Will Ferrell is one of the funniest actors of his generation, with a list of hit comedy movies that have aged brilliantly. Will Ferrell first rose to prominence as a cast member onSaturday Night Livein the 1990s. He had a few minor movie roles during this time, like his memorable cameos in twoAustin Powersmovies and his flamboyant villain role inZoolander,but he didn’t make his best movies until he leftSNL.
Will Ferrell’s best comedy movies often see him playing ignorant manchild characters, like inTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky BobbyandStep Brothers.Ferrell can go for crude comedy, slapstick and broad humor, but he’s also intelligent and reserved when he needs to be. This subtle range means that Ferrell’s greatest hits are more varied than they might first appear, with animated movies, sports comedies and more showing that he has endless ways of making his audience laugh.
Stranger Than Fictiondoesn’t get as much attention as many of Will Ferrell’s other comedy movies, since it’s a slightly different style than he’s used to, but it’s still a charming and quirky story that deserves some more love. Ferrell plays a man who starts hearing a woman’s voice narrating his life, and he soon discovers that he is a character in someone’s novel. The author in question is played by Emma Thompson.
Ferrell offers a more reserved performance than usual inStranger Than Fiction,and it’s surprisingly effective. There are moments when the premise of a man being controlled by an omniscient narrator indulges in a spot of farce, butStranger Than Fictionreveals itself to be a disarmingly intelligent movie about the old debate over fate and determinism. It’s still a great comedy, but it’s more earnest and optimistic than many of Ferrell’s other movies.
Old Schoolwas Will Ferrell’s first starring role, although he had made memorable contributions to a few movies while he was still a cast member ofSaturday Night Live.Ferrell kicked off his post-SNLcareer with a raucous college comedy, and it remains one of his funniest movies. He stars alongside Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn as a group of friends who try to relive their college days by starting a fraternity at a nearby college.
Ferrell kicked off his post-SNLcareer with a raucous college comedy, and it remains one of his funniest movies.
Will Ferrell’s wildcard character steals the show inOld School.While Luke Wilson does an admirable job of playing it straight, Ferrell and Vince Vaughn are given more freedom to get weird, and they rise to the occasion.Old Schoolis a typical college hangout movie in many ways, indulging in broad slapstick whenever possible, but it works wonderfully.Ferrell shows early and often that he’s the funniest part of the movie.
Will Ferrell and John C. Reillyhave worked together many times over the years, butStep Brothersis the one movie that displays their hilarious chemistry better than any other. They play two manchild characters who are forced to live together when they become stepbrothers, since both of them are still living with their parents. They start out as enemies, but they soon become friends, which is even more destructive.
Step Brothersis the one movie that displays Ferrell and Reilly’s hilarious chemistry better than any other.
Step Brothersrevels in immature humor, and it asks its audience to root for its dysfunctional main characters. They are the two childish clowns making light of a world that wants to force them to grow up and fit into a cubicle. Somehow, Ferrell and Reilly are charming enough to pull this off, and it’s a joy to watch their misjudged antics.The farcical yet oddly endearing musical performance at the end sums up the movie’s approach.
Will Ferrell has had a few voice roles in animated movies, includingCurious Georgeand 2024’sDespicable Me 4, butThe Lego MovieandMegamindare his most prominent voice roles by far. While he plays the villain opposite Chris Pratt inThe Lego Movie, Megamindgives him a starring role. He’s still a villain, but just like inDespicable Me,the villain is the main character.
Megamindhas become more popular over the years, thanks in part to the meme-worthy moments that have spread across the internet.
Megamindhas become more popular over the years, thanks in part to the meme-worthy moments that have spread across the internet. However,Megamindshould be appreciated for what it is. Once the comparisons toDespicable Mecan be put to one side,Megamindturns out to be a funny take on the superhero genre. Ferrell declined to return for the sequel, which was probably a wise choice, sinceMegamind vs. The Doom Syndicatewas eviscerated by critics.
The Other Guysis a great buddy cop comedy, making the most out of the unlikely duo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.The Other Guysopens with what could be a glimpse at a much cooler movie, with Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson playing two badass detectives with a propensity for blowing stuff up and dispensing cool quips. After they die, Ferrell and Wahlberg’s much lamer detectives must step up to the plate.
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The Other Guyshas plenty of great jokespeppered into the script, but some of its funniest ideas can’t be summed up in a quote. Ferrell’s character is married to Eva Longoria, and he seems to resent her for some reason. Michael Keaton’s Captain keeps quoting TLC lyrics, even though he seems oblivious to the fact. Johnson and Jackson’s hero cops die in the most absurdly hilarious way possible. These are just a few of the entertaining gags that keep popping up throughoutThe Other Guys,giving the movie plenty of originality even if the buddy cop genre has been done to death already.
