Comedy, of course, is subjective. There is no film that will be universally funny for each human being, because comedy is based on social mores, history, politics and a multitude of other cultural factors that quickly mutate and differ from one district to another. Indeed, what we found funny in 2005 may not be as funny in 2025, so time also plays a factor. And although some comedies have lasted centuries – Shakespeare and Moliere are still in progress to date – some comedies a few decades ago are already dated. Heck, sometimes the time of day can be a factor. A midnight film can be funnier than a Sunday morning of the same film.
But there is an objective scientific means to assess the effects that comedy has on us: our laughter. If a film makes us laugh several times, then we can take measures, right? And if a film makes us laugh 10 times, and another makes us laugh 30 times, then this last film can be considered the funny film. As such, to determine the funniest film of all time, it would simply be necessary to bring together a panel of test subjects, then expose them to several comedy films, writing how many times they laughed during a projection. One would then take this number and on average how many times they laughed, per minute of film. The film with the greatest number of laughter per minute (LPM) would be, scientifically, the funniest of all time.
Back in 2012, Forbes magazine conducted such a study. The comedy films of the study were determined by a survey which had been led by Lovedfilm, based in London, a division now disappeared from the Telegraph. This means that all films will be in English.
Test subjects were a panel of forbes open to laughter. After watching the 10 best films on the survey, Forbes was able to focus on a single image that caused the most laughs. This film was the 1980 “Airplane!”
Plane! is the funniest film of all time
“Plane!” is a highest order slapstick comedyEven if you don’t know the context of your satire. The film is more or less a comic remake of a 1957 disaster film entitled “Zero Hour!” Directed by Hall Bartlett. Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker found that the film was so cheesy and absurd that he would only take a slight push to make it a stupid comedy. Indeed, both “plane!” And “Zero Hour!” Includes the dialogue line “We have to find someone there who can not only drive this plane, but who had no fish for dinner.” The two films relate to characters named Ted Stryker (Dana Andrews in 1957, Robert Hays in 1980) which were former squadron pilots in the Second World War. They both end up on a commercial airliner on which the poisoned fish was served for dinner. The two Teds must overcome their war trauma to control the plane after the pilot falls ill. The two TEDs are also trying to cover relations with women who are trying to leave them (Linda Darnell in 1957, Julie Hagerty in 1980).
“Plane!” is with a stone face in its delivery, but also has scenes of jumping human hearts, falling watermelons and high Lloyd bridges on modeling glue. There is also an inflatable automatic driver that … Well, I will let you see for yourself.
By forbes’ measurements, “Airplane!” caused three LPMs, or a laugh every 20 seconds. The study of Forbes does not however seem to distinguish between a slight laughter and an intimate cry. All laughs seem to be equal in the study. In any case, three LPMs are impressive in any measure. If we know the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker comedies, then we will know that they tried to pile up in as many jokes as possible. With this philosophy, it is not surprising “Airplane!” caused as many laughs as he did.
The finalists
The Lovefilm survey asked its pollsters to classify which films they found the funniest, and the film which is the most coherent in No. 1 was the 1979 Terry Jones film “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”, an ironic parody of biblical epics by one of the troops most celebrated in England. Oddly, however, the study of Forbes revealed that “Life of Brian” actually produced the least laughs per minute of its top 10. It seems that “Life of Brian” produced only 1.2 LPM. Remember that this is based solely on the scientific readings of Forbes and does not take into account a more intellectual critical response.
The second most fun film on the Forbes list was Todd Phillips’ 2009 comedy “The Hangover” ,,,,, Winning 2.4 LPM. This film concerns a baccalaureate which went wrong, following a group of Ne’ Er’er-Do-Wells after their awakening of a Bende all night of which they have no memory. The film follows their investigation into what happened the previous night. The third funny third was another film by Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker, their 1988 cop film “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!,” Based on their television series “Police Squad!” The Zaz team is the only filmmakers whose films appear twice on the list. (“Naked Gun” obtained 2.3 lpm.)
In Descending order, The Funniest Films also included Greg Mottola’s “Superbad” (2007) with 1.9 LPM, Larry Charles’ “Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2006) with 1.7 LPM, Adam McKay’s “Anchorman: The Legend of Ronch Burgundy “(2004) with 1.6 LPM, Paul Weitz’s” American Pie “(1999) with 1.5 LPM,” Bridesmaids “by Paul Feig (2011) with 1.4 LPM, and” Shaun of the Dead “by Edgar Wright (2004), with 1.4 LPM.
You can see the recess bias of those questioned. Five of the films came from the 2000s. One came from the 1970s, two from the 80s, one of the 90s and one of the 10s. It is clearly not a sample as complete as, say, / List of the film of the 113 best comedies of all time. But, given the parameters, “Airplane!” is always the clear winner.