When comedy infused war movies are developed, they tend to be mostly satirical, making fun of the horrors that come with war and criticizing it at the same time. But as war is such a touchy subject, even the best of the lot aren’t rated too highly on IMDb.
However, there are a couple that go above and beyond and are considered some of the greatest movies of all time. Whether it’s a fictional heist movie taking place during a real-life war, a vulgar animated political commentary, or a satire about an unhinged war general, there are so many golden nuggets in the niche but complex genre.
Stripes (1981) - 6.9
In what is such an absurd premise, Stripes sees two friends join the army for some fun when they’re bored with their jobs back home. And though the characters become heroes at the end of the movie, there are rarely any points when the film goes beyond its irreverence and recklessness.
That might be why the movie doesn’t reach a 7 on IMDb, as it’s hard for many to watch close to two hours of heartless comedy. But that’s also what’s so funny about it. Not every war comedy has to be profound, and sometimes it can just have the approach of, “what if Cheech and Chong went to war?” On top of that, the graduation sequence is one of Bill Murray’s funniest moments.
Tropic Thunder (2008) - 7.0
Though most comedy-war movies revolve around real-life events and generally satirize real wars, Tropic Thunder does anything but. Though a lot of it is parodying the iconic Vietnam war movie Apocalypse Now, as it follows a self-righteous filmmaker attempt to make an overly-ambitious war movie, Tropic Thunder is more about the process of making movies than war itself.
The film follows fictional actors as they unexpectedly find themselves in the middle of an actual war, and they are hilariously out of their element. And, as Apocalypse Now was shot in extreme conditions and the on-location shoot was notoriously rough, Tropic Thunder hilariously parodies those reported conditions.
Catch-22 (1970) - 7.1
Based on the very anti-war novel of the same name that came out almost 20 years beforehand, Catch-22 is incredibly faithful to the book, and it was praised for its wild characters.
The film seemingly came at the perfect time, as though the movie is based during World War II, it worked as a great subtext for the terrors of the Vietnam War. Catch-22 is heartfelt and intelligent, but as it was released at a similar time to M*A*S*H, the movie often lives in the classic’s shadow.
Three Kings (1999) - 7.1
As Three Kings follows a gold heist in the midst of the Iraq War, the movie is a perfect mix of political anger and laugh-out-loud comedy. There’s so much going on in the movie, and it features the biggest stars of the time, with George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube tearing up the screen together. Throughout it all, their chemistry is brilliant.
Three Kings is also as much an action movie as it is a comedy and a satirical commentary on the war. Out of all the movies about the Iraq War, comedy or otherwise, Three Kings is one of the best.
Team America: World Police (2004) - 7.2
Matt Stone and Trey Parker rarely work on anything outside of their beloved South Park, but in the rare time that they do, it’s just as brilliant. Whether it’s the highly controversial but Tony award winning musical The Book of Morman, or the Thunderbirds influenced puppet animation, Team America: World Police, which casts a critical eye on their native patriotic land.
The movie might not be rated as high because of that very fact, and that it’s massively offensive, whether its the graphic puppet sex scene or how foul-mouthed and unsubtle it is. But it’s one of the most innovative political satires ever made, and it comes off like a rude, offensive, vulgar, animated comedy version of a Michael Moore documentary. And ironically enough, the movie even features a rather unflattering depiction of Moore.
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) - 7.3
At the time of its release, Good Morning, Vietnam was often considered the best war comedy since M*A*S*H, and one of the very best movies about the Vietnam War. It is based on a real-life person, as Robin Williams' Adrian Cronauer served as a DJ on the Armed Forces Radio Service.
Fans have the movie to thank for Robin Williams’ legacy too. Though he had been the lead in movies for a couple of years beforehand, Good Morning, Vietnam was Williams’ breakout role. The movie was the blueprint for all of the Williams-led comedies to follow in the late-80s and 1990s, as most of the radio broadcasts performed by Adrian in the film were improvised.
In The Loop (2009) - 7.4
In the UK, there’s a popular BBC comedy called in The Thick of It, which follows spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in the UK government manipulating ministers to get the outcomes he wants. In The Loop is a fascinating movie adaptation/sequel of the show, as it features the same cast of actors, with some of them playing the same characters and others playing completely different characters.
In The Loop features the same kind of humor too, as Tucker hurls hilariously vulgar insults at everyone who gets in the way. But In The Loop upped the ante by bringing in some major Hollywood actors including James Gandolfini. And the stakes are raised tenfold, as Tucker literally sends the country to war just to cover his own back. And, as hilarious as it is, there are some scary parallels to real life.
M.A.S.H. (1970) - 7.5
M*A*S*H is about a medical team that’s stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (hence the movie’s acronym title) in the middle of the Korean War.
The movie might be based during the Korean War, but just like Catch-22, it had some powerful parallels to the Vietnam War, as M*A*S*H was released in the midst of the war at the time. It is a complete departure from the novel, has some incredible improvised lines, and it was an early hint at how much of an auteur Robert Altman would become.
The Great Dictator (1940) - 8.4
Most people these days see Charlie Chaplin as the inoffensive bowler hat wearing comedian performing slapstick routines. But the crown jewel in the influential comic’s career is The Great Dictator, which featured his wild on the nose depiction of Adolf Hitler.
The movie is lightning in a bottle, as it was (and still is) historically significant and it’s arguably the greatest example of satire of all time. Not only is it hilarious, but there’s a great emotional impact too. And the brilliance of Jojo Rabbit, and many other Hitler-related parodies, probably would exist if it wasn’t for The Great Dictator.
Dr. Strangelove (1964) - 8.4
Dr. Strangelove isn’t the most outright funny movie ever made, but as Stanley Kubrick wasn’t exactly known for having a funny bone, it was knee-slappingly hilarious relative to his other movies. More than anything, the movie is lauded for how ambitious it is for it’s time, whether it’s the opening shot of the B-52 airplanes refuelling mid-flight or Peter Sellers playing multiple characters.
Between Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and many others, comic heavyweights have played several characters in one movie on several occasions, but when Sellers did it in Dr. Strangelove, it was unprecedented. The movie also features one of the greatest lines of dialogue and the most apt quote from a comedy-war movie ever - “You can’t fight in here, this is the War Room.”