Most of Disney’s animated movies balance humor with heart, but there are some which skew more toward comedy and leave audiences laughing. Many of Disney’s older classics are a little less comedic, even though there are still veins of humor running through them. It’s only since the Disney renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s that humor has become a vital part of the studio’s movies, often taking precedence over emotional storytelling.
Many of thebest Disney moviesare also the funniest, and this tends to give them a lot of rewatch value. One thing that Disney excels at is pairing this comedy with some intense, even devastating scenes. There are movies which use comic relief to lighten the tone, and then there are those which strike a perfect balance between the two poles of comedy and tragedy.
Monsters Inc.stars John Goodman and Billy Crystal, two comedic actors with plenty of experience. Although the Pixar movie misses out on their talents for physical comedy, it still makes good use of their comedic timing and delivery. They develop a fast-paced rapport as two monsters who constantly bicker despite being best friends.
Crystal’s masterful comedic rage is always funny, especially since Mike is about half the size of Sully.
Monsters Inc.has a couple of heartbreaking moments, especially thanks to Sully’s sweet relationship with Boo. Mike Wazowski is rarely so sentimental, and this allows Billy Crystal to act as the comic relief at times. His masterful comedic rage is always funny, especially since Mike is about half the size of Sully. The fact thatMonsters Inc.ends with Mike as a stand-up comedian feels right, considering how often Crystal is the best part of the movie.
As a retelling of Greek myth,Herculeshas all the action and spectacle necessary, but it also has plenty of humor. Using such an epic setting allowsHerculesto poke fun at itself, as it repeatedly undercuts the drama with cartoon slapstick, hilarious anachronisms and punchlines overflowing with bathos.
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Herculesis filled with pop-culture referencesthat are completely out of place in Ancient Greece, like theKarate Kid-style training montage or the “Air Hercs”,which refer to Air Jordans. Theupcoming live-actionHerculesremake might refresh some of these references, but casting will be just as important. Replacing Danny DeVito and some of the other comedic talents could be tricky.
Zootopiatakes place in a city populated by anthropomorphic animals, and it delivers countless jokes about these animal inhabitants. Often, an animal humorously represents a type of person in society, like how the DMV is staffed by sloths. There are also animal versions of movies, musicians and businesses.
WhileZootopia’s script offers a lot of great jokes,it’s also impressive to see just how many gags are hidden in the background.To give the impression of a bustling city,Zootopiais visually chaotic at times, with colorful sight gags that audiences could easily miss.Zootopia 2is on the way, so hopefully Disney can squeeze in just as many laughs.
Robin Williams steals the show as the Genie inAladdin,almost single-handedly turning the movie into one of Disney’s funniest. He was given the rare opportunity to improvise to his heart’s content, which isn’t often seen in animated movies. InAladdin,it works wonders, as the Genie offers a ridiculous number of laughs in quick succession.
Of course, Williams is not the only funny part ofAladdin.What’s just as impressive is the way that the animation enhances his comedy, adding physical jokes to his barrage of humor.A lot can be said for Gilbert Gottfried’s performance as Iago, too. His New York accent is hilariously out of place, and the combination of Iago’s pathetic stature and constant screaming is always funny.
Toy Storyis Pixar’s biggest franchise by far, and it’s also the source of some of the studio’s funniest moments.Toy Storybuilds on the success of the first movie, expanding the world with some humorous touches while still maintaining the excitement. The two following sequels are both fantastic, butthe franchise’s comedy arguably peaked withToy Story 2.
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Toy Story 2gets a lot of laughs from Spanish Buzz, Wayne Knight’s role as Al, and the introduction of Ken and Barbie. Tom Hanks' comedic exasperation as Woody is also a never-ending joy, showing shades of his status as one of his generation’s funniest actors before he made more of a turn toward drama.Toy Story 5may be just as good, but it would be a surprise if it could be just as funny.
Lilo and Stitchis a lot more stressful to watch back as an adult, as the pressures on Nani are no laughing matter. However, the movie provides plenty of comic relief to keep things light, most of which comes from the widly unpredictable nature of Stitch. The fact that Lilo is so enamored by his inability to fit in is also funny. Even if he’s rambunctious and hard to handle, Stitch is Lilo’s best friend, and their relationship is undeniably charming.
TheLilo and StitchTV showbegan in 2003, followed by several other shows and movies.
Stitch blows through the movie like a hurricane, destroying the simple, idyllic lifestyle that people around him enjoy. In this way, Stitch acts as a manifestation of everyone’s deepest, darkest desires to regress and spit in the eye of polite society. He is the Imp of the Perverse, played for laughs. Thelive-actionLilo and Stitchremakehas a tough act to follow, and it might not be as funny without the spongy cartoon physics of the original.
Like many of Disney’s older classics,Tangledis a retelling of a classic fairy tale. What’s different is thatTangledis willing to comedically deconstruct the well-known story in order to poke fun at the whole genre.The joke is that a life of solitude has made Rapunzel boisterous, naive, and used to making her own entertainment.This means that Flynn often struggles to keep up with her, rather than things being the other way round.
Tangledalso adds a lot of hilarious physical humor to its great script. The inventive ways Rapunzel uses her hair can be funny, but so can Pascal the chameleon’s deadpan expressions in the face of danger and Maximus the horse’s similarities to a dog. This all means that there’s something funny in practically every scene.
Mulangoes to some extremely dark places, so it’s important that there’s enough comedy to maintain a broad appeal. Luckily, Eddie Murphy’s comedic voice does a lot of the hard work. His quick-talking style juts out from the movie from the moment Mushu is introduced alongside the spirits of Mulan’s ancestors.
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Murphy’s recognizable style doesn’t bend to the movie at all, meaning that Mushu often feels like a contemporary character bumbling his way through a Chinese myth. He’s the perfect comic relief, but he isn’t the only way thatMulancan make its audience laugh. The training montage is just one example of the movie’s penchant for physical humor, as the mismatched soldiers repeatedly injure themselves and each other while carrying out simple tasks.
The opening ofFinding Nemois one ofDisney’s most upsetting scenes, as Marlin sees his wife and all but one of his eggs eaten by a barracuda. It’s surprising that what follows is so funny, butFinding Nemois a colorful adventure filled with funny characters and moments of acute comedic insight.
Like with so many Pixar movies,Finding Nemouses non-human characters to highlight the strange foibles of humanity and modern living. Marlin’s journey to find his son also brings him into contact with memorable characters like Crush, the surfer dude sea turtle and Nigel, the affably inept pelican. Above all,it’s the forgetful and naive Dory who proves to be the soul ofFinding Nemo’s comedic appeal.
Disney struggled to form a new identity in the 2000s, following the peak of the Disney renaissance but before 3-D hits likeFrozenandTangled.The studio’s movies from this era can be quite experimental, which helps explain whyThe Emperor’s New Grooveis so unique. It has much more of a focus on comedy than other Disney movies, playing down the emotion of the story for once.
One obvious touchstone forThe Emperor’s New Grooveis the dark comedy of Franz Kafka’sMetamorphosis.Kuzco’s situation is a brilliant comedic set-up, and it pokes fun at his coddled ineptitude and lack of real-world experience. The reference toTheEmperor’s New Clothesin the title is apt, as both stories show a powerful man being shown up as the fool he is. As a bonus,Kronk and Yzma are two of Disney’s funniest characters, and their mismatched dynamic is perfectly measured.
