There are plenty of bad comedies that fail to make audiences laugh, but it takes a special movie that is funny by accident. These movies might pull out all the stops to be hilarious, but any laughter coming from the audience is not because of the quality of the jokes.
While a lot of work goes into making movies, it's hard not to find some entertainment in a movie that totally misses the mark. Whether it's a lame premise that never should have gotten a greenlight or actors embarrassing themselves with ridiculous gags, these less-than-stellar comedies at least did their job in delivering laughs.
Zookeeper (2011)
After delivering the equally derided saga of Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Kevin James stepped into another comedy with a razor-thin premise in Zookeeper. James plays a lovable yet overlooked zookeeper who realizes the animals in the zoo can actually talk.
It seems as though the movie started with the idea of "Paul Blart works in a zoo" and ended there. Watching these talking animals crack tired jokes is a bit of a surreal experience, especially when they attempt to add in the bizarrely dark storyline about an abusive animal trainer.
Surviving Christmas (2004)
Though there are movies like It's a Wonderful Life and Elf that fans love to enjoy every holiday season, there are also the occasional so-bad-it's-good Christmas movies. Surviving Christmas fits that category with Ben Affleck playing a lonely millionaire who pays a family to spend Christmas with him.
The movie almost seems like it could be a great dark comedy, but it also seems like the filmmakers don't understand just how unsettling this story is. Affleck also goes so over-the-top with his obnoxious character that it's hard not to have some fun with it.
Spice World (1997)
With the Spice Girls at the height of their fame in the late 90s, it seemed like a perfect idea to make them the stars of their own movie. However, this obvious attempt to cash in on the phenomenon decided to go for a surprisingly weird movie to allow the superstars to shine.
The movie jumps around from one strange moment to another, including alien encounters, haunted houses, and a bomb scare. It is madcap energy accompanied by the limited acting skills of the stars that results in a terrifically disastrous ride.
Howard The Duck (1986)
While the MCU has used Howard the Duck in some small appearances, they are likely terrified to bring the character back in any meaningful way thanks to his disastrous big-screen debut. George Lucas produced this movie that brought the talking space duck to life in a disturbing live-action adventure.
Despite the concept of the lead character, Howard the Duck is a surprisingly dark movie with some moments that are probably unsettling for adult viewers too. The fact that the animatronic duck is terrifying is bad enough, but giving him a sex scene is just wrong.
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
There have been some hilarious buddy cop pairings in action comedies before, but Sylvester Stallone partnering with Golden Girls star Estelle Getty was perhaps a step too far. Stallone stars in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot as a tough cop whose life is interrupted by his overbearing mother.
The concept paired with the horrible title seems like it is poking fun at this Hollywood action-comedies and the whole movie sort of feels like that.
Gigli (2003)
Though Ben Affleck has many great movies in his career, there are some noticeably bad ones and Gigli is perhaps the most notorious of them all. Coming at the height of the "Bennifer" sensation, all eyes were on the movie that brought Affleck and Jennifer Lopez together, so when it ended up the way it did, it became a punchline.
The movie feels like a reverse comedy with the comedic bits falling flat and feeling awkward while the moments that are not meant to be funny are hilarious.
Disaster Movie (2008)
After Scary Movie so effectively lampooned the slasher genre, endless rip-offs cropped up that took aim at other popular genres. However, Disaster Movie is likely the worst of this truly awful franchise.
The movie doesn't even attempt to make a comment on the clichés of the movies it is targeting. It simply references them and hopes the fact that audiences recognize the reference is funny enough. It is just an extended segment of pointing out popular movies until the credits roll on this fascinating train wreck.
Jack And Jill (2011)
Adam Sandler has shown his skills as an actor many times, but he also has a reputation for making very lowbrow comedies with lazy premises. While some of those movies are better than they are given credit for, Jack and Jill deserves all the judgment it gets.
It is a one-joke movie with Sandler playing both the male and female siblings at the center of the story. Hilariously, Sandler seems to give no effort in the dual role, simply putting on a wig, a dress, and a silly voice. The movie is also notable for earning acting legend Al Pacino a Razzie Award in a role in which he raps about Dunkin Donuts.
Baby Geniuses (1999)
There is something about talking animals and babies that people think will make a funny movie, yet it rarely works out that way. Baby Geniuses follows a group of super-intelligent babies that are held captive by evil scientists.
The child kidnapping plot in a silly family comedy is quite misguided, but it might have been able to function as an animated movie. Instead, fans get to watch the hilariously bad dubbing of infant actors that is surprisingly unsettling.
White Chicks (2004)
The Wayans brothers have made a lot of ridiculous comedies in their careers, but White Chicks might rank as their lowest point. It stars Marlon and Shawn Wayans as FBI agents who go undercover as rich Caucasian heiresses to crack a case.
For a movie with such an outrageous premise, White Chicks plays its humor surprisingly safe with no bite to its satire. But the funniest thing about the movie is the horrendous makeup job meant to make the Wayans brothers look like white women but instead turn them into terrifying creations. The fact that everyone in the movie just acts as if these are passable disguises is hilarious.