War. What is its purpose? Most of the time, especially when it comes to real life, nothing at all. However, there have been a number of masterfully crafted comic films that centre on war and use the historical nature of war to not only tell the story but also provide amusing antics along the way, making one of humanity’s most fundamental and primitive acts, real and alluring.
The truth is that there cannot be peace without fighting, and for peace to exist, healing must occur. Undoubtedly, laughter is a balm and a natural healing process for people. There aren’t many people who enjoy laughing or don’t want to laugh. Maybe the majority of people want to laugh. And what better approach to investigate war and all of its elements than by using a therapeutic tool like laughter?
Making a military comedy requires skill and a serious sense of humour, yet it has been done countless times with incredible resolve and unrivalled hilarity. It is the classic use of “the bad for good.” Some of the best comedy in movie history have had war as a background, and classics have been created from those movies.
Here are some of the funniest war comedies, listed, without further ado.
Biloxi Blues (1988)
In the Neil Simon play-based movie Biloxi Blues, played by Matthew Broderick as Private Eugene Jerome, who is fervently hoping to lose his virginity, live through the war, and become a writer. A small group of teenage recruits, including Private Jerome, are the focus of the film as they go through boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi. In order to break the recruits, Sergeant Toomey, a wounded veteran with a steel plate in his head, berates them and administers severe penalties. Biloxi Blues is a comedy/drama that examines the hardships of military training and preparation as well as the struggles of young aspirations.
Catch 22 (1970)
The film Catch 22 is based on the same-named book by Joseph Heller and stars Alan Arkin as Captain John Yossarian, an Air Force pilot who decides to leave the service after witnessing the deaths of his buddies during a mission. Captain Yossarian tries to get himself declared mad because there is no way to leave. Catch 22 is regarded as a smart film with crazy, crazy characters that takes place in a made-up base during World War II.
The black comedy examines the bereaved state of troops in a conflict that is becoming more violent as well as the nearly impossibility of escaping from the battle once it has begun.
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Based on a real-life person, Good Morning, Vietnam is widely regarded as the best war comedy since M*A*S*H. Adrian Cronauer, a DJ for the Armed Forces Radio Service, is portrayed by Robin Williams. The Vietnam War-era film centres on the DJ as he uses his show to stir things up, upsetting authorities while becoming immensely popular with his fellow soldiers.
The movie was not only a great blockbuster at the box office, but it also launched Robin Williams’s career because he improvised many of the radio programmes that were recorded, allowing him to show off his comedic talent.
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds features a cast that includes Brad Pitt, Diane Krueger, Eli Roth, Christoph Waltz, and many others. The film is a vindictive romp about a planned assassination of a group of Nazi leaders by Jewish U.S. Soldiers and a theatre owner, all of which coincide, and is set in an alternate history during World War II in a Nazi-occupied France.
The war comedy did well at the box office and was highly appreciated by critics. Like in other Tarantino movies, the action is excessive and the humour is sharp, occasionally dry, and occasionally tongue-in-cheek.
M*A*S*H (1970)
Although M*A*S*H is set during the Korean War, the Vietnam War also has some parallels to and affects on it. A medical team stationed at the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War is the subject of the film. The crew employs humour and various capers to confront the horrors of war while in the midst of the mayhem of war in an effort to maintain their sanity. The camp splits when Tom Skerritt’s “Duke” and Donald Sutherland’s “Hawkeye,” two disobedient rule-breakers who are both great doctors, arrive at the location. M*A*S*H, which is based on the novel of the same name, deviates from the book and defiantly became popular during a period of war, notably the Vietnam War.
Stripes (1981)
In this war comedy starring Bill Murray, two pals who have lost their jobs decide to have some fun in the military. Murray plays John Winger, a cab driver who finds himself unexpectedly out of job and who is so desperate that he even loses his girlfriend. Winger enlists in the army alongside his friend Russell since he has nothing left to lose, and nothing but craziness follows.
The combat comedy Stripes avoids attempting to make a meaningful argument or serve a significant purpose. The film is intended to be irreverent and downright amusing as John and Russell experience the hardships of being soldiers in the most endearingly defiant manner.
Team America: World Police (2004)
Team America: World Police, which stars Trey Parker and Matt Stone from South Park, is arguably one of the nastiest and offensive war comedies ever filmed. The film, which was animated using puppets, centres on Gary Johnston, a Broadway performer who is hired by a top counterterrorism unit. His personal goals, including finding love, are tested as he and the crew fight terrorists as the world begins to break apart.
This movie pulls no punches for a war comedy, pushing the line towards the outrageous and ridiculous to get laughs. The use of obscenities is outrageous, and there is an outrageously graphic puppet sex scene. While Team America tries to police the world and save the day, it’s still a great journey.
The Men Who Stare At Goats (2009)
The Men Who Stare At Goats, a satirical black war comedy with a star-studded cast that includes George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey, is based on a non-fiction book by Jon Ronson about the U.S. military’s attempts to use psychic abilities as a weapon. In this fictionalised adaptation of the book, a reporter meets a man who claims to be a member of a brand-new branch of the American military that conducts missions with supernatural abilities.
A hyperbolic look at the extremes that people and governments will go to in order to maintain power and control is presented in The Men Who Stare at Goats. While Jon Ronson’s nonfiction book suggests that the investigations may have some validity, the movie takes a humorous approach to the notion and its potential. In the end, there were conflicting reviews about the film.
Three Kings (1999)
Triple Kings Movie by David O. Russell In the Gulf War’s aftermath, a squad of soldiers tries to steal gold that has been taken from Kuwait in the black comedy Warner Bros. Three Kings. But in the middle of the heist, they come across others who are in utter need of their assistance. The journeys that each character takes are sparked by their decision to put others’ needs ahead of their own.
Additionally, although being a comedy, the film assumes the role of political commentary because it expresses its outrage at the philosophy and pursuit of war at this time. The group’s adventures are interspersed with some violent action, and George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube give outstanding performances. In addition to receiving positive reviews, Three King was a box office success.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
In Tropic Thunder, a group of actors who are on location to shoot a war movie discover that they are actually engaged in a real-life conflict. It goes without saying that the irony of the actors’ actions and, eventually, what they must do in order to not only live but also win the battle, is what makes this movie so funny. Tropic Thunder is seen as a spoof of the Vietnam War picture Apocalypse Now and even makes sarcastic attempts to imitate some of the claimed circumstances and events from the film’s production.
Tropic Thunder is a silly, enjoyable, over-the-top war comedy that spoofs the filming of war movies and boasts a star-studded ensemble that includes Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr., and a cameo from Tom Cruise.
