Live-action films can never have the gut-busting laughs as animated films do, with their insane physics, moving faces, and no constraints on the absurd. Full of the emotional comedy of Pixar and the anarchic energy of DreamWorks, these post-2000 jewels have the iconic scenes that continue to make audiences laugh decades later. This is a list of the top 10 that brings together slapstick, wit and the timing that is classic to the comedic gold of modern animation.
10. Minions Go Shopping (Despicable Me, 2010)
Tim, Mark and Phil, three Minions, masquerade as a family to steal a toy unicorn but cause a store-wide destruction. Their joyful demolition of grocery shopping transforms into a riot form unicorn stampede to exploding toilets. The mess is worsened by the fact that no dialogue is required; bare visual anarchy left movie theaters screaming.
9. Dodo Melon Heist (Ice Age, 2002)
Manny, Sid, and Diego identify a watermelon which is being defended by blind-deafening Dodo birds in a hilarious blockade. The resultant tussle degenerates into football scrum, with fumbles and casualties. This prehistoric battle is ever rewatchable with the deadpan march of the birds and the quips of extinction by Manfred.
8. Shrek’s Dinner Disaster (Shrek 2, 2004)
Shrek is taken to a tense feast with the royalties of Fiona, but the entrance of Puss in Boots and the intrigues of Fairy Godmother make it uncomfortable. The constant talk of Donkey, Whoa, look at that!, is in contrast to the frog panic of King Harold, culminating in a food-tossing mania. Family conflict and ogre gross-out collide to the highest number of laughs.
7. Llama-fied Emperor (The Emperor’s New Groove, 2000)
Kronk also accidentally transforms Kuzco into a llama rather than killing him- Pull the lever, Kronk!- Yzma. wrong-lever gag turns into hillbilly chase comedy. It is cemented with sassy spits by Kuzco and bickering between the duo, which includes- Is that my voice?
6. Sloth DMV Nightmare (Zootopia, 2016)
At the DMV, Judy and Nick wait to be attended to by Flash the sloth in slow-motion. Every “What… is… your… name?” drags comically, reaching a climax of license plate twist. Near-universal bureaucracy parody, and presented without irony, makes viewers laugh.
5. Monsters Inc. Play Rewrite (Monsters, Inc., 2001)
Mike organizes a bootleg “Boo at bedtime” musical to get her out but the ad-libbing by Sully runs it into farce. Interruptions and theater anarchy by Roz is improv at the workplace in the wrong kind of way- nothing but joy in cartoon-like failure.
4. Ratatouille’s Rat Rush (Ratatouille, 2007)
The family of Remy storms the kitchen of Gusteau in a mad rush with Linguini being puppet-danced around in a blaze of pans. The chef-hatted rat-tangle and the spectral pep of Gusteau make the slapstick Michelin star crazy.
3. Road to El Dorado Horse Hijinks (The Road to El Dorado, 2000)
The con by Tulio and Miguel falls apart as their horse Altivo picks up the pair already in flight with a downpour rain. The verbal zingers and physical comedy gold in the accidental trio are mixed together with bickering and synchronized slips.
2. Surf’s Up Wipeout Reel (Surf’s Up, 2007)
The training montage of the mockumentary Cody stars in includes such epic fails as board-smashing into rocks, mocks surf-bro tropes. The deadpan coaching of Big Z and the hype of Chicken Joe crashes into the witty underdog humor.
1. Megamind’s Hero Spar (Megamind, 2010)
Metroman casually beating Megamind down to the ground turns into a pun of its own, with the element of destroying the building. The intensifying one-upmanship turns the battles of the superheroes into roast sessions.
These scenes demonstrate the greatest power of animation: an unlimited imagination in the name of comedy. They survive through quotability and heart, living in the modern toons knowing how to be funny without trying too hard. What is your favorite replay?