accesses our childhood ideals this one hits at our adolescent yearnings. Drugs, sex, and a surprising amount of graphic food dismemberment are the meat betwixt this tasty animation’s buns. You haven’t seen anything if you haven’t seen the ending of this food four-letter fest.

14 Tucker And Dale Vs Evil (2011) (85%)

Tucker and Dale Vs Evil is a hilarious and relatively unknown comedic horror spoof movie that anyone who enjoys the comedic horror genre should check out. Tucker and Dale (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) are just trying to enjoy a vacation at their cabin in the woods when they’re ambushed by a group of college students who can’t seem to stop dying in horrific ways.

The students believe that Tucker and Dale are serial killers hiding out in the woods and targeting them, while Tucker and Dale are horrified to see the college kids continually killed in accidents. It’s a hilarious twist on the typical “hillbilly killers living in the woods” and an enjoyable parody movie.

13 Deadpool (2016) (85%) / Deadpool 2 (2018) (84%)

Following Ryan Reynolds’ career was frustrating for a while, knowing how funny he could be and seeing him held back. This movie finally married the actor to the right role and Reynolds executed the motor-mouthed mercenary to the satisfaction of all.

Along with that, he skewered the current slew of superhero films while remaining part of them. The tightrope act paid off big, and the sequel was on par with laughs and references too.

12 The Naked Gun (1988) (87%)

Not Leslie Nielsen’s last appearance on this list, because he’s one of the masters of this genre. One of the most quotable comedies of all time and everyone playing it straight as an arrow for maximum laughs. The incompetent cop bumbling his way through a life-or-death investigation offers constant opportunities to mock other cop films beyond repair.

The absurdity they manage to fit into the plot to assassinate The Queen deserves all the laughs it thoroughly earns. Try to watch a girl climb a ladder and not quote from this movie. Lines like “We would’ve come earlier but your husband wasn’t dead then” are so stupid and clever you’ll likely miss the next three jokes for laughing at the first one.

11 Galaxy Quest (1999) (89%)

By Grabthar’s Hammer…. what a movie! A Star Trek parody that is so beloved it’s counted as canon by more than a few Trekkies. A ridiculously talented cast is brought together for this examination of both faded fame, nostalgia, space adventures, con-culture, all wrapped in classic Star Trek tropes. Tim Allen’s best turn when he’s not voicing Buzz Lightyear.

Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub, Justin Long, Rainn Wilson, are among the recognizable names and faces, and all get big laughs. However, the inimitable Alan Rickman as Shakespearean misanthrope Alexander Dane deserves every plaudit you can find. Never give up! Never surrender!

10 Borat (2006) (91%) / Borat 2 (2020) (85%)

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat has been a staple in popular culture since its release in 2006 and most people have an impression of his character whether they’ve seen the movie or not. The first movie has great reviews and the second movie, just recently released in 2020, is not far behind.

Cohen portrays Kazakhstan reporter Borat in the mockumentary and gets himself into insane situations as he interviews people and purposefully tries to cause chaos and shock people in the movies.

9 Blazing Saddles (1974) (91%)

Blazing Saddles is routinely lamented as ‘it couldn’t be made today’ and that’s despite being preserved in the National Film Registry. Walking right past the language that nowadays couldn’t pass muster, the human cartoon that is Sheriff Bart, played by Cleavon Little, is as close to Bugs Bunny as an actor could get. Every facet of old western cinema is mocked for all they’re worth.

All the archetypes are present, from the evil tycoon to the famed, alcoholic gunslinger to the brutish enforcer and the seductive honey-pot. Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn help ensure the comedy is delightful as well as uproarious throughout, and as frequent collaborators of film-maker Mel Brooks, not their last appearance on this list either.

8 Shaun Of The Dead (2004) (92%) / Hot Fuzz (2007) (91%)

Put Edgar Wright with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and there’s every chance you’re onto a hit. Edgar Wright bit into the zombie and romantic comedy genres with Shaun Of The Dead. They played with every romantic comedy trope with hilarious results in the first half of the movie, then just when you’re invested in their intermingling lives, a zombie apocalypse breaks out and they play with all of that too. The oblivious one-shot repeat is among the best moments in cinema, and it’s one among many in this infinitely rewatchable movie. Hot Fuzz refines Wright’s art to a fine point, arguably more so.

