by Fiona Underhill, Staff Writer

Never forget the five D's of dodgeball, to vote Pedro, to stay classy San Diego, and most of all…Matt Damon!

In June 2004, Susan Wloszczyna used the term Frat Pack in two articles–Wilson and Vaughn – Leaders of the Frat Pack (June 15, 2004, USA Today) and Life in the Frat Pack (June 21 2004, Chicago Sun-Times)–to describe a troupe of comedic actors who were taking Hollywood by storm. As had happened in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, several of them had come from SNL – including Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller. But Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Steve Carrell, and the Apatow branch of the family tree (Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, etc.) had come from a whole host of widely different backgrounds to start dominating the box office. 

And dominate they did. We can barely comprehend R-rated comedy movies coming out today and regularly making the kind of bank that some of these hits–such as Wedding Crashers, Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder or 40-Year-Old Virgin were making. The 2000s were the last decade when original movies that weren’t action franchise blockbusters could do so well at the box office, and it was a golden age for the comedy movie especially. We’re celebrating here at MovieJawn the 20th anniversary of the year that brought us four of the best: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Napoleon Dynamite, and Team America: World Police.

The writers and directors at the heart of the Frat Pack were Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, 40-Year-Old Virgin, etc), Ben Stiller (Zoolander, Tropic Thunder), Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), and two directors who have since gone on to achieve prestige and awards recognition–Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, Anchorman, Step Brothers) and Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Starsky & Hutch, Old School). Some comedy directors who mostly kept to their own lanes brushed shoulders with the Frat Pack during this time, including Trey Parker and Kevin Smith. Some directors who we don’t primarily associate with this style of comedy also found themselves working with Frat Pack actors, such as Wes Anderson (the Wilson brothers, Ben Stiller), Paul Thomas Anderson (Adam Sandler, John C. Reilly), and Richard Linklater (Jack Black). Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman also crossed over into this world somewhat, and the more surreal comedy of Jared and Jarusha Hess and The Lonely Island trio feel influenced by these three more avant garde freethinkers. 

Before we get to my personal favorite “bro” comedies of the 2000s, I’ll take you through some honorable mentions and others that may have been successful, but are not really for me ( obviously many of these movies have not aged well). Two brilliant family movies from the 2000s featured many of the biggest comedy stars of the day–Linklater’s School of Rock (2003), written by The White Lotus’ Mike White of course, and Night at the Museum (2006), directed by Shawn Levy (now best known for Stranger Things and Deadpool & Wolverine). There was also Bruce Almighty (2003), which can definitely be viewed with hindsight as Jim Carrey passing the comedy baton onto Steve Carell. And of course, 2000’s Meet the Parents can be seen as a precursor of many of the brilliant comedy movies that would come to dominate the following decade.

Some movies that didn’t make my final list include The Farrelly Brothers’ Shallow Hal (the less said about this one the better, as it really is the nadir of the genre) and all three of Todd Phillips’ hit comedies from the decade. Wedding Crashers was surprisingly one of the biggest box office hits of the decade when it comes to comedy (making an astonishing $288 million), but is not one of my faves. The Apatow and Apatow-adjacent movies 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad, Knocked Up, I Love You, Man and Funny People didn’t make my final fifteen, which may come as a shock. I was never as keen on Superbad as most people were at the time, but 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up were both movies I loved when they came out. I debated putting them on my list, but, like much of Apatow’s work, they have not aged well. Women did not have a great time in the comedy genre during this decade, to say the least, and mostly had to look a specific way to be considered for their supporting roles as objects of lust or the shrew wife. I dare you look at photos of Christina Applegate, Christine Taylor, Leslie Mann, Leslie Bibb, Kristen Bell, Kristen Wiig, Elizabeth Banks, and Amy Poehler and not immediately start getting them mixed up–even their names are similar. Two women who worked with Apatow–Katherine Heigel and Charlyne Yi (one of the very few women who wasn’t white and/or blonde)–have been outspoken about their treatment on film sets at the time. 

So, now onto what I consider to be the best American comedy movies of the 2000s, most of which are part of the Frat Pack or certainly rub shoulders with them by being “bro” movies. Around half of these movies are smaller, more independent, or were box office failures on release–so hopefully there’s a few here that are slightly more under-the-radar and may be discoveries for you. So, without further ado – here’s my Top 15, in chronological order:

Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001)

Surprisingly, this brilliant satire of the fashion industry and male modeling was only a moderate hit, making “only” $60 million (compared to most of these comedies making $130 million or more). Co-starring Stiller’s bestie and long-time collaborator Owen Wilson, wife Christine Taylor, and father Jerry Stiller, Zoolander was very much a family affair. Fellow Frat Packers Will Ferrell (as supervillain Mugatu) and Vince Vaughn (as Derek’s brother) also appear–as well as a very long list of cameos from both the worlds of fashion and Hollywood. The undoubted best cameo, is of course, David Bowie–the fierce judge of the legendary “Walk Off.” Zoolander has more memorable lines and scenes than virtually any other movie on this list: “what is this, a center for ants?!,” “I’m not an ambi-turner,” “orange mocha Frappuccino,” etc.

