Are parodies dead, or have we just grown up?

Tropic Thunder isn't actually a parody in the same way Immortal Weapon is

But hey, you can't deny that "Top Secret" with Val Kilmer definitely belongs in that category. 😁It’s got a few parodies of those deathly clichés that just kill me—you know, like having to smash a window before you can actually start shooting, or that whole thing where a priest shows up right before someone gets taken out... 🤣Basically, it's worth checking out.

I accidentally stumbled upon Spartance one morning while flipping through channels on HBO—honestly, I don't even know where to start. Every comment I could make feels redundant at this point, but one thing is for sure: you could probably use that movie as a form of interrogation in Guantanamo. While the Scary Movie sequels still hold onto a tiny shred of legitimacy thanks to their roots in classic parody—which Leslie proves in the last one, if I recall correctly—you might manage to squeeze a decent laugh out of them here and there. But really, it just feels like the whole industry is being swallowed up by that mindless "yo nigga" nonsense that’s infecting everything in American culture these days.

Even Nielsen has some dark spots in their filmography... like that "Omnipotent Mission" movie, I think that's what it's called.

Frank Chase6 said:But hey, you can't deny that "Top Secret" with Val Kilmer definitely belongs in that category. 😁It’s got a few parodies of those deathly clichés that just kill me—you know, like having to smash a window before you can actually start shooting, or that whole thing where a priest shows up right before someone gets taken out... 🤣Basically, it's worth checking out.

I accidentally stumbled upon Spartance one morning while flipping through channels on HBO—honestly, I don't even know where to start. Every comment I could make feels redundant at this point, but one thing is for sure: you could probably use that movie as a form of interrogation in Guantanamo. While the Scary Movie sequels still hold onto a tiny shred of legitimacy thanks to their roots in classic parody—which Leslie proves in the last one, if I recall correctly—you might manage to squeeze a decent laugh out of them here and there. But really, it just feels like the whole industry is being swallowed up by that mindless "yo nigga" nonsense that’s infecting everything in American culture these days.

Even Nielsen has some dark spots in their filmography... like that "Omnipotent Mission" movie, I think that's what it's called.

Omnipotent Mission is way too good!🙏

About ten years ago, I actually found "Not Another Teen Movie" to be a decent parody of those teen flicks—though, looking back, I’m honestly not sure if it would even land for me today.
Then there’s that film mocking those high-priced assassins starring Pierce Brosnan, "Matador"—but I suspect that leans more toward black comedy rather than being a true parody.

As for the parodies released in recent years? I haven't even been able to sit through them to the end; the sheer volume of mindless stupidity is just exhausting, and it ends up having the exact opposite effect of what's intended—it's just not funny.

From what I’ve gathered, the older parodies seem to have a bit more creativity behind them, whereas the newer ones mostly just rely on over-the-top exaggeration. They often feel a bit cluttered with cheap gags and nonsense that might only land with ten-year-olds, especially with those mindless "yo nigga" type jokes.

Jessica Gonzalez said:From what I’ve gathered, the older parodies seem to have a bit more creativity behind them, whereas the newer ones mostly just rely on over-the-top exaggeration. They often feel a bit cluttered with cheap gags and nonsense that might only land with ten-year-olds, especially with those mindless "yo nigga" type jokes.

Pretty much.
But honestly? The old parodies were funny back in the day, even if they don't hit the same now. The real tragedy is that the new ones aren't even funny today when they're actually relevant.

They’ve gone straight to hell. It has nothing to do with how we grew up. Aside from the occasional outlier—the kind that actually makes me feel a little guilty for laughing... but whatever—there are just 212 different flavors of garbage sitting underneath the old

Modern "parody" has basically devolved into taking ten scenes from ten different blockbusters and just distorting them until they look grotesque. Sometimes they even pull it off, but it’s always the same damn formula. Parody shouldn't just be about mocking other movies... it shouldn't start with that, and it certainly shouldn't end there. It's like a game of telephone—one guy did it once, and now every amateur hack is running right behind him.

I’m definitely on the same page—the older parodies just hit differently. That being said, I have to admit that Scary Movie 1 & 2 were actually pretty decent; there were plenty of scenes that genuinely cracked me up. Anything released after that, though? Absolute garbage. I’ve tried sitting through things like Scary Movie 3 ..., Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, and all those other mindless sequels, but I usually give up after about 15 or 20 minutes.

