Subverting genres by inserting comedy into them is a classically successful and hilarious art form. None more so than the sci-fi comedy film. The outrageousness that typically accompanies science fiction stories is a perfect canvas for comedic elements. These comedies have delighted movie-going audiences for decades and have become some of the best films in history. Let's take a look at some of the best sci-fi comedies.
10 Mars Attacks (1996)
Mars Attacks may very well be Time Burton's craziest outing, and that is saying a lot when it comes to Burton. This alien invasion comedy boasts one of the most star-studded ensembles ever put onto film. Consisting of Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Michael J. Fox, and Pierce Brosnan, to Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Jack Black, and a young Natalie Portman. Along with one of the scariest moments from a Tim Burton movie, Mars Attacks also boasts some of the best comedy found in Burton's films. The brilliant cast and over-the-top comedy of the movie makes it a sure fire sci-fi comedic classic.
9 The Nutty Professor (1963)
Before the 1996 remake of the same name, classic comedic actor Jerry Lewis starred in The Nutty Professor, the story of a nerdy scientist who develops a serum that turns him into a suave and charming man. Widely considered to be one of Lewis's finest comedic performances, The Nutty Professor ranks on the American Film Institutes 100 Years... 100 Laughs ranking comedy films.
8 The World's End (2013)
The World's End marked the final of three films in Edgar Wright's "Cornetto Trilogy" featuring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz coming before it. The World's End tells the story of five high school friends returning to their hometown in the English Countryside only to discover that everyone they know has been replaced by alien replicas. Pegg and Frost work so well together as a comedic duo, throw in the likes of Martin Freeman and Rosamund Pike, and you have yourself one of the best sci-fi comedies ever.
7 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
A sci-fi comedy that appeals more towards a younger audience, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, is a Rick Moranis classic. Starring as a scientist who mistakenly shrinks his two kids and their friends down to the size of an insect, Moranis plays the lovable loser so well. Full of larger-than-life set pieces and the Moranis charm, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids still holds up as a timeless classic. Fans of the series should be excited as it is expected that Rick Moranis will reprise his role alongside Josh Gad in a Disney+ remake.
6 Paul (2011)
Another sci-fi comedy featuring the duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, albeit without Edgar Wright, is 2011s Paul. The movie features Pegg and Frost as two buddies traveling the western United States following a science fiction convention. As they visit Area 51, they soon find themselves with an alien companion known as Paul, voiced by Seth Rogen. A hilarious re-imagining and occasional parody of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Paul is chocked full of comedy and heart, making it one of the best sci-fi comedies of this decade or any other.
5 Weird Science (1985)
Featuring a somewhat... problematic premise, Weird Science stars Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Michael-Smith as two nerdy teenagers who set out to create the perfect woman. Alongside Michael-Smith and Brat Pack member Hall, the film also features Robert Downey Jr. and the late Bill Paxton in some of their earliest roles. Considered by many to be one of the best John Hughes movies, Weird Science is science fiction blended with classic '80s comedy.
4 Spaceballs (1987)
Nobody does the parody film quite like Mel Brooks and to take on the mega power that was Star Wars throughout the late '70s and '80s, a bold move for sure. Spaceballs is packed full of outrageous and silly comedy only Mel Brooks could help produce. The film breaks down and makes fun of almost every key element from Star Wars in such a successful way that the parody has orbited to the same stratosphere as the thing it is parodying.
3 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
A stoner comedy without the weed, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is another example of science fiction working so well in 80s comedy. The movie takes best friends Bill and Ted on a journey through time and space as they attempt to save themselves from failing a class. Heavy on the laughs as it is on the rock 'n roll, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure stands the test of time as a classic science fiction comedy.
2 Back to the Future (1985)
Considered to be one of the smartest comedy movies ever made, Back to the Future also ranks as one of the best sci-fi comedies of all time. This Robert Zemeckis classic has so many iconic images and hilarious lines. Not to mention its direct contribution to helping inspire one of the funniest animated television shows ever, Rick and Morty. Perhaps the most perfect blockbuster ever made, Back to the Future has etched its way into popular culture forever and will live on far into a road-less future.
1 Galaxy Quest (1999)
Often times some of the greatest works of art are the most overlooked pieces of art, and our number one entry fits the definition of both. Galaxy Quest is not only the best science fiction comedy ever, but is vastly one of the most underrated comedy movies of all time. The film features some of the best comedy writing ever as well as classic performances from Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, who play characters completely against the archetypes they are most notably known for. Words can not do it justice, if you or anyone you know is unfamiliar with Galaxy Quest; then, in the words of the late, great Alan Rickman, "by Grabthar's Hammer" watch it or show them now.