Comedy as a genre has been around for a really long time, even cinematically — with Charlie Chaplin practically creating the art form of slapstick over a hundred years ago. The style has evolved considerably since then, however, finding newer and more diverse niches in which to develop itself, with mostly successful results.
The nineties were a great time for comedy, and although the specific tastes of the decade are not really all that popular anymore, there have been several movies that have left a permanent dent in the genre. Unfortunately, there have also been quite a few films that have disappeared from conversations about comedy, and undeservedly so.
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Robert Zemeckis’ Death Becomes Her is a true masterwork of dark humor, consisting of the ancient rivalry between two women, both of whom are trapped in the conundrum of eternal youth with a decaying body.
Bruce Willis, Meryl Streep, and Goldie Hawn make the magic of the story come alive, not to mention the fabulous Isabella Rossellini in her role as Lisle Von Rhuman, a socialite moonlighting as a potioneer. Death Becomes Herreceived the Best Visual Effects Oscar, although it didn’t fare as well in the opinions of most major critics at the time.
Mars Attacks! (1996)
It’s uncommon for Tim Burton to fail at being patently weird, and Mars Attacks! is not an exception to the rule. Adapted from the trading card game (which was far more gruesome than the movie itself), it includes the talented stylings of Jack Nicholson, Tom Jones, Danny DeVito, Glenn Close, Pam Grier, Pierce Brosnan, Michael J. Fox, Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and many others.
With so much star power, it’s no surprise that Mars Attacks! was well received by audiences, even if reviewers remained unsympathetic to the complex parody of fifties sci-fi flicks.
Flubber (1997)
Robin Williams starred in a little known comedy/sci-fi movie known as Flubber, which follows the hilarious tale of an absent-minded scientist, his exhausted to-be wife, a robot named Weebo, and a sentient blob of gelatinous green from which the film gets its name.
Rotten Tomatoes has given Flubber an awful score of 24%, but the fact remains that it earned $178 million against an $80 million budget, cementing it as an audience favorite. It’s too bad that very few people even remember its existence now.
Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit (1993)
The sequel to the Whoopi Goldberg classic Sister Act (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit has a poor rating in terms of both critical assessment (17% on Rotten Tomatoes), as well as viewer participation ($57 million versus a production cost of $38 million.)
Regardless, the film shines because of its protagonist, the inimitable Deloris van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence. The story might be riddled with holes, but it has heart, and the music is nothing short of spellbinding.
The Birdcage (1996)
La Cage aux Folles was a magnificent French-language comedy of 1978, remade into the equally brilliant The Birdcage with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane playing the roles of two gay men in a long-term relationship, living in South Beach, Florida.
Hilarity ensues when their son intends on marrying the daughter of an extremely conservative senator, leading to some truly unexpected consequences. More than anything else, even the fantastic actors and shimmering screenplay, is the pure unadulterated entertainment value present in The Birdcage.
Mouse Hunt (1997)
Gore Verbinski’s first-ever movie, Mouse Hunt, is an excellent example of bitter slapstick — two brothers try to “fight” a cute, little mouse over an ancient (but extremely valuable) bungalow that they had recently inherited from their deceased father.
The climax is quite a twist; in fact, it can be said that it is borderline Ratatouille, without giving away too many spoilers. Reviewers were displeased with the flat whimsicality of the film, but that didn’t stop it from exploding at the box office.
Junior (1994)
Junior is the story of a pregnant man, played perfectly by Arnold Schwarzenegger in all his campy majesty (and Danny DeVito bringing up the rear with some good-natured riffing.) Of course, the feasibility of such a thing happening in real life is near zero, but it definitely makes for a heck of a good time.
The subversion of stereotypes is what gives Junior its classic quality of 90s warmth, especially considering that the female child born to Schwarzenegger’s character is named Junior, a title usually reserved for boys.
Problem Child (1990)
Dennis Dugan’s Problem Child was bluntly shunned by many well-respected reviewers, but its incredible performance on the audience score was more than satisfactory. The kid in question is adopted into a loving family, where his practically violent tendencies produce both misery and mirth in equal measure.
As a father-son adventure comedy, Problem Child works supremely well; however, it does have several issues regarding the concept of adoption that could have been treated with a little more respect and compassion.
Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)
The satirical twist on the medieval Robin Hood narrative, Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a Mel Brooks creation, explaining the movie’s success with respect to the average viewer. The parodic genius of the film lies in its random allusions to modern notions like Life Savers (the popular candy), as well as the blatant disregard for the sanctity of storytelling, which honestly works in its favor.
While the Chicago Tribune stated that it was “agonizingly slow”, and that “many of the jokes are recycled,” the Los Angeles Times mentioned that it was enjoyable due to its “throwaway style.”
The Little Rascals (1994)
The Little Rascals is a loose remake of the iconic Our Gang set of short movies in the early 20th century, based on the childhood adventures of a gang of kids (including Alfalfa, Spanky, and so on.) This motley group forms a “He-Man Womun Haters Club,” forbidding entry to all girls.
However, things change quite a bit for the rascals after the Soap Box Derby go-kart race, a high-intensity event in which victory means everything to them. The Little Rascals is largely considered to be a faithful color adaptation of the original black-and-white series.
