Special Report

This Is the Worst Comedy of All Time

Whether it’s due to bad acting, sloppy screenwriting, an over-reliance on crude humor, or some combination of the above, bad comedy is an absolute chore to sit through. That makes it unique – different from bad horror or bad sci-fi, where a certain amount of campiness can actually elevate the enjoyment. (These are the 15 worst R-rated movies every made.)

When comedy goes awry, there’s only awkwardness between the viewer and the movie itself, which turns the whole experience into a battle of wills. And speaking of going awry, according to data, the worst comedy of all time is 2004’s “Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2.”

To determine the worst comedies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, current as of mid-May 2022. All ratings were weighted equally. Only films with at least 20,000 reviews on IMDb, 2,500 audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and 10 Tomatometer critics reviews were considered. (Information on casts and directors came from IMDb.)

Click here to see the worst comedies of all time, according to data

They say that comedy is harder to execute than drama and the following list is here to prove it. Chock full of comedic misfires, it pays tribute to the genre’s worst outings of all time. In spite of their many shortcomings, however, a number of these movies managed to turn a respectable profit at the box office or spawn the occasional sequel. (These, in contrast, are the funniest American movies of all time.)

Nevertheless, bad comedy continues. From “Jack and Jill” to “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot,” these movies even have their own special place in history. Among the genre’s worst offenders is the directing duo of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, who are behind lame-brained spoofs such as “Vampires Suck” and “Meet the Spartans.” Capitalizing on the success of 2000’s “Scary Movie” (which they co-wrote), they butchered a formula all the way to the bank. Who’s the joke on now?

Courtesy of Dimension Films

50. The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005)
> IMDb rating: 3.6 (37,346 votes)
> RT audience rating: 33% (32,302 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 20% (123 votes)
> Starring: Cayden Boyd, George Lopez, Kristin Davis, David Arquette
> Director: Robert Rodriguez

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

49. Deck the Halls (2006)
> IMDb rating: 5.0 (27,856 votes)
> RT audience rating: 30% (55,791 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 6% (86 votes)
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Danny DeVito, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis
> Director: John Whitesell

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

48. Year One (2009)
> IMDb rating: 4.9 (97,491 votes)
> RT audience rating: 23% (337,044 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 14% (173 votes)
> Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, Oliver Platt
> Director: Harold Ramis

Courtesy of Vivendi Entertainment

47. Postal (2007)
> IMDb rating: 4.4 (23,125 votes)
> RT audience rating: 34% (81,882 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 9% (46 votes)
> Starring: Zack Ward, Dave Foley, Verne Troyer, Chris Coppola
> Director: Uwe Boll

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

46. Miss March (2009)
> IMDb rating: 5.0 (21,373 votes)
> RT audience rating: 30% (79,400 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 5% (81 votes)
> Starring: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore, Raquel Alessi, Molly Stanton
> Director: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

45. Holy Man (1998)
> IMDb rating: 4.9 (20,052 votes)
> RT audience rating: 24% (39,982 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 12% (50 votes)
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum, Kelly Preston, Robert Loggia
> Director: Stephen Herek

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

44. Material Girls (2006)
> IMDb rating: 3.9 (22,249 votes)
> RT audience rating: 44% (229,030 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (54 votes)
> Starring: Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff, Anjelica Huston, Maria Conchita Alonso
> Director: Martha Coolidge

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

43. All About Steve (2009)
> IMDb rating: 4.8 (42,002 votes)
> RT audience rating: 30% (465,630 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 6% (140 votes)
> Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
> Director: Phil Traill

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

42. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001)
> IMDb rating: 4.8 (24,885 votes)
> RT audience rating: 25% (171,817 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 11% (82 votes)
> Starring: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Jere Burns, Jonathan Banks
> Director: Simon Wincer

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

41. Double Team (1997)
> IMDb rating: 4.8 (34,190 votes)
> RT audience rating: 25% (41,675 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 11% (19 votes)
> Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Rodman, Mickey Rourke, Paul Freeman
> Director: Hark Tsui

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

40. Cool World (1992)
> IMDb rating: 4.8 (22,978 votes)
> RT audience rating: 31% (54,856 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (49 votes)
> Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Kim Basinger, Janni Brenn, Brad Pitt
> Director: Ralph Bakshi

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution

39. Envy (2004)
> IMDb rating: 4.8 (31,102 votes)
> RT audience rating: 27% (51,453 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 8% (118 votes)
> Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Rachel Weisz, Amy Poehler
> Director: Barry Levinson

Courtesy of CBS Films

38. Get a Job (2016)
> IMDb rating: 5.2 (23,213 votes)
> RT audience rating: 21% (5,295 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 9% (23 votes)
> Starring: Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, Nicholas Braun
> Director: Dylan Kidd

