16 Great Clean Comedy Movies the Whole Family Can Enjoy
When it comes to movie genres, comedy rules the roost. A 2018 study by Statista found 91% of females and 90% of males rate comedy movies as their favorite. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. People love to laugh, and there is nothing better than settling in to watch a hilarious comedy movie. But picking what type of comedy to watch is a whole other decision.
The genre of comedy includes a host of sub-genres, from sex comedies and Christmas comedies to teen comedies and satirical comedies to everything in between. Of all the comedy genres, there is one that everybody can enjoy, and that’s clean comedy movies.
Clean comedy movies are just as funny as any other genre, except they don’t rely on profanity or raunchy scenes for laughs. These hilarious flicks are fun for the whole family with jokes that never cross the line. Well, almost never. These wholesome flicks make for great family movie nights and will have you laughing out loud. So read on and discover some of the best clean comedy movies you can stream right now.
16 Great Clean Comedy Movies the Whole Family Can Enjoy
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1. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
A struggling inventor accidentally shrinks his kids and the neighbors’ kids with his latest device. Thrown out with the trash, the kids must navigate the dangers of the backyard in an attempt to make it back home and reverse the shrinking process.
First off, what a premise for a film. Not only is it full of laughs and great set pieces – including the flooding of the garden – but it has a fantastic cast led by funnyman Rick Moranis. Watching tiny humans combat a scorpion and ride on the back of an ant never gets old. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a wonderful family movie sure to entertain everyone.
The success of the movie resulted in two sequels, a TV series, and a Disney attraction known as Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!
2. Home Alone (1990)
Yes, it’s a Christmas movie but Home Alone is suitable viewing any time of the year. Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) gets left at home when his family leaves for Paris and forgets about him.
Left to his own devices, McCallister enjoys his newfound freedom until two crooks, Harry Lyme (Joe Pesic) and Marv Murchins (Daniel Stern) attempt to rob his family home. Armed with only his wit and household appliances, McCallister makes a last stand against the robbers.
Slightly violent but absolutely hilarious, Home Alone is a 90s classic that still holds up today. The sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, is also worth a look, but stay away from the rest of the below-average sequels.
3. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
You could put most of Will Ferrell’s movies on this list, but the one that stands out for us is Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Ferrell is NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby, a successful idiot who soon finds his life turned upside down when rival driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) joins his team, putting Bobby’s position as the number one driver under threat.
Directed by regular Ferrell collaborator Adam McKay, this sports comedy is funny from beginning to end, with Ferrell ably supported by his co-driver and best friend in the movie, John C. Reilly. Even Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan is a fan, calling the movie “great.” Surely that’s a big enough endorsement?
4. Rush Hour (1998)
The buddy cop genre took a comedy u-turn with Rush Hour. American Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) is forced to team up with Hong Kong Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) as they try and track down the kidnapped daughter of a high-ranking Chinese official.
Director Brett Ratner (a complete hack) somehow manages to make Rush Hour work, with Tucker providing the comedy and Chan the martial arts stunts. Action comedies don’t get much better, and although formulaic, the balance of comedy and action works thanks to the movie’s two leads.
The sequel, Rush Hour 2 (set in Hong Kong) and Rush Hour 3 (set in Paris), were both box office smashes and further helped cement Tucker as a comedy lead.
5. Toy Story (1995)
Possibly the best-animated feature ever created by Disney Pixar, Toy Story is a heartwarming family comedy set in a world where toys come to life. The movie centers around two toys, Woody (a cowboy voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (a spaceman voiced by Tim Allen), and their testy relationship as the two try and become owner Andy’s favorite toy.
There’s so much to love about this movie, from the computer animation to the voice-over work to Randy Newman’s amazing score. Grossing $363 million, the film spawned three sequels (all fabulous) and a spin-off movie, Lightyear (not so good).
6. Big (1988)
Before all the awards and $100 million blockbusters, Tom Hanks featured in this funny 80s comedy. Hanks is Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old in the body of an adult. After wishing to be “big” after messing about with a fortune-teller machine called Zoltar, Baskin finds himself transformed into an adult.
At first embracing his newfound adulthood by getting his own apartment, finding a job working for a toy company, and entering into a romance with colleague Susan (Elizabeth Perkins), Baskin soon finds himself longing for his old life as a child when things were much simpler.
Big was a surprise hit that further enhanced Hanks’ reputation as a leading man. It’s a great reminder that no matter how old you are, you should always maintain the enthusiasm of a kid.
7. The Parent Trap (1998)
A remake of the 1961 movie of the same name, The Parent Trap stars Lindsay Lohan as twin sisters who have never met. When they fortuitously end up at the same summer camp, the two discover they are twins and decided to swap lives. It’s a refreshing take on the mistaken identity theme with Lohan playing both sisters.
Lohan, in her breakout role, is the highlight, and it’s disappointing that her career has been wrecked by her personal issues over the years. There are also several references to the original film and the music included throughout is top-class and makes for a great soundtrack.
8. Big Daddy (1999)
In the 90s Adam Sandler took the comedy world by storm. He starred in some of the funniest comedies of the decade, and while many of them aren’t exactly PG 13, Big Daddy does fit that bill.
Sandler is no-hoper Sonny whose girlfriend leaves him for an older, more responsible gentleman. He gets another surprise when a five-year-old boy, Julian, is left on his doorstep. It turns out the child is his best friend Kevin’s, who was unaware he had fathered Julian. Working in China, Sonny agrees to look after Julian until Kevin returns, and in the process begins to take more responsibility for his life.
