The 20 Greatest Parody Movies In Cinema History

It's very disheartening to see how parody movies have declined in the past few decades. Franchises like "A Haunted House" or "Scary Movie" are no longer funny, and they don't understand what spoofs need to do to be clever. A parody isn't defined by the number of current pop culture references or celebrity cameos it can fit in. At their best, parody movies should be able to offer insights into why a genre is worth poking fun at.

The internet era has certainly made it more challenging to come up with original gags. Filmgoers are overexposed to late-night jokes, "Saturday Night Live" sketches, satirical film reviews, and an overabundance of cynicism on social media platforms. By the time that Wade Wilson threw in a one-liner mocking the "Save Martha" scene from "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" in "Deadpool 2," it felt two years behind the curve.

A few easy jokes about something popular don't make a great movie. In fact, the best parody movies should stand independently so someone unfamiliar with the source material can still enjoy it.

Here are the 20 greatest parody movies in cinema history.

"Frankenstein" is one of the most iconic horror movies in cinematic history. James Whale's 1931 classic was the template for the genre, and Whale's follow-up, "The Bride of Frankenstein," has just as many famous moments. Universal Pictures brought back Frankenstein's monster in subsequent sequels, spinoffs, and crossovers with characters like Dracula, the Wolf Man, and even Abbott and Costello. In 1957, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee took on the story in Hammer Films' "The Curse of Frankenstein." There have also been many television adaptations of Mary Shelley's famous novel. Audiences certainly couldn't be blamed if they were sick of hearing the words "It's alive!"

Mel Brooks decided to take on the story in 1974 — the same year as "Blazing Saddles." "Young Frankenstein" centers on Victor Frankenstein's embarrassing grandson, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder). Frederick inherits his family's estate in Transylvania and meets a descendant of the famous "Frankenstein" character Igor (Marty Feldman). He begins performing the same experiments that his ancestor became notorious for. Eventually, Frederick creates his own monster (Peter Boyle).

Ironically, this sillier interpretation was the most original take on "Frankenstein" in years. It's easy to forget that the "Frankenstein" story is inherently tragic. Brooks mocks Frankenstein's crazed concepts but also gives him a compelling reason to pursue them. Frederick isn't taken seriously by the scientific community and has something to prove. He shows genuine affection for his monstrous creation. 

The James Bond films aren't the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, but they have been a consistent moneymaker for six decades. Bond first appeared on the big screen in 1962's "Dr. No," and audiences have come to expect a new 007 adventure every few years. There's no indication that the series will end anytime soon. Just last year, Daniel Craig's final adventure as 007, "No Time To Die," managed to rake in impressive box office results and earn critical praise after being delayed due to COVID-19.

Each new Bond film is a product of its era. The series is reimagined and rebooted every time a new actor steps into the role. When you consider the movies inspired by Bond, it is challenging to think of any new takes on the cinematic spy. However, Mike Myers was able to craft a loving, quirky homage with 1997's "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery." Not only did Myers mock the familiar cliches of the Bond series, but he also explored the hilarious consequences of bringing a character from the swinging '60s into the modern day.

In the film, Myers takes on the dual roles of world-class secret agent Austin Powers and the eccentric villain Dr. Evil. Both characters are hilariously incompetent. Ironically, Myers created parody characters that were just as worthy of revisiting as Bond and Blofeld. With the subsequent films, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Austin Powers in Goldmember," this is one of the few comedic franchises with sequels as good as the original.

Parody movies are often loving tributes from filmmakers honoring their influences. It's nice to see spoofs that genuinely celebrate a genre and remind us why it's worth revisiting. However, there's also room for spoof films that take a more critical stance. A great parody can examine the cliches it's subverting. Comedy can make a meaningful statement without being mean-spirited or dismissive.

