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Image via 20th Century StudiosFantasy movies are generally supposed to offer a grand sense of adventure as they explore worlds completely different than our own, or heavily-altered version of Earth. Either way, the expectation is that they bring something never seen before to film, delivering stories about magic, monsters, alternate dimensions, or unexplained paranormal events to cinema.
Sure, some movies like to throw some humor into the mix, but this is often just a passing joke or two. Some movies crank this up to 11, though, and bring repeated comedic instances to a typical fantasy story, which spices things up quite a bit, even if it doesn't quite fit in with the comedy genre. These are the funniest fantasy movies, for tales of high-stakes adventure and hilarity.
10 'Enchanted' (2007)
Directed by Kevin Lima
Image via Walt Disney Pictures Enchanted is a movie that begins like any ordinary animated Disney princess feature, but after the princess Giselle (Amy Adams) falls down a well, she finds herself transported to the third dimension, emerging into present-day New York City. The juxtaposition of having an elaborately dressed princess in Manhattan is ironically funny by itself, but the movie really shines in its punchlines.
The overarching tongue-in-cheek parody of classic princess flicks is brilliantly executed by exploring how these fantastical characters would function in the real world. One of the most rewatchable Amy Adams movies, Enchanted is a unique and self-aware look at typical genre conventions, splicing traditional fairy tale stories with our ever-changing world in a way that is surprisingly amusing.
Enchanted
Release Date November 21, 2007
Director Kevin Lima
Runtime 107 minutes
9 'Hocus Pocus' (1993)
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Hocus Pocus follows the three Sanderson sisters, a group of witches who previously lived in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 17th Century. 300 years later, they are accidentally resurrected by two young children whilst exploring their derelict cottage. With its off-the-wall aesthetics and strange humor, Hocus Pocus quickly became one of the quintessential 90s comedies, which is still the subject of a lot of buzz over three decades later.
Critics were not very kind to the film, unfortunately, but audiences seemed to appreciate the film a much more. It's not only nostalgic but a great film to rewatch every Halloween, with many audiences returning to it every year to experience its harmless hilarity and typical Disney tropes. Hocus Pocus is a film that works best at face value, without looking too deep into the technical aspects of it. It's fun, it's goofy, and it's hilarious, and that's why people keep coming back to it.
Hocus Pocus
Release Date July 16, 1993
Runtime 96
8 'Barbie' (2023)
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Image via Warner Bros. Barbie may be based on a line of kids' toys, but the 2023 movie was actually fairly mature without straying into R-rated territory. The movie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie, who lives in a fantastical world that functions as a matriarchal society. The movie may be pretty funny, but it also delves into some pretty profound concepts like gender equality, mortality, and superficiality. Barbie finds herself in the real world, where she learns a lot about herself, and about some real societal problems.
The movie is not at all afraid to be what it wants, even going so far as to critique its own branding, allowing itself to break barriers and shatter any preconceived expectations of it. Though it is surprisingly profound, it is also rather funny, with a lot of jokes hitting right on the mark as it tackles some deep concepts.
Release Date July 21, 2023
Runtime 114 Minutes
7 'Shrek 2' (2004)
Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Verhon
Image via DreamWorks Pictures The first Shrek movie was pretty funny, even for a kids' movie, which has resulted in it receiving the meme treatment. Shrek 2, however, was even funnier than the first one. Yes, it is a film primarily intended for children, but the humor is often crude and has plenty of adult jokes snuck in, so it's enjoyable for people of all ages.
Like the first film, Shrek 2 stars Mike Myers as the ogre Shrek, who lives in a magical world in which all fairy tales exist and often overlap with each other. Following the events of the first film, he is now living happily with his human-turned-ogre wife, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), when they are summoned to appear at Fiona's parents' castle. Shrek doesn't really fit into the whole royal lifestyle and gets into a variety of conflicts with many of the fairy tale characters as a result. The Shrek series has humor that is knowingly bizarre, but it isn't going to change for anyone. This proves to work in its favor because Shrek 2 is just as funny on a rewatch as it was the first time.
Release Date May 19, 2004
Runtime 93 minutes
6 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' (2003)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the first film in its franchise, which stars Johnny Depp as the bumbling pirate known as Captain Jack Sparrow. Pretty much everything Captain Jack says is a memorable quote, and his goofy demeanor gives the eccentric pirate endless entertainment value. Of course, this is one of the best pirate movies at heart, so there's still plenty of adventure and swashbuckling action.
The fantasy aspect comes from the Black Pearl's literal skeleton crew and their treasure which bears an ancient Aztec curse. There's action, romance, thrills on the high seas, and above all, comedy. This movie established a whole slew of running gags that would make later appearances in the franchise and remains one of the go-to pirate flicks for a lot of cinephiles.