Richard Wilson4 said:Man, I loved these things when I was a kid. Golden Gun,Pilot, even the newer stuff like Don't Be Cruel

Darkness movies were kind of this weird transition period where they went from funny to just gross—especially the later sequels. They finally hit rock bottom with Disaster Movie. Honestly, that one was just nasty, and it wasn't even funny. Not even a little bit... 🤷

Seriously, even rewatching Pilot recently left me feeling pretty let down. Like, why wasn't it as hilarious as it used to be?

So, am I being too harsh on modern parodies, or have they actually just gone to hell?

Yeah, I was obsessed with them as a kid too... honestly though, it's been at least a decade since I've seen a decent parody worth watching.

It’s not about growing up. It’s just those stupid scenes that make me feel bad when I should be laughing.
The classics (those movies listed above) are always worth a rewatch, provided you don't force it—you can't just hammer them home seventeen times in three days.

I still remember watching Scary Movie... honestly, the first one actually landed for me, but every single sequel after that just went straight down the drain. It just kept getting worse and worse...

Waaazzzz uuuppp 😁

Honestly, I feel like modern parodies have completely lost the plot lately, don't you? They just seem to force the jokes so hard, trying way too hard to be funny when they aren't even close, which makes the whole thing feel like such a massive miss.

It’s all about perspective. Honestly, even back then, those comedies and parodies weren't exactly side-splitters, and the horror flicks weren't truly terrifying either. But you were younger, maybe had less refined taste or just lower expectations, and since the movies weren't total garbage, they left a pretty good impression... Now, after years of avoiding them, there’s this weird trend of people mythologizing these old films, but when you actually sit down to rewatch them, they just don't hold up quite the same way since the context has changed so much. I remember absolutely loving Loaded Weapon and thinking it was the funniest parody ever when I first saw it, especially when FOX first aired it back in the day—around 2004 if my memory serves me right—but watching it again this past Sunday, I could barely believe how some of the jokes were just completely unfunny and poorly executed... Something similar happened to me a few months ago when I revisited Hot Shots, though in my opinion, that one is still miles ahead of LW.

Richard Wilson4 said:Tropic Thunder isn't actually a parody in the same way Immortal Weapon is

Anything worse than Tropic Thunder? Man, I haven't watched anything in forever...

I think there’s some truth to the idea that we’re just getting older. When I watch modern parodies lately, my first thought is often, "I've seen this all before," which honestly isn't a bad assessment of the genre.
I actually sat down the other day to watch the Golden Gun, which is basically a sequel I had never bothered with before. It was just okay for me—mostly because I felt like I’d already encountered every single gag or something very similar elsewhere.

If I had to pick the absolute best parody out there, it would have to be Airplane!🙂

Quick clip here where the crew from Half in the Bag breaks down why those 2000s comedies just didn't hit the mark compared to the decent stuff we had back in the 80s.
http://www.redlettermedia.com/half-i...ofoam-beating/

I caught that on FOX just yesterday—What a Guy, they still manage to amuse me, I suppose🙂. Though, I have to admit, the second installment felt even better.

For what it's worth, my absolute favorite parody series has to be the Golden Gun Series🙂
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Hot Shots 2 is hands down one of my all-time favorite movies. It takes me straight back to high school, when my buddy and I would spend half our time just quoting every single joke from the film. Seriously, that President character? One of the funniest characters ever put on screen.

Aside from that, most of the old classics mentioned are top-tier too—especially Top Secret and Airplane!. And let’s not forget Bad Taste, which is also worth mentioning.

Since we're already talking about Top Secret... 😁

It looks like a Dark Film will always be my thing.

I honestly don't know how anyone stays sane watching this season unfold—it's just pure chaos from start to finish! I was catching the game last night and, man, my heart can't take these fourth-quarter collapses anymore. It’s like we learn nothing from last year, right? Just constant, agonizing momentum shifts that leave you staring at the screen in disbelief. Anyway, I'm curious what you guys think about the recent trade rumors swirling around the league... anyone actually buying the hype, or is it just more noise? kaže:
The Omnipotent Mission is just way too much!🙏

Thanks for clearing that up—I was definitely a little lost there! 😁

I actually totally swapped out the whole Mission Impossible thing for that one movie where Leslie plays some space agent—you know, the one. Honestly, I was thinking of that specific role as a bit of a smudge on his overall filmography.

Anyone else here a massive Star Wars fan? If you’re looking for some newer, slightly offbeat parodies that actually land, I can't recommend Robot Chicken Star Wars enough. It’s only three episodes, but man—every single one is packed with top-tier jokes poking fun at the original movies. Seriously, it's gold. 😁