As you search the expansive movie collection on Netflix at night, there is one dilemma that always seems to present itself: “Do I want an action movie or a comedy movie?” Sure, at times your decision can be based on your current mood, but for the sake of argument, let’s say for the rest of your life you can only watch one of those two types of movies. You absolutely have to choose comedy movies, right?
Throughout the years, there have been so many incredible comedy movies that I’m almost doing an injustice to the cinema industry by not listing all of them. For starters, some of the greatest comedy movies of the 21st century all depends on the type of humor you prefer. For example, if you are a big fan of Will Ferrell’s juvenility, then movies like Anchorman, Step Brothers, Elf, Old School or Other Guys are probably in your top 10 favorite comedies, as all five films have an abundance of quotes to use in everyday life. Ben Stiller certainly has his fair share of classic’s with Dodgeball, Tropic Thunder, and Zoolander, as does Seth Rogen with Superbad, Pineapple Express, and This Is the End. Some other great comedies of the 21st century include The Hangover, Mean Girls, Wedding Crashers, and 21 Jump Street. While I may be just rattling off some of my favorite movies from the past 15 years, to all of you reading at home, I’m sure at least a handful of these movies are favorable within your minds and have brought you happiness and laughter.
Moving outside of the 21st century, each decade seemingly produces numerous Hall of Fame flicks. For example, the ‘70’s brought us movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Animal House, and Blazing Saddles, while the ‘80’s introduced us to Airplane!, Caddyshack, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Princess Bride. Lastly the ‘90’s gave old school Adam Sandler films, Austin Powers, and Dumb and Dumber. The number of classic comedy movies is rather overwhelming, and while I’m sure that I left a couple of your personal favorites off the list, I can also guarantee that at least one or two of these movies made you laugh.
Life is already hard enough, so at times, us human beings need to escape the harshness of reality and enjoy a couple of chuckles from a solid comedy. Now I don’t want to go too far into the science of it all, but laughing has been proven to trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s “feel-good” chemicals, which ultimately leads to a healthier immune system.
As for action movies, I’ll be the first to admit that there are at least one, MAYBE two, solid action movies that I’ve watched multiple times. Yet let me tell you, loud explosions and cheesy dialogues were entertaining the first 100 times I saw them, but now that I’m older and wiser, action movies are simply blending together into one big cliche. Comedy varies offer a wide variety of movies that are appealing to at least one individual on this Earth. This is why if you ask someone what their favorite comedy movie is, they can easily rattle off half a dozen movies or so, while the same can not always be said for action movies. In conclusion, I put it in the hands of Belmont Hill students and faculty to make the right decision. Vote comedy.
