We all need a decent injection of low-brow comedy now and again. The 1990s was a hit decade for this kind of humor, even if it's remembered mostly for the seminal hit Dumb & Dumber. There's a lot more to see (and laugh at) throughout that particular decade, which is why it pays to revisit the classics!
Today we're counting down the 10 best slapstick comedies of the 1990s that don't include Dumb & Dumber. These are bonafide side-splitters all their own, so make sure to check them out and get in on the gags!
THE WATERBOY (1998)
Adam Sandler movies don't get much funnier than The Waterboy, a surreal romp through the insane camera lens of director Frank Coraci. Sandler plays the simple-minded Bobby Boucher, an awkward water boy who soon gains fame when he learns to channel his inner rage against those who taunt and belittle him.
His talents make him a vital asset to a college football team, but it all goes pear-shaped when his overprotective mother (played hilariously by Kathy Bates) tries to put a stop to it. The Waterboy is too stupid to exist, yet somehow it managed. Maybe that's what makes it such a hoot to watch.
AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1997)
The original Austin Powers film is still the best, relying largely on clever wit and well-timed jokes, as opposed to the hit-or-miss nature of its sequels. As such, it's the most focused and well-directed of the trilogy, introducing Mike Meyers' iconic 60's British spy stereotype to the world. Meyers also played the wicked Dr. Evil, a parody of the James Bond villain Blofeld.
Austin Powers was notable for its side-splitting comedic timing involving everything from an exploding pump shoe to Dr. Evil's woeful ignorance about the nature of economic inflation over the course of 30 years. It's far less about gross-out toilet humor, concentrating more on a fish-out-of-water theme affecting both hero and villain.
RUSH HOUR (1998)
Chris Tucker had made a name for himself with director Brett Ratner in 1997's Money Talks, which was probably the main catalyst for his appearance in Rush Hour. This film buddied Tucker up with comedic action legend Jackie Chan in one of the most lovable cop duos of all time.
Chan plays a Hong Kong inspector who is unwillingly paired with loud-mouthed LAPD detective James Carter to investigate the kidnapping of a little girl. Their vastly different cultural backgrounds make for great laughs as both try hard to understand each other long enough to solve a crime!
BASEKETBALL (1998)
It was only a matter of time before South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone managed to land a solid movie deal, and BASEketball was the result. From the deranged mind of David Zucker comes a story about two losers who create a new type of sport combining basketball and baseball, which goes on to become a cultural phenomenon.
Parker and Stone are perfectly cast as two guys who strike it big, only to get caught in the web of corporatism and their own egos. It's non-stop laughs from start to finish, especially when Unsolved Mysteries alum Robert Stack reprises his role in the most outrageously funny cameo ever committed to film!
MY FELLOW AMERICANS (1996)
This gem is often overlooked, which is a shame. Jack Lemmon and James Garner play two former Republican and Democrat Presidents who get framed for murder and pursued by government agents. Their mutual hatred of each other is played to great effect as they are forced to go on the lam to avoid capture while trying to clear their names.
It's a political movie that pokes major fun at both sides of the Congressional aisle, with Lemmon and Garner tossing out juvenile insults against one another at every opportunity while getting caught up in a madcap series of events including a hilarious car chase, and a stroll through a Gay Pride Parade.
HALF-BAKED (1998)
Long before Dave Chappelle achieved worldwide success on his iconic Comedy Central show, he starred in this stoner comedy involving three guys who sell a highly potent strain of weed in order to spring their buddy from jail. Things start off well until they earn the ire of the local drug lord, who threatens to derail their plans.
Weed aficionados will get the most out of Half-Baked, but it's a hilarious movie for anyone who likes a mixture of stupid and clever jokes. Chappelle's signature brand of comedy is the driving force of the film, while multiple cameos from stars like Willie Nelson and Jon Stewart push the laughs over the edge!
LIFE (1999)
Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence knocked it out of the park with 1999's Life, a story about two guys framed for murder in the 1930s, and sentenced to life in a Mississippi prison. As the decades roll on, both men get caught up in a series of hilarious escapades as they keep trying to work out an escape plan.
The film ends on an upbeat, but somewhat melancholic note, making it as much of a drama as a comedy. However, when the laughs do come, they come fast!
MONEY TALKS (1997)
Chris Tucker's film career truly began during his breakthrough performance as Smokey in the cult classic Friday. Two years later, he'd get a starring role alongside Charlie Sheen in Money Talks, where he plays a two-bit hustler who gets framed for murder after unwillingly being handcuffed to an international terrorist who escapes a prison transport.
Tucker's Franklin Hatchett must team up with investigative journalist James Russell (Sheen) to clear his name, leading both to become suspects in a manhunt. With Russell's marriage only days away, the two must do battle with the terrorists responsible for their plight, find a cache of priceless diamonds, and hide it all from Russell's uber-rich family.
THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2 (1991)
The first Naked Gun film put David Zucker's name in lights, but the second film really amped up the laughs. The story features bumbling cop Frank Drebin investigating an oil executive trying to put the kibosh on a new technology that will drive them out of business.
The laughs never stop as Drebin finds himself ordering the wrong drinks, suffering the wrath of an electric toothbrush, and of course, getting O.J. Simpson into plenty of trouble!
HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX (1993)
Zucker pal Jim Abrahams would return to the Hot Shots! franchise a second time with the release of Part Deux. In contrast to the original's parody of Top Gun, Part Deux shifted the focus to poking fun at the Rambo franchise, with Charlie Sheen playing a beefed-up Topper Harley who must rescue hostages left behind after Desert Storm.
In typical Abrahams fashion, the laughs are so plentiful that those with a heart condition may want to get clearance from their doctor before watching it! The film came out just after the end of Operation Desert Storm and proved to be great at poking fun at the notorious, late (not so great) Saddam Hussein.