Wet Hot American Summer (David Wain, 2001)

This one definitely went under the radar at the time and was only really rediscovered in 2015 when Netflix made a mini-series with the original cast returning, many of whom were now super famous. Frat Pack adjacent cast members include Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper (who like Phillips and McKay has now gone onto prestige and awards glory), Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, and Elizabeth Banks. Other notable actors include ‘90s icons Janeane Garofalo and David Hyde Pierce. Set in the early ‘80s, this comedy is about a bunch of horny camp counselors on the last day of summer camp. Thankfully, the costume designers clearly carefully studied 1983’s Sleepaway Camp, as there is an abundance of crop tops and hot pants on the male cast.

Dodgeball – A True Underdog Story (Rawson Marshall Thurber, 2004)

Now we come to 2004 and the reason why we’re here. Vaughn and Stiller star in this sports movie parody in which the “Average Joes” triumph over the big corporation. MVPs are of course Rip Torn as Patches O’Houlihan, as well as Gary Cole and Jason Bateman as the commentators of the Las Vegas championship: “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for them.” Like many of these movies, there are elements that haven’t aged well, and in this case, it’s the Lance Armstrong cameo (ouch) and Stiller’s fatsuit right at the end. But this didn’t prevent it from making $170 million at the time.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay, 2004)

Definitely competing for the title of funniest Frat Pack comedy is this side-splitting movie set in a 1970s San Diego newsroom. The cast features Ferrell, Rudd, Steve Carell and Christina Applegate, and of course there’s plenty of cameos too–from the likes of Stiller, Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Jack Black, and Seth Rogen. Carell’s Brick Tamland is a scene-stealing work of genius and the jazz flute scene never fails to make me laugh. The improvisation is clear in scenes such as Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone trading insults while the credits roll and in everyone’s reactions to Brian Fantana’s powerful musk–Sex Panther. By virtue of it being set during the 70s, this is one of the 2000s comedies that has aged the best.

Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess, 2004)

Not really a Frat Pack movie, but definitely a bromance movie, this offbeat comedy is centered around the bond between Napoleon (Jon Heder) and the new boy at school, Pedro (Efren Ramirez). Heder’s performance as the most awkward of teenagers is what really makes this work, especially in scenes with Napoleon’s brother Kip and his Uncle Rico. The one scene everyone remembers is for good reason–one of the most satisfying climaxes of any of the 2000s comedies–Napoleon’s dance to Jamiroquai’s Canned Heat. This Sundance movie quickly gained cult status and made a hugely impressive $45 million on a tiny budget. Jared and Jerusha Hess would go on to make Nacho Libre starring Black in 2006.

Team America: World Police (Trey Parker, 2004)

Trey Parker and Matt Stone made one of the best comedy movies of the ‘90s with 1999’s South Park Movie and followed it up in 2004 by going one step further than animation by using Thunderbirds style marionettes. Considering it was released just three years after 9/11, Team America is an audacious take on the insane levels of jingoism that were present in the US at the time. As with much of their work, Hollywood is one of the main targets of the satire–and I don’t even mind my beloved Pearl Harbor being raked over the coals. One of the best things about Team America is that it’s a musical and features unforgettable songs such as Everyone Has AIDs and I’m So Ronery. And let’s not forget that it includes one of the most iconic sex scenes of all time. Team America is one of the very few hit comedies of this era with a woman on the writing team–Pam Brady (who also wrote 2007’s Hot Rod).

Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (Liam Lynch, 2006)

Black and Kyle Gass released their hit single Tribute in 2002, and from there it felt inevitable that there would be a Tenacious D movie–especially as the band had already made a TV show. Considering that strong storytelling and the feeling of rock opera was at the core of their songs, a musical was the natural next step. The Tenacious D movie was not a box office success when it was released, but it is generally well-regarded now. A few Frat Pack actors such as John C. Reilly, Poehler, Stiller, and Jason Segel have cameos–but the best has got to be Dave Grohl’s performance as Satan. The movie starts off as a typical slacker or stoner comedy, but once the road trip to the Rock & Roll History Museum gets underway, things improve. And the songs are, of course, the best part.

Hot Rod (Akiva Schaffer, 2007)

Another movie which stars SNL alumni (The Lonely Island trio, Bill Hader) and focuses on a bunch o’bros trying to achieve their dreams–in this case, for Rod (Andy Samberg) to become an Evil Knievel style stuntman. Danny McBride and Isla Fisher also play supporting roles in this smaller movie which only made $14 million upon release. Since the beloved Popstar came out in 2016, more Samberg fans have discovered this fun little gem.

