Action-comedy is a playful mix of movie-genre hybrids that has produced some of the best entertainment pieces in the film industry.

There is a genuine appreciation across the board for the movies of the 2000s. It was the time when every movie could be that perfect movie for someone. Funny shows like The Office were conversation starters, as most of us delighted for minutes reliving the jokes and casting theories about what could happen next. So, if you loved the 2000s films, here are the best action/comedy movies that shaped the turn of the millennium.

8 Bad Boys 2 (2003)

Talk about the perfect assembly of actors and producers. Bad Boys 2 is a product of director Michael Bay, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, A-list actor Will Smith and comedian Martin Lawrence. Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) are undercover Miami cops who don’t always get along. For starters, Mike is secretly dating Marcus’ sister, Sydney (Gabriel Union), while Marcus is pushing for his transfer without Mike’s knowledge. The two partners never seem to agree on much, but it’s their chemistry that makes the movie special.

You can’t talk about breathtaking cinematography without thinking of Michael Bay movies. The way he tells stories with his busy visual style featuring lens flares, slo-mo shots, explosions, and flurries of edits is a thing of beauty. In fact, Bay is known for his signature camera moves like the famous circular tracking shot for actors. This style debuted in the first installment of the Bad Boys franchise in 1995.

7 Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)

Movies that start in therapy are just hilarious. The introduction of characters trying to fight their demons is a recipe for great character arcs, especially in well-written stories like in Mr and Mrs Smith. John (Brad Pitt) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie) are a married couple living deceptively mundane lives.

Each one of them is hiding a secret: they are both assassins for competing agencies. You can only watch the movie to see how a strange romance redefines a relationship, with bursts of sexy action, incredible stunts, and the perfect company of humor. This movie was the birthing place of “Brangelina.” Their real-life relationship was also popular, sometimes even more popular than the actual film. Their off-camera bond is a legacy that will forever be attached to the film.

6 Shaolin Soccer (2001)

At the time of its release in 2001, Shaolin Soccer became the highest-grossing film in China. The movie held the number one position until 2004, when the same filmmaker, Stephen Chow, released his next feature, Kung Fu Hustle.

Shaolin Soccer’s plot revolves around a soccer game that involves a bunch of kung fu masters and misfits trying to challenge a brutal and pompous team of champions. The soccer games are unbelievably goofy. Consider soccer players jumping 50 feet in the air and kicking a ball that violates every law of Isaac Newton. The soccer ball can also bend a goal post and rotate so fast that it creates a vortex capable of destroying everything on its path.

5 Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Stephen Chow went ahead to create another blockbuster movie, Kung Fu Hustle. The film had the biggest opening of any film at the time in Chinese cinema. The movie is about Sing (Stephen Chow) and his wacky friend, Bone (Lam Chi-Chung), who try to scam the dwellers of Pig Sty Alley by telling them they are the members of the feared Axe Gang. Once the real gangsters show up under the leadership of Brother Sum (Danny Chan) to terrorize the residents, they unexpectedly encounter three kung fu masters who reside in the run-down neighborhood.

Just like in Shaolin Soccer,Kung Fu Hustle characters defy the laws of physics. Get ready to laugh when you see a hilarious landlady with a cartoon cigarette that is always in her mouth no matter what. You will also get to meet the master of the “Iron Fist”, master of the “Hexagon Staff”, and master of the “Twelve Kicks”.

4 Pineapple Express (2008)

Pineapple Express is a wacky, jarring stoner comedy that portrays three individuals who develop their friendship after an unlikely encounter with death. The story develops when Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) drops a rare marijuana strain that is potentially fatal after witnessing a murder. Once he discovers that the unique weed can be tracked, Dale and his plug Saul (James Franco) go head-to-head against a corrupt cop Carol (Rosie Perez) and a vicious drug lord Ted Jones (Gary Cole). This action-comedy is filled with dramatic moments of humor and unrestrained playfulness. Is there a Pineapple Express 2 in the works? Let’s wait and see.

3 Hot Fuzz (2007)

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a hot-shot police officer in Hot Fuzz with an impeccable record that is too good for the inspector and even the chief inspector of police. Nicholas has an arrest record that is 400% higher than any other officer, and that makes everyone look bad. So, he is sent to expend his skills in the seemingly peaceful and crime-free village of Sandford. In this unfamiliar town, Angel is forced to adjust to a different reality where he learns to relax, thanks to his daft local cop partner, Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). However, a series of “accidents” lead Angel to investigate the false picture-perfect village filled with conspiracy.

Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg wrote the script for the movie Hot Fuzz. They chose to add as many clichés from action movies as possible to make a fun movie – For instance, a character immediately locating the light switch in a pitch-black hotel room.

2 Tropic Thunder (2008)

Tropic Thunder is a funny satire of the film industry. It is a movie about the making of a war movie based in Vietnam. The first five minutes will give you a laugh; you won’t even realize that it’s the beginning of a movie. The film is cleverly written by Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, and Etan Cohen, and the cast consists of a string of A-list actors who are having fun, kidding about their profession and showcasing their comedic skills. The film has a different level of funny with amazing cameos from Lance Bass, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Toby McGuire, and Tyra Banks. The film has become controversial as of late, with some saying it couldn’t be released today.

1 The Rundown (2003)

If there was a point in time when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson received the torch of becoming the next superstar in action films, it’s in the movie The Rundown. In the first scene of the movie, Beck (Johnson) enters a nightclub and passes Arnold Schwarzenegger, who says to him, “Have a good time.” Sure enough, in 2022, Johnson is the highest-paid actor in the movie industry. But, he is yet to be ushered into the exclusive list of the highest-paid film roles.

As a retrieval expert, Johnson has a technical approach to handling his business, which involves providing the target with two options. Option A: the easy way, and option B: the hard way, which we want to see because it calls for Johnson’s wrestling signature moves and some real street fighting. Beck’s co-star is Sean William Scott, the same funny guy who played Stifler in American Pie. The two acts crash into the jungle and go for harrowing adventures that solidify the script by offering daring and intriguing encounters.