Will Ferrell has made a habit of appearing in sports comedies, especially ones which focus on esoteric sports that not many people watch.Blades of Gloryis one of his best. He stars as the arrogant playboy Chazz Michael Michaels, who is forced to compete in the world’s first same-sex figure skating couple with his rival, Jimmy MacElroy. Chazz and Jimmy are perfect opposites, which drives the tension and the comedy ofBlades of Glory.
Jimmy MacElroy is the more sympathetic of the two, which allows Ferrell to get plenty of laughs as a boorish, self-obsessed dolt.
Will Ferrell and Jon Heder are both great to watch inBlades of Glory,and they counter each other’s characters with plenty of comedic guile. Jimmy MacElroy is the more sympathetic of the two, which allows Ferrell to get plenty of laughs as a boorish, self-obsessed dolt. While their comedic chemistry keeps the dialogue enjoyable,Blades of Gloryalso has some riotously entertaining moments of physical comedy out on the ice.
By the time Will Ferrell appeared inBarbie, it had been many years since he had made his funniest comedies. While he doesn’t have a starring role in Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated comedy, Ferrell’s supporting role is enough to remind audiences that he’s as funny as ever. Margot Robbie plays a Barbie who escapes from the confines of Barbieland, and Ferrell plays the unnamed CEO of Mattel who tries to put her back in a box and cover the whole situation up.
Ferrell shows how funny he can be when he’s playing a villain, as he does inThe Lego MovieandZoolander.
The Mattel CEO is just one of many people Barbie meets in the real world who shows her the pervasive evils of the patriarchy. Ferrell’s performance is what helps the character stand out.Barbiehas a great cast, but Ferrell leaves his mark on the movie with an absurd chase scene through the Mattel offices and a few quips that highlight how funny he can be when he’s playing a villain, as he does inThe Lego MovieandZoolander.
Will Ferrell is often at his funniest when he gets the chance to play detestable idiotslike Ricky Bobby, so it makes sense thatTalladega Nightsstill stands out as one of his best movies. Ricky Bobby is a negative stereotype of dim-witted NASCAR drivers, right until he faces a crisis which forces him to actually undergo some personal growth, even if he lacks the introspective skills required to do so.
Ferrell adopts a deadpan style that highlights some of the most ludicrous and ignorant things that Ricky Bobby earnestly believes.
Talladega Nightsis filled with funny quotes, many of which are just as enjoyable when stripped of their context. Ferrell adopts a deadpan style that highlights some of the most ludicrous and ignorant things that Ricky Bobby earnestly believes. Alongside Ferrell is his frequent co-star John C. Reilly, and they are joined by Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole and Michael Clarke Duncan, all of whom get their fair share of punch lines in the rapid-fire comedy.
Elfhas managed to break into the annual rotation of Christmas movies in millions of households all over the world, and it keeps getting better with age. The Christmas classic stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised among the elves of Santa’s workshop who travels to New York City to find his biological family. It’s a hilarious fish-out-of-water story that lets Ferrell deliver a big, exuberant performance that still manages to pull at the heartstrings when necessary.
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Onereason whyElfworks so well is that Ferrell is surrounded by a cast that’s geared towards making the most of his splashy performance.The Godfatherstar James Caan is the perfect straight man to corral Ferrell’s entertaining buffoonery. Like all great Christmas movies, however,Elfcasts its cynicism to one side in the end.It’s unusual for a Will Ferrell comedy to be so emotionally sincere, butElfpulls it off.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundyisn’t just Will Ferrell’s best movie. It also benefits from outstanding performances from Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner and Christina Applegate.Ferrell is on top formas the obnoxious news reporter Ron Burgundy, whose life is thrown out of order when a woman gets a job as co-anchor. This rattles the cage of an ignorant misogynist who believes that reading the news makes him a major celebrity.
Anchormanis one of the most quotable comedies of all time.
Anchormanwas almost a very different movie, with a draft script that saw Ron and his team stranded after a plane crash. Fortunately, the story remains grounded in the newsroom, and this means that the comedy can run wild.Anchormanis one of the most quotable comedies of all time, but it also packs in some hilarious physical comedy, like the surreal street fight between rival news crews. The sequel failed to reach such high standards, butAnchormanremains as funny as ever.