Courtesy of Lionsgate

37. Bratz (2007)
> IMDb rating: 3.0 (23,660 votes)
> RT audience rating: 46% (49,260 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 10% (80 votes)
> Starring: Skyler Shaye, Janel Parrish, Logan Browning, Nathalia Ramos
> Director: Sean McNamara

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

36. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)
> IMDb rating: 4.4 (37,285 votes)
> RT audience rating: 33% (37,563 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 6% (63 votes)
> Starring: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Eduardo Verástegui, Daniella Alonso
> Director: Andy Fickman

Courtesy of Netflix

35. The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
> IMDb rating: 4.8 (48,699 votes)
> RT audience rating: 34% (3,465 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 0% (36 votes)
> Starring: Adam Sandler, Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner
> Director: Frank Coraci

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

34. The Love Guru (2008)
> IMDb rating: 3.8 (52,593 votes)
> RT audience rating: 33% (240,600 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 13% (176 votes)
> Starring: Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Romany Malco, Jessica Simpson
> Director: Marco Schnabel

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

32. Kangaroo Jack (2003)
> IMDb rating: 4.4 (31,541 votes)
> RT audience rating: 29% (59,289 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 8% (115 votes)
> Starring: Anthony Anderson, Jerry O’Connell, Estella Warren, Christopher Walken
> Director: David McNally

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

31. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
> IMDb rating: 3.7 (23,532 votes)
> RT audience rating: 20% (44,111 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 25% (72 votes)
> Starring: Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin, Kristen Johnston, Jane Krakowski
> Director: Brian Levant

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

30. Zoom (2006)
> IMDb rating: 4.3 (20,996 votes)
> RT audience rating: 33% (11,425 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (68 votes)
> Starring: Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase, Spencer Breslin
> Director: Peter Hewitt

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Dimension Films

29. My Boss’s Daughter (2003)
> IMDb rating: 4.7 (29,364 votes)
> RT audience rating: 23% (52,800 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 8% (74 votes)
> Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Tara Reid, Andy Richter, Molly Shannon
> Director: David Zucker

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

28. Inspector Gadget (1999)
> IMDb rating: 4.1 (48,053 votes)
> RT audience rating: 18% (275,660 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 20% (64 votes)
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Rupert Everett, Joely Fisher, Michelle Trachtenberg
> Director: David Kellogg

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

27. Scary Movie V (2013)
> IMDb rating: 3.5 (70,921 votes)
> RT audience rating: 38% (236,276 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (52 votes)
> Starring: Simon Rex, Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan
> Directors: Malcolm D. Lee, David Zucker

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Vision International

26. Troll 2 (1990)
> IMDb rating: 2.9 (32,623 votes)
> RT audience rating: 44% (10,355 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 5% (21 votes)
> Starring: Michael Paul Stephenson, George Hardy, Margo Prey, Connie Young
> Director: Claudio Fragasso

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

25. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
> IMDb rating: 4.3 (42,098 votes)
> RT audience rating: 21% (52,952 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 11% (28 votes)
> Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty, JoBeth Williams, Roger Rees
> Director: Roger Spottiswoode

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

24. The Emoji Movie (2017)
> IMDb rating: 3.3 (63,056 votes)
> RT audience rating: 37% (25,605 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 6% (134 votes)
> Starring: T.J. Miller, James Corden, Anna Faris, Maya Rudolph
> Director: Tony Leondis

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

23. Holmes & Watson (2018)
> IMDb rating: 3.9 (36,081 votes)
> RT audience rating: 25% (3,987 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 10% (80 votes)
> Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Ralph Fiennes, Rebecca Hall
> Director: Etan Cohen

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

22. Look Who’s Talking Now (1993)
> IMDb rating: 4.3 (29,289 votes)
> RT audience rating: 29% (185,896 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 0% (25 votes)
> Starring: John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, David Gallagher, Tabitha Lupien
> Director: Tom Ropelewski

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

21. Street Fighter (1994)
> IMDb rating: 4.0 (70,933 votes)
> RT audience rating: 20% (79,797 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 12% (43 votes)
> Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-Na Wen, Damian Chapa
> Director: Steven E. de Souza

Courtesy of GEM Entertainment

20. Movie 43 (2013)
> IMDb rating: 4.3 (104,960 votes)
> RT audience rating: 24% (35,764 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (89 votes)
> Starring: Emma Stone, Stephen Merchant, Richard Gere, Liev Schreiber
> Directors: Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, and seven others

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of RADiUS-TWC

19. Piranha 3DD (2012)
> IMDb rating: 3.7 (42,307 votes)
> RT audience rating: 22% (22,602 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 13% (53 votes)
> Starring: Danielle Panabaker, Ving Rhames, David Hasselhoff, Matt Bush
> Director: John Gulager

