Comedy Films That Received Widespread Negative Reception
Not every comedy hits the mark with audiences and critics alike.
Some films, despite big budgets and famous stars, fall flat and receive harsh reviews that live on in movie history.
These movies remind us that laughter is tricky business, and even Hollywood’s best can sometimes miss the comedic target completely.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational and entertainment purposes only.
Film selections, descriptions, and evaluations reflect subjective critical perspectives, audience reception, and historical review consensus rather than definitive judgments of quality.
1. Jack And Jill (2011)
Adam Sandler plays both twins in this comedy that critics widely criticized.
The film features Sandler as Jack, who must deal with his annoying twin sister Jill during Thanksgiving, leading to a series of awkward situations.
Critics slammed the movie for lazy humor and painful gags that never landed with audiences.
Even devoted Sandler fans struggled to find redeeming qualities in this double-trouble disaster.
2. The Love Guru (2008)
Mike Myers returns to comedy with a character that critics called offensive and unfunny.
Playing Guru Pitka, Myers attempts to help a hockey player win back his wife while delivering countless jokes that fall completely flat.
Reviewers noted the film relied heavily on crude humor without any clever wit behind it.
This box office bomb effectively marked a downturn in Myers’ leading comedy roles in Hollywood comedies.
3. Holmes & Watson (2018)
Reunion of Will Ferrell plus John C. Reilly fueled one Sherlock Holmes parody that critics overwhelmingly rejected.
Attempt to spoof famous detective duo relied on jokes feeling stale, landing with humor stuck decades behind.
Reviewer response frequently placed Holmes & Watson among poorest received comedies, citing painfully unfunny slapstick throughout.
Even chemistry between both leads failed to rescue mystery from critical plus commercial disappointment.
4. Norbit (2007)
Eddie Murphy plays multiple characters in this comedy that earned overwhelmingly negative reactions from critics everywhere.
The story follows meek Norbit, who’s trapped in a nightmare marriage to an abusive wife played by Murphy in a fat suit.
Reviewers criticized the film for mean-spirited humor and offensive stereotypes that crossed too many lines.
Despite some reviews, the movie somehow won an Oscar for makeup, proving awards don’t always reflect quality.
5. Movie 43 (2013)
An all-star cast appears in this anthology of sketches that critics overwhelmingly panned.
Big names like Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Kate Winslet somehow agreed to participate in this collection of crude, unfunny shorts.
Reviewers wondered how so many talented actors ended up in something so widely viewed as critically unsuccessful.
The film holds the distinction of being among the lowest-rated comedies of its era.
6. The Emoji Movie (2017)
This animated feature turns smartphone emojis into characters that critics found frequently criticized as overly corporate and lacking creativity.
James Corden voices Gene, a “meh” emoji who wants to be more expressive, in a story that feels like a feature-length advertisement.
Reviewers slammed the film for having zero creativity and relying entirely on product placement instead of genuine humor.
Parents and kids alike found it boring, proving not everything needs to become a movie.
7. Son Of The Mask (2005)
Starring Jamie Kennedy, sequel nobody requested swapped out Jim Carrey with disastrous results.
Story follows cartoonist whose baby gains magical powers from Loki mask, unleashing chaotic CGI mayhem.
Critical response labeled effects creepy rather than funny, with baby character turning into nightmare fuel for viewers.
Unnecessary follow-up confirmed some movies work best as standalone classics without sequels.
8. The Master Of Disguise (2002)
Dana Carvey plays Pistachio Disguisey, a waiter who discovers his family’s secret talent for disguises.
Critics strongly disliked this comedy, giving it the some of the lowest critical scores of the year for its childish humor.
The film relies on silly voices and costume changes instead of actual jokes, leaving audiences bored throughout.
Even kids found it tiresome, making this one of Carvey’s biggest career missteps after Saturday Night Live fame.
9. Freddy Got F*ngered (2001)
Shock comedy reached screens with Tom Green writing, directing, plus starring in project critics labeled unwatchable.
Gross-out humor pushed extremes so far reputation turned legendary for all wrong reasons within Freddy Got Fingered.
Reviewer reactions described experience as aggressively unfunny, with scenes built purely to disgust rather than entertain viewers.
Odd fascination surfaced for some amid chaos, yet consensus placed title among most critically panned comedies.
10. Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)
Rob Schneider returns as the accidental male escort in this sequel that critics thoroughly panned.
The story sends Deuce to Amsterdam, where he gets involved in solving murders while continuing his gigolo adventures.
Reviewers found the humor crude and repetitive, with jokes that felt stale even by lowbrow comedy standards.
This follow-up proved that not every comedy character deserves a second movie outing in Europe.
11. Date Movie (2006)
Parody starring Alyson Hannigan spoofs romantic comedies yet generates zero laughs.
References pile up across dozens of rom-coms like Meet the Parents plus My Big Fat Greek Wedding without clever commentary.
Critical response labeled effort lazy plus unfunny, leaning on obvious nods instead of wit or satire.
Even spoof-movie fans struggled with paint-by-numbers comedy feeling rushed plus uninspired.
12. Meet The Spartans (2008)
This parody of 300 features Carmen Electra and attempts to mock ancient Greek warriors with modern pop culture jokes.
Critics slammed the film for outdated references and humor that felt stale before it even hit theaters.
The movie throws random celebrity cameos and cultural references at the wall, hoping something sticks but nothing does.
Reviewers called it one of the laziest spoofs ever made, lacking any real creativity or comedic timing.
13. Scary Movie 5 (2013)
Charlie Sheen leads this fifth installment that critics found tired and completely devoid of fresh ideas.
The franchise that once cleverly spoofed horror films had run out of steam by this point.
Reviewers noted the jokes felt recycled and desperate, with the film earning multiple Razzie nominations.
Even longtime fans of the series admitted this sequel had nothing new to offer the parody genre.
14. The Cat In The Hat (2003)
Horror greeted critics plus parents alike when portrayal brought Dr. Seuss beloved character to screen through performance by Mike Myers.
Crude humor plus adult jokes stack up within The Cat in the Hat, clashing completely with innocent spirit tied to original book.
Reviewer reaction labeled production visually excessive, with design leaning creepy rather than whimsical.
Lasting reputation places adaptation among most disliked family comedies, proving certain books resist live-action treatment.
15. The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
Adam Sandler’s Netflix western comedy received extremely negative reviews from critics who found it offensive and unfunny.
The film features Sandler as a cowboy discovering he has five half-brothers, leading to predictable and crude adventures.
Reviewers criticized the movie for insensitive humor and jokes that relied on lazy stereotypes throughout its runtime.
Despite extremely negative reviews, Netflix reported high viewership numbers, though critics remained thoroughly unimpressed by the results.