"The Cabin in the Woods" is both an homage and deconstruction of many subgenres of horror. It initially unfolds in a way similar to low-budget gore movies like "Evil Dead" or "Bad Taste." It also incorporates elements of slasher films, monster movies, conspiracy thrillers, and torture porn. For fans of the genre, it's fun to see references to the vast history of horror cinema. However, screenwriters Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon also question the appeal of violence and examine horror movie fan culture. "The Cabin in the Woods" is particularly critical of the negative stereotypes of women and minority characters in horror movies.

The film follows six college friends who take a road trip vacation to the titular cabin in the woods. Each character represents a different horror movie archetype: Dana Polk (Kristen Connolly) is "The Virgin," Curt Vaughan (Chris Hemsworth) is "The Jock," Jules Louden (Anna Hutchinson) is "The Whore," Marty Mikalski (Fran Kranz) is "The Fool," and Holden McCrea (Jesse Williams) is "The Scholar." With some unforeseen twists and turns, "The Cabin in the Woods" cleverly explains why the story plays out in such a seemingly cliched way.

Great parodies have the opportunity to not only lampoon famous movies but also the people that made them. There are reasons why trends emerge, and it is important to question why these trends are still popular. Are they simply a product of creative laziness or just Hollywood cynicism? Can a true artist inadvertently take on cliched material? Should we as viewers be empathetic to them? Is it okay to mock someone's hard work and creative vision because they're an out-of-touch Hollywood celebrity? These are questions that parodies often don't think to ask.

However, Ben Stiller did ask those questions in 2008 with his satirical action-comedy, "Tropic Thunder." Stiller had already worked in the industry for quite a while, both in front of and behind the camera. His perspective boosts the insights that "Tropic Thunder" has on the film production process. Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, an action movie star renowned for his "Scorcher" series of films. Tugg had become a laughing stock within the industry with his failed Oscar bait project, "Simple Jack." In the film, he tries to regain his dignity by starring in a major war film that is similar to "Platoon" or "Apocalypse Now."

Tugg joins a cast that includes lazy comedian Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), up-and-comer Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), and rapper Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson). The ensemble heads to Vietnam for an ambitious shooting schedule and are put in actual danger.

"Star Trek" has a fascinating fan culture. You may be sick of hearing the phrase "it was all for the fans," but "Star Trek" was truly saved by its loyal fanbase. An enthusiastic letter-writing campaign prevented the original series from cancellation. "Star Trek" fans are notoriously loyal. Convention culture is an essential part of the saga's history, so fans are often privy to the private lives of their favorite stars.

1999's "Galaxy Quest" is a loving tribute to both "Star Trek" and its fans. The film imagines a cult science fiction series called "Galaxy Quest" that is similar to the original "Star Trek" series. Despite its limited television run, "Galaxy Quest" has a strong cult following. The out-of-work actors from the show now make their living by attending conventions and appearing on panels. The egocentric stars have grown to despise each other. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) is "Galaxy Quest's" version of William Shatner. His haughty behavior has worn thin on castmates Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub), Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell), and extra-turned-cast-manager Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell).

The crew is forced to bond when a real alien species seeks their help. Threatened by an invading race led by the evil Roth'h'ar Sarris (Robin Sachs), the naive Thermian people have misinterpreted episodes of "Galaxy Quest" as real historical documents. 

Zombie films had grown into a tired subgenre by the early 21st century. "28 Days Later" may have changed the game with its fast-moving zombies, but most movies about the undead were stuck repeating the same formula that George Romero had already perfected. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead," "Dawn of the Dead," and "Day of the Dead" are foundational within the genre. They set a high precedent for excellence, and it was hard for other films to distinguish their vision of a zombie apocalypse in an original way.

When Edgar Wright took on the genre with "Shaun of the Dead," he didn't just make a loving tribute to Romero. The film has great (and very bloody) practical zombie effects. The zombies themselves were more effective than anything horror fans had seen in years. Few horror-comedies are equally funny and scary. "Shaun of the Dead" is a rare exception and perfectly combines Wright's fast-paced humor with some truly sickening death sequences. Wright understands that, in addition to being scary villains, zombies are a metaphor for their living counterparts. He satirizes how mankind has already become the living dead by doing the same menial tasks every day.

