| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Asta Kask
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Sweden
263 Posts |
 Posted - 03/22/2009 : 02:53:18 AM
|
Most comic relief is bad. Very bad. Especially if it's in any movie reviewed on this site. But what about good comic relief? Any suggestions?
I can think of two examples up front:
1) The yahoo fishermen from "Jaws" (because I just read that review)
2) C3PO in the first Star Wars trilogy (ep IV-VI), especially in the first and second parts. It is tragic that he became Odious in the second trilogy.
- Who is John Galt? - |
|
|
Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2009 : 02:59:40 AM
|
| Rob Schneider gets a lot of well deserved hate for his solo vehicles, but he was very effective as comic relief in both Van Damme's Knock Off and Judge Dredd. |
 |
|
|
Gristle McThornbody
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
Germany
186 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2009 : 08:36:58 AM
|
I thought Tom Arnold did a great job - probably the best work of his "career" - in True Lies.
"Hi, I'm Bob Evil!" |
|
|
|
Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2009 : 08:41:35 AM
|
Tom Paxton in Aliens.
"I am Temujin ... Barbarian ... I fight! I love! I conquer ... like a Barbarian!" |
|
|
|
Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2009 : 09:15:13 AM
|
Richard Pryor in Silver Streak.
The conversion of Wilder to a black man is classic. And the look on Pryor's face when Gene comes out of the bathroom is priceless.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu1TZVX72Aw[/url]
________________________________________________________________________
"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
Edited by - Capt. Nemo on 03/22/2009 09:19:17 AM |
|
|
|
The Rev. D.D.
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
203 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2009 : 11:17:05 AM
|
John Travolta in Battlefield Earth.
------------------
(He WAS the comic relief, right?) |
|
|
|
Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2009 : 12:09:41 PM
|
| How do you define relief? |
|
|
|
zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2009 : 12:47:03 PM
|
R-O-L-A-I-D... oh, wait, sorry, Nemo, I misread your question.
Zero Mostel in Watership Down.
Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost.
Jeff Goldblum in Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Jurassic Park.
Most "serious" movies usually don't rely on a single comic sidekick providing schtick. If there's humor to be found, it's usually deftly laced into the proceedings, with more than one character doing their fair share. In Jaws, for example, Richard Dreyfuss got many of the biggest laughs, but then so did Robert Shaw and the other fishermen on the island (as mentioned). Movies that rely so heavily on one designated yuckster tend to be lower-brow to begin with, IMHO. |
|
|
|
Greenhornet
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1791 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2009 : 3:36:19 PM
|
The one in the 1942 serial Perils Of Nyoka (Nyoka And The Tigermen). I forget his name, but while he was humorous, he was competent. They left the "odious comedy relief" part to his pet monkey.
this is my favorite line that he utters:
English Guy: "We'll never outpace them while they have those swift equines."
Comedy Relief: "Yeah, and they got horses, too."
EG: "What?"
CR: "HORSES!"
"The Queen is testing poisons." CLEOPATRA, 1935 |
|
|
|
BT
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2009 : 10:20:50 AM
|
Not sure if this counts, as the movie was more of an ensemble, but Russel Brand was extraordinarily good in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall".
I'll also second Tom Arnold in True Lies.
less obvious ones:
Palmer in Carpenter's "The Thing"
Nick Frost in "Shaun of the Dead"
David O'Hara, the Irish guy in "Braveheart"
Again, I'm not sure all of these qualify, because maybe you can't have a comic relief character in a comedy. |
|
|
|
BradH812
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1294 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2009 : 04:27:01 AM
|
I think one characteristic of good comic relief is that the character is not there solely for comic relief. C-3PO and R2-D2 were the comic relief in Star Wars, but they played a part in actually, you know, helping the heroes out; they even saved the heroes' lives on more than one occasion. Same thing with Stephen in Braveheart: he provided plenty of laughs, but it was clear that you wanted him near you if you were in a fight. And our Fearless Leader noted the same thing about Johnny Cage in his review of Mortal Kombat.
If, say, Jar Jar Binks were shown to be competent, helping the heroes and not just trying to be a clown, he'd have worked as a character. That's the most obvious example I can think of, but you can probably pick and choose from many others. |
|
|
|
Flangepart
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
2329 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2009 : 11:37:47 AM
|
That is a great point. If the jokes are good and in character, and the CR is actually good for something, its okey.
Let them be nothing but a source of lame humor, and its 'Hello Kenny!"...kinda...
Marvin the Paranoid Android to Buzz Lightyear "Too infinity and beyond-i've been there, its rubbish!"
"Hoody Hoo, i waste 'em with my cross bow!" Bob Herzog- KODT
|
|
|
|
BT
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2009 : 3:58:29 PM
|
I knew I forgot one:
Frank and Freddie from "Return of the Living Dead". I loved those guys. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Forum Locked
Topic Locked