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

18. Jack and Jill (2011)
> IMDb rating: 3.3 (83,849 votes)
> RT audience rating: 36% (68,831 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 3% (116 votes)
> Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino, Elodie Tougne
> Director: Dennis Dugan

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

17. The Master of Disguise (2002)
> IMDb rating: 3.3 (25,110 votes)
> RT audience rating: 35% (59,227 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 1% (104 votes)
> Starring: Dana Carvey, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould, James Brolin
> Director: Perry Andelin Blake

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

16. Date Movie (2006)
> IMDb rating: 2.8 (59,438 votes)
> RT audience rating: 35% (513,879 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 7% (90 votes)
> Starring: Alyson Hannigan, Adam Campbell, Fred Willard, Jennifer Coolidge
> Directors: Aaron Seltzer, Jason Friedberg

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

15. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003)
> IMDb rating: 3.4 (39,632 votes)
> RT audience rating: 23% (258,969 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 10% (119 votes)
> Starring: Derek Richardson, Eric Christian Olsen, Eugene Levy, Timothy Stack
> Director: Troy Miller

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

14. Vampires Suck (2010)
> IMDb rating: 3.4 (48,714 votes)
> RT audience rating: 29% (75,170 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (91 votes)
> Starring: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Diedrich Bader, Chris Riggi
> Director: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

13. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)
> IMDb rating: 3.3 (22,922 votes)
> RT audience rating: 18% (31,124 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 16% (37 votes)
> Starring: Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Jacks, Tonie Perensky
> Director: Kim Henkel

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

12. From Justin to Kelly (2003)
> IMDb rating: 1.9 (26,430 votes)
> RT audience rating: 39% (52,908 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 8% (63 votes)
> Starring: Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Katherine Bailess, Anika Noni Rose
> Director: Robert Iscove

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

11. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
> IMDb rating: 3.8 (25,782 votes)
> RT audience rating: 19% (32,688 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (89 votes)
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jay Mohr, Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson
> Director: Ron Underwood

Courtesy of Zima Entertainment

10. Fifty Shades of Black (2016)
> IMDb rating: 3.5 (21,418 votes)
> RT audience rating: 19% (11,169 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 4% (45 votes)
> Starring: Marlon Wayans, Kali Hawk, Fred Willard, Mike Epps
> Director: Michael Tiddes

[in-text-ad]

Michael Tullberg / Getty Images

9. Kazaam (1996)
> IMDb rating: 3.0 (24,348 votes)
> RT audience rating: 20% (40,137 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 5% (37 votes)
> Starring: Shaquille O’Neal, Francis Capra, Ally Walker, James Acheson
> Director: Paul Michael Glaser

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

8. Meet the Spartans (2008)
> IMDb rating: 2.8 (107,565 votes)
> RT audience rating: 25% (245,022 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 2% (48 votes)
> Starring: Sean Maguire, Kevin Sorbo, Carmen Electra, Ken Davitian
> Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

7. Epic Movie (2007)
> IMDb rating: 2.4 (105,210 votes)
> RT audience rating: 29% (560,055 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 2% (66 votes)
> Starring: Kal Penn, Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard, Adam Campbell
> Director: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Genius Entertainment

6. The Hottie & the Nottie (2008)
> IMDb rating: 1.9 (38,219 votes)
> RT audience rating: 31% (12,755 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 6% (67 votes)
> Starring: Paris Hilton, Joel David Moore, Christine Lakin, Johann Urb
> Director: Tom Putnam

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

5. Baby Geniuses (1999)
> IMDb rating: 2.5 (26,465 votes)
> RT audience rating: 24% (82,219 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 2% (45 votes)
> Starring: Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd, Kim Cattrall, Peter MacNicol
> Director: Bob Clark

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

4. Gigli (2003)
> IMDb rating: 2.6 (48,814 votes)
> RT audience rating: 13% (45,247 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 6% (187 votes)
> Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha, Terry Camilleri
> Director: Martin Brest

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

3. Son of the Mask (2005)
> IMDb rating: 2.2 (55,910 votes)
> RT audience rating: 16% (38,705 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 6% (105 votes)
> Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Traylor Howard, Alan Cumming, Liam Falconer
> Director: Lawrence Guterman

Courtesy of Lionsgate

2. Disaster Movie (2008)
> IMDb rating: 1.9 (91,058 votes)
> RT audience rating: 21% (128,398 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 1% (74 votes)
> Starring: Carmen Electra, Vanessa Lachey, Nicole Parker, Matt Lanter
> Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer

[in-text-ad-2]

Cherie Steinberg / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

1. Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
> IMDb rating: 1.5 (30,988 votes)
> RT audience rating: 24% (6,989 votes)
> Tomatometer rating: 0% (46 votes)
> Starring: Jon Voight, Scott Baio, Vanessa Angel, Skyler Shaye
> Director: Bob Clark

Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)

Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.

Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.

Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future

Get started right here.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.