Release Date July 9, 2003
Runtime 143 Minutes
5 'Groundhog Day' (1993)
Directed by Harold Ramis
Image via IMDb Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray as Phil Connors, a television weather forecaster who bears Murray's signature aura of cynicism and pessimism. He is sent to a small town to report on a blizzard in the area on the town's annual tradition of Groundhog Day. He isn't particularly enthusiastic about the assignment and makes every effort to leave the town before nightfall. Unfortunately, he becomes trapped there by the raging blizzard which prevents him from leaving.
When he awakes the next morning, he begins experiencing an unexplained time loop, forced to relive the same day again and again and again. Realizing what is happening, he gets himself into all sorts of hilarious situations, participating in hedonistic behaviors and getting to know everything about every second of every day. The movie is actually really tragic in some parts, and deeply moving in others as it grapples with its existential themes, but through it all, the comedic value is maintained, resulting in a film that is as harrowing as it is hysterical.
Release Date February 11, 1993
Director Harold Ramis
Runtime 101 minutes
4 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Image via Warner Bros. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a movie that seamlessly blends live-action and animation in a comedic murder mystery that never gets boring. The film takes place in the magical district of Toontown, Los Angeles, in which real people live in relative harmony with a series of living cartoons. Beloved cartoon icon Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer) is, as the title implies, framed for a murder that he did not commit, so he enlists the help of a washed-up private eye named Eddie (Bob Hoskins) to protect him and solve the mystery.
This leads them to a sinister criminal conspiracy following a series of hijinks and hilarity. The contrast between the goofy Roger Rabbit versus the cynical and jaded Eddie is enough to make anyone laugh, especially with all the jokes dropped along the way. The movie also has lots of ironic humor, as the cartoons are presumed to be kid-friendly, happy characters, but it is quickly revealed that most of them are foul-mouthed snobs who can be pretty foul. As such, the movie is decidedly not for kids, but for appropriate audiences, it is not only entertaining and unique, but hysterical, too.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Release Date June 21, 1988
Director Robert Zemeckis
Runtime 103
3 'Beetlejuice' (1988)
Directed by Tim Burton
Image via Warner Bros. Beetlejuice follows the lives, or rather, the afterlives of a young couple who get into a fatal car crash, only to find themselves in an alternate dimension known as the Netherworld. The Netherworld is effectively the land of the dead, but certain points intersect with the real world. When a stuck-up rich family moves into their home, the ghosts of the recently deceased couple are pretty ticked off, so they hire the paranormal entity known as Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to scare the new family away.
Though the movie does contain some of Tim Burton's trademark creep factor, there are also a lot of crude jokes courtesy of the hedonistic Beetlejuice, and a lot of gallows humor, too. Beetlejuice is a fantasy, a horror, and a comedy all at once, one that is pretty darn hilarious, at that. The movie is unashamedly bizarre and outlandish, but it's still really good, and highly enjoyable due to how funny it is.
Release Date March 30, 1988
Runtime 92 minutes
2 'The Princess Bride' (1987)
Directed by Rob Reiner
Image via 20th Century Studios The Princess Bride is based on a novel of the same name by William Goldman, which is a book that gained a reputation for being pretty funny on its own. Naturally, the movie had to match this level of comedy offered by the novel, and boy, did it deliver. The story follows Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) who is reunited with her lost love, Westley (Cary Elwes), prompting them to fight back against her betrothal to a snobbish prince.
The movie is another parody of classic princess stories, one interspersed with a lot of jokes and perfectly-timed punchlines. There isn't one line of wasted dialogue in this movie, which has spawned countless memes and is still remembered as a classic. The best part about it is that it isn't entirely a comedy movie, but also contains a heartwarming narrative about true love, and a grand sense of adventure, too. There's a little something for everybody in it, but none of these aspects are lacking in any way, especially the comedy.
Release Date October 9, 1987
Runtime 98 minutes
1 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' (1975)
Directed by Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
Image via EMI Films Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a spoof film about Arthurian legend, in which King Arthur (Graham Chapman) is given a quest by God Himself to find the legendary Holy Grail. He and his Knights of the Round Table embark upon this sacred quest, encountering magic, monsters, and a whole bunch of hilarious situations. The lads at Monty Python's Flying Circus are known for being comedic geniuses, but this movie is by far their best work.
Every single line of dialogue is infinitely quotable, and there isn't one joke that falls short of hilarious. Even its abrupt and unfulfilling ending is outrageously funny, and the fourth-wall-breaking jokes only add to the overall experience. From its running jokes about swallows to its spot-on comedic timing, t here's no way anyone will be able to get through this movie without laughing at its signature humor, which is what makes it the single funniest fantasy film ever made.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Release Date May 25, 1975
Director Terry Gilliam , Terry Jones
Runtime 91 minutes
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