Some of the greatest and most famous parody films were released in the 1990s, with many likely materializing in your head upon reading the title of this list. However, along the way, a title or two featured herein will undoubtedly appear more unfamiliar. But rest assured: they're all of the utmost quality as far as parodies are concerned, guaranteed to emit laughter with each well-written joke. And sure, this list runs the gamut of quality just a bit. But what the films at the lower echelon may lack in caliber, they make up for with regard to name value. All that said, these are the ten best parody movies from the 1990s, ranked.
10 Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
Starring Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, this sequel undoubtedly pales in comparison to its predecessor. But Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) will provide laughs from start to finish thanks primarily to the efforts of its leads. This is the second of two films in the franchise, with Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020) coming a few decades later.
Bogus Journey was the most panned by critics, but hey: a 56% on critical consensus website Rotten Tomatoes is far from the worst score you'll read about today. Perhaps if the film homed in on something other than The Seventh Seal (1957) to spoof — seriously, who makes fun of Bergman? — this entry could have resonated more fondly with pundits of the industry. Nonetheless, Bogus Journey will still make you laugh, and it thus kicks off the list.
9 Robin Hood: Men in Tights
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The master of spoofs is Mel Brooks thanks particularly to two films from the 1970s, and even the same year: Blazing Saddles (1974), and Young Frankenstein (1974). In the following decade, he followed up valiantly with both History of the World: Part II (1980) and Spaceballs (1987).
But in the 1990s, the caliber of his spoofs began to wane. Make no mistake that Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) will still emit laughter throughout the titular character's medieval journey. It's just not quite on par with earlier Brooks comedies. But Elwes provides an indelible performance as Robin Hood, and this goes down among his best performances ever. It's funny enough to land at number nine.
8 BASEketball
Off the bat, it's worth noting that BASEketball (1998) saw direction under David Zucker, a member of the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker trio of comedy filmmakers. He made this entry by himself, while other films under their collective banner include the forever famous Airplane! (1980), along with Top Secret! (1984) and Ruthless People (1986).
Starring Matt Parker and Trey Stone, the feature at hand follows their protagonists as they invent the titular hybrid sport that combines basketball with baseball. They created the game to be