This is standard Sandler, with lots of slapstick comedy and lowbrow humor. A few jokes fall flat but for the most part, this is Sandler in fine form hitting all the right notes. The supporting cast is also great, with Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, and Leslie Mann joined by Sandler regulars Rob Schneider, Peter Dante, and the great Steve Buscemi.
9. Free Guy (2021)
Ryan Reynolds can do no wrong. Riding high on the success of blockbusters Deadpool 1 & 2, 6 Underground, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and Red Notice, everything he seems to touch turns to gold.
The 2021 action comedy Free Guy is no different. Reynolds is a bank teller who discovers he’s a non-playable character in a video game. Not content with this life, he begins interacting with real-life players, gets involved in a conspiracy, and must try and stop the game from being deleted forever, which would end his existence.
It’s a pretty stupid movie, but Free Guy gets over the line thanks to Reynolds’ charm and some great special effects. The movie has lots of great pop culture references and the laughs keep on coming until the enjoyable ending.
10. The Mask (1994)
It wasn’t just Adam Sandler making the best comedies in the 90s. Jim Carrey came out around the same time and blew everyone away with his performance in The Mask. Based on a Dark Horse comic book series, Carrey plays a boring bank clerk who finds a mask. Once he puts it on he turns into The Mask, a green-faced character with superpowers. Deciding to become a superhero, Carrey attracts the attention of a local crime boss who wants the mask for nefarious reasons.
The Mask is the perfect vehicle for the rubber-faced Carrey to showcase his slapstick style of humor. The instantly recognizable Peter Greene is great as Carrey’s nemesis while Cameron Diaz sizzles on screen as the love interest. One of the best movies of the 90s that got a sequel, TV series, and video game adaptation.
11. School of Rock (2003)
Mistaken for a substitute school teacher, Jack Black takes on the role with vigor as he teaches his students music and tries to recruit them to be his backup band for a “Battle of the Bands” competition. It’s a stupid premise but one that works surprisingly well thanks to Black’s comedic timing and the young cast of students he teaches.
School of Rock is lots of fun with a great cast and an even better soundtrack that includes “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin, “Touch Me” by The Doors, “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks, and “Substitute” by The Who.
12. Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)
Tommy Boy and Black Sheep are usually the two movies people associate with Chris Farley, but you can’t forget the cult classic Beverly Hills Ninja. Farley is an orphan brought up by ninjas who lacks all the skills of his brothers but tries his best to prove his worth. He heads to Beverly Hills to investigate a counterfeiting scheme and finds himself way out of his depth.
Farley was one of the great comedians of the 90s who excelled in the physical role of wannabe ninja Haru. This one has lots of silly gags and showcases Farley’s charisma. Sadly it was the last film he would ever make, with the comedian passing away from a drug overdose 11 months later.
13. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Throughout the 90s Robin Williams was one of the hardest-working comics. Not only was he performing standup, but Williams’ movie career was firing on all cylinders, with the comic starring in some of the decade’s biggest hits. One of these movies that still resonates today is Mrs. Doubtfire.
Williams finds himself jobless and kicked out of his home when his wife (the always charming Sally Field) asks for a divorce. Missing his kids madly, Williams devises a plan to become their nanny by dressing up as Mrs. Doutbfire, an English nanny.
The laughs come thick and fast as Williams alternates between his normal self and Mrs. Doubtfire, all while trying to connect with his kids and stop Pierce Bronson from moving in on his ex-wife. A fantastic 90s flick with lots of gags and a heartwarming ending.
14. Bean (1997)
Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean creation is one of the great TV characters. Big on physical comedy and inspired by actors from the silent film era, Mr. Bean is an inquisitive loner who never talks besides the occasional mumbled word. The show ran for 15 episodes, with Bean finding himself in all manner of comedic situations. The success of the show meant a movie was inevitable, and it arrived in 1997.
The movie features Bean as an inept security guard of the National Gallery in London who is sent to Los Angeles to oversee the transfer of a $50 million portrait to the Grierson Art Gallery. He ends up staying with the museum’s curator and finds himself in all sorts of trouble, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
Bean didn’t go down well with critics but performed well at the box office and is a worthy addition to the Mr. Bean franchise. Atkinson reprised the character for another sequel ten years later, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, which was also widely panned but a monster hit. Both movies are available to watch on Amazon Prime.
15. Airplane! (1980)
An oldie but a goodie, they don’t make movies like Airplane! anymore. This parody of disaster movies is full of zingers and one-liners that will have you chuckling right from the opening scenes. Airplane! incorporates slapstick comedy, surreal humor, sight gags, and everything in between with an ensemble cast that includes Leslie Nielson, Robert Hayes, Julie Hagerty, Llyod Bridges, and basketballer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It’s one of the great comedies that influenced a generation of moviemakers and is much loved by comedy fans.
16. Night at the Museum (2006)
Ben Stiller gets a job at the Museum of Natural History as an overnight security guard, only to discover the exhibits come to life during the night. It’s a simple plot that results in many laughs as Stiller tries to wrap his head around what is happening while also stopping the exhibits from escaping.
The cast is stacked with great actors in cameo roles playing many of the exhibits, including Robin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt, Rami Malek as the mummy of Ahkmenrah, Steve Coogan as Roman General Octavius, and Owen Wilson as cowboy Jedediah. Ricky Gervais, Charlie Murphy, and Paul Rudd also pop up.
A commercial hit, there are three sequels and a video game, although the original is still the best.
