Movies that Made Me Want to Cry

Times of travail have a tendency to see the production of some great comedy movies. If there was ever a time we needed to laugh, this decade, beginning in 2000 was certainly it. Natural disaster, terrorist attacks, and wars have been the hallmark of the period; and thankfully, Hollywood has delivered some films that have left us rolling in the aisles, able to forget for a few hours how terrible things are. Unfortunately, there have also been some real turkeys. Films that were unfunny or just plain lousy. Here are the ten worst comedy films of the decade.

1. Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy. A nerdy Jewish guy falls in love with a lady wrestler. He has to compete for her affections with a sexy Japanese guy and a gay best friend. This movie is so full of clichés and contrived situations, you want to cry instead of laugh. The only thing missing to complete the stupidity of the plot and the exploitation of minorities was a black midget.
2. Snatch. Boxing promoters, crooked bookies, incompetent robbers, a Russian gangster, and some Jewish jewelers race against time and each other to find a stolen diamond. There are one or two scenes that could have come out of Keystone Kops, but any laughs this film gets are of nervousness, not because it is truly funny, but because it's just plain embarrassing.
3. You Don't Mess with the Zohan. An Israeli secret agent goes to the US to realize his dream of becoming a hairdresser, problem is, his past won't leave him be. Adam Sandler has done some outstanding comedy work - this was not among his best. He overacts, dialogue is contrived, and it just isn't all that funny.
4. The Invention of Lying. In a world where no one can lie, one man learns how. There's a bit of religious revelation here, and it is not a bad movie to watch, about halfway through, but it is just too serious to be considered a comedy. Efforts at humor are disruptive, and seem about as appropriate as wearing a bikini to a wedding.
5. Nutty Professor II. The first film was hilarious, but, once was enough. Eddie Murphy playing his entire family is a demonstration of the range of his acting talent, but in II the jokes were just not as funny the second time around.
6. American Dreamz. A US president, seeing his poll numbers falling, decides to go on a popular entertainment show, "American Dreamz." This movie is an obvious take off on the Bush presidency and the show "American Idol." The problem for me is, the real things were so funny and ridiculous, it's hard to beat them - and "American Dreamz" seemed like a pale and straining imitation.
7. A-List. If you're not on the A-List, you're a nobody. I'm not kidding folks, that's all this snobby, pretentious film seems to be about. It was about as boring as "Seinfeld" to me, and just about as meaningless. A great film if you've been having trouble sleeping.
8. Grad Night. Crispus Attucks High School can't afford to have a real celebration for its about-to-graduate seniors, but one group of students are determined to have fun anyway. There hasn't been a good high school or college-themed comedy since "Animal House." This movie couldn't seem to decide if it was a rip off of "Animal House" or "Porkies" and it wound up being neither.
9. Popstar. A top model retires and goes back to Brazil to hook up with the heart throb she's met on the Internet. She takes a job with the fashion agency that gave her a start in the business and has to deal with the intrigue and backstabbing with only her virtual lover to help. Maybe I just don't understand what is funny in Brazil, but it just didn't make me laugh. It had a few moments that bordered on being funny, but they stopped short. Beautiful people, though, so it was only a partial flop.
10. Music and Lyrics. Hugh Grant is a has-been pop musician who is challenged to write a tune for a spoiled pop star, and he has a ridiculously short deadline. He discovers that his plant sitter (Drew Barrymore) has a talent for songwriting and convinces her to collaborate. It had its moments, and Barrymore is a truly funny performer (as is Grant himself at times), but the movie doesn't get the mix of love story, drama, and comedy quite right. Scenes you think at first are comedy, do a flip into romance, and leave you hanging.