Blades of Glory (Josh Gordon, Will Speck 2007)

Ferrell starred in two sports movie parodies close together, and while McKay’s Talladega Nights is probably the best-known of the two, this ice-skating comedy co-starring Jon Heder is more my speed. If you’re a fan of Ferrell’s Eurovision (2020), I would check this one out, as it definitely feels like a precursor to that. Surprisingly, Blades of Glory made $145 million on release–which just goes to show how much of a crazy juggernaut that comedy movies were on in the 2000s. Poehler and Will Arnett provide ridiculous support as the brother-sister skating duo who are rivals to the main characters. The costumes by Julie Weiss, especially Heder’s peacock ensemble, are genuinely amazing.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Jake Kasdan, 2007)

Biopics, especially about music stars, have never been the same since the release of this brilliant parody which especially skewered Walk the Line–released just two years earlier. Reilly and Jenna Fischer play the Johnny and June roles, but the best sections probably involve Margo Martindale and Raymond J. Barry as Ma and Pa. After Dewey’s younger brother gets “cut in half pretty bad,” Pa cannot see Dewey without telling him “wrong kid died.” This is another movie that was a box office failure upon release but has since gained a cult following.

Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry, 2008)

Again, not really a Frat Pack movie, but definitely a bromance movie–this smaller scale comedy starred Black and Yasiin Bey (then known as Mos Def) who band together to save Mr. Fletcher’s (Danny Glover) video store. Be Kind Rewind has become increasingly popular with nostalgic film fans who are proponents of physical media and miss their local video stores. The highlights (of course) are the movies that Jerry and Mike make with whatever they have to hand, improvising costumes and props in extremely inventive ways (which is no surprise from director Gondry, whose music videos have always been hugely creative). Making $30 million on a $20 million budget, it was a modest success.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Kevin Smith, 2008)

Kevin Smith certainly operated outside of the Frat Pack, with his own idiosyncratic ensemble of actors, but in 2008, he made his take on the Frat Pack comedy with actors Rogen, Banks, and Craig Robinson–who were definitely part of that scene. Smith combines his usual blend of sex jokes and gross-out humor with a surprising sweetness and romance. This movie does exactly what it says in the title–with a small team of misfits banding together to try to make money with um, pornography. It was considered a box office failure for “only” making $42 million, which was low compared to Rogen’s success with Apatow at the time.

Tropic Thunder (Ben Stiller, 2008)

Along with Team America, this Hollywood satire feels like one of the few comedies of this era to take genuine risks and to boldly go out on a limb. Tropic Thunder is set during the filming of a Vietnam war epic, in which things go massively off the rails from the get-go. It stars Stiller, Black, Steve Coogan, Hader, McBride, and most iconically–Robert Downey Jr as a blonde haired, blue-eyed Australian actor (Russell Crowe, anyone?), who undergoes a “pigmentation surgery” to play a Black character, and Tom Cruise in one of the greatest roles of his career. One of the best Tropic Thunder facts is that Justin Theroux co-wrote the story with Stiller. “Method” acting continues to be much-debated to this day, and Tropic Thunder has only gotten more relevant over time, aging better than some of the other Frat Pack movies.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008)

The closest thing we have to a rom-com on this list begins with an extended scene of full-frontal male nudity, and that can only be a good thing. There are certainly negative points in Forgetting Sarah Marshall–there’s just so much Russell Brand, as well as Jonah Hill being annoying–but Segel is a really winning lead, and his scenes with Mila Kunis are mostly delightful. Hader and Rudd also provide their usual stirling support. The scenes depicting Sarah’s TV show Crime Scene featuring Billy Baldwin are really funny and well-done, but the absolute highlight without a doubt is Peter’s puppet Dracula musical. If it hadn’t been for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, we may never have got The Muppets(2011)–so we have to thank it for that, at the very least. 

Step Brothers (Adam McKay, 2008)

A fitting end to this list is a movie with one of the highest joke rates of any 2000s comedy, with almost every single line a banger. Ferrell and Reilly play 40-year-old step brothers who share a bedroom (and, briefly, a bunk bed). Sometimes they’re enemies (there may have been a nut-sack on a drum-set), and sometimes they’re friends (“do you wanna go do karate in the garage?”), but they’re always brothers (wipes tear). Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn are also great in their supporting roles, and we wouldn’t have the real-life Catalina Wine Mixer without this movie. 

So, there you have it: a whistle stop tour through some of the best Hollywood comedy movies of the 2000s, with a heavy emphasis on bros. Unfortunately, hit comedy movies are few and far between these days, and the Jump Street (starring Channing Tatum and Hill) movies and the Neighbors movies (starring Zac Efron and Rogen)–which both came out a decade ago–feel like the last hurrah of the frat bro comedy. We still get the odd comedic gem (The Nice Guys, Popstar, Game Night, Eurovision, etc.) of course, but we don’t get anywhere near the same amount and certainly not as many regularly making $100 to $230 million at the box office. Many aspects of these movies have not aged well–they’re overwhelmingly white, the depiction of women is frequently awful, the overuse of slurs like the R-word–but some of them have stood the test of time and can still make you laugh out loud, which is unfortunately becoming less and less common at the movies. So, take yourself back 20 years and revisit the last golden age of Hollywood comedy.