Taking a Michael Bay ‘Bad Boys’ approach to a little English village is sheer genius. From the action montages focusing on paperwork to the convoluted real-estate red herring plot being just about petty vanity, Hot Fuzz has layers upon layers to enjoy. Action blockbusters could learn from this flicks intricate scripting, excellent use of foreshadowing, and satisfying payoffs. The fact that it’s all that and hilarious from bell-to-bell is astounding. A pair of marvels.

7 Cabin In The Woods (2012) (92%)

Cabin in the Woods is another horror spoof and while it is not as comedic as others on this list it’s still successful and clever and deserves a spot on this list of best parody movies.

The movie starts as a typical horror movie playing into the stereotypical character archetypes from the jock to the final girl, but it becomes a meta-movie once the plot behind the stereotypical characters is revealed. It’s a fun and creative movie that any horror fan, and fan of spoof movies, would enjoy.

6 Enchanted (2007) (93%)

Enchanted is a different type of spoof movie that pays homage to, but also pokes fun at, the Disney princess movie genre. Giselle (Amy Adams) begins the movie as an animated princess who wants something more, and she gets her wish when she’s sent to the real world outside of her fairy tale.

The movie jokes about the naive nature of the animated fairy tale world and how they’re faced with harsh realities in the real world, and no one really breaks out into song and dance either.

5 Young Frankenstein (1974) (94%)

Mel Brooks most lauded comedy when it comes to pure laughs. Gene Wilder was again instrumental and Madeline Kahn is a supremely funny foil, but they aren’t alone. Marty Feldman’s Igor is amazingly funny. Cloris Leachman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars, Gene Hackman!

Every one of them gets not just laughs, but side-splitting scenes funnier than some entire comedies can muster. The gags range from the silliest to profoundly sophisticated and you’ll definitely catch even more the second and third times you rewatch it because you will. An ageless classic from a timeless tale.

4 This Is Spinal Tap (1984) (95%)

The mockumentary genre has a few kingpins filled with comedic savants, including This Is Spinal Tap, which cut through the rock god facade portraying a band of simplistic goofs who don’t know they’re already past their brief peak.

Spinal Tap features an amazing cast of comedians who fill the movie with so many quotable lines and the best parody songs around, making Rob Reiner’s 1984 rockumentary a must-see for parody fans. Just make sure you turn it up to eleven.

3 What We Do In The Shadows (2014) (96%)

Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s What We Do In The Shadows is another fantastic mockumentary that takes the lens of looking into insular, reclusive groups and makes it absurd as we meet a group of New Zealander Vampires who are struggling with modern life just the same as the rest of us, but also there’s blood. And Werewolves. Also, the best ‘E-Bay’ joke of all time.

The 2014 movie was so popular with fans it led to the hit TV adaptation on FX from Clement that followed a new trio of vampires located on Staten Island, as well as a spinoff called Wellington Paranormal that followed the officers from the movie as they encountered further supernatural occurrences with their particular grace and dedicated police work.

2 Holy Grail (1975) (97%) / Life Of Brian (1979) (95%)

This pair from Monty Python is so funny that in all the years since there has never been a funnier movie about either subject or setting. If you want medieval nonsense ‘Holy Grail’ is the Hol…. a very good option. If you want Biblical times to be the setting and fanatical regimes and their acolytes to be the brunt of the joke, it’s ‘Life Of Brian’.

The Monty Python lads remain the lords of making the self-serious into a farce and forty-odd years later these two remain untouchable works of silly genius. Much like the Black Night, Monty Python is invincible and so far ‘none have surpassed’. Routinely swapping the top spots in ‘greatest comedies of all time’ lists.

1 Airplane! (1980) (97%)

Not when Airplane! is unloading in the White Zone. And don’t call us Shirley! The original big ‘spoof’ that literally took most of its script from an existing film (Zero Hour!) and turned everything on its head. The preceding decade’s obsession with plane disaster movies got lovingly parodied like never before, including revitalizing serious actor Leslie Nielsen’s career in the process.

There are so many legendary bits in Airplane! that we can only jot down a few or this entry will never end. Ted Striker’s drinking problem. The mirror gag. Otto The Auto-Pilot. Roger, Roger, Over, Over. The wrong week to quit ‘lots of things.’ Air Traffic Controller Johnny. Stayin’ Alive. It’s practically endless. Whenever you go for another ride, good luck. We’re all counting on you.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-movie-parodies-according-critics-rotten-tomatoes/