"Shaun of the Dead" is also a great character study. Torn between his slacker best friend, Ed (Nick Frost), and his level-headed girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), Shaun (Simon Pegg) is initially a bit immature and stuck in a rut. The zombie pandemic gives him the chance to become a hero.

"The World's End" is the third film in Wright, Pegg, and Frosts' "Cornetto Trilogy." It is both the funniest and the most mature film of the series. "The World's End" has elements of science fiction films like "The Stepford Wives," "The Quatermass Xperiment," and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." However, the "one wild night" story is similar to comedies like "Go," "After Hours," or even "Adventures in Babysitting." Wright turns these wildly different influences into a surprisingly nuanced character commentary. He explores nostalgia, alcoholism, and aging. If "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" succeed as both hilarious parodies and genuine genre classics, "The World's End" creates something completely new.

Slacker Gary King (Simon Pegg) lives in the shadow of the dubious glory of a youthful drinking escapade from his high school years. Gary is still proud that he and his friends nearly completed a pub crawl called "The Golden Mile." His friends, however, have moved on with their lives. Under false pretenses, Gary gathers his old buddies, Andy Knightley (Frost), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine), Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman), and Peter Page (Eddie Marsden). He plans to return to their hometown to finally complete "The Golden Mile."

In a night of heavy drinking, the gang discovers that their familiar stomping grounds are more sinister than they remember. Each man is haunted by demons from their past, and they find that the town's residents have been replaced by robot lookalikes.

A parody film should be more than a loose collection of sketches. However, a sketch group still has what it takes to spice up the genre. The British comedy troupe Monty Python created a unique form of clever humor in their classic skits. In 1975, they translated their absurd sensibilities into a narrative feature. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" plays like a loving send-up of Arthurian legends and medieval movies in general.

The film retells the classic story of the legendary search for the Holy Grail, but these Knights of the Round Table are complete idiots! When King Arthur (Graham Chapman) is called upon by God to retrieve the relic, he brings along Sir Lancelot (John Cleese), Sir Robin (Eric Idle), Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones), Sir Gallahad (Michael Palin), and his loyal squire Patsy (Terry Gilliam) on a seemingly noble quest to Castle Aarrgh. The film makes fun of low-budget medieval films with its comically cheap-looking special effects.

The disaster movie genre has managed to stick around for decades. This generation has Roland Emmerich's filmography, but disaster films were particularly popular in the '70s. Hits like "Airport," "The Towering Inferno," "Earthquake," and "The Poseidon Adventure" dominated the era. Most disaster movies are already pretty ridiculous. Thankfully, all the laughs from the classic comedy "Airplane!" are intentional.

"Airplane!" follows a packed flight from Los Angeles to Chicago that descends into a crisis. The crew and passengers begin feeling the effects of food poisoning during a particularly chaotic storm. With the pilots incapacitated, the idiosyncratic Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielson) takes charge as things get worse and worse.

Ironically, "Airplane!" has more engaging motivations for its leading characters than most actual disaster films. War veteran Ted Striker (Robert Hays) boards the flight at the last minute to pursue his girlfriend, flight attendant Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty). Ted's romantic pursuits are relatable and help balance out the constant one-liners.

Genre parodies are popular in both cinema and on television. The 1982 "Police Squad!" TV series from David Zucker lampooned procedural police shows with its comedic version of a Lee Marvin-esque detective — Leslie Nielsen's Lieutenant Frank Drebin. "Police Squad!" established a world and characters well worth revisiting, but the show was tragically canceled after one season.

Just as many serious cop shows have made the transition to the big screen, Zucker was able to bring back Drebin for the 1988 feature film "The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad!" You don't need any knowledge of the series to appreciate how the film mocks overtly serious police characters and convoluted criminal conspiracies. The bluntness of Nielsen's performance is perfectly balanced with surreal gags. Drebin is a comedic character with unusual depth, and he returns for the sequels "The Naked Gun 2 1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" and "Naked Gun 33 1⁄3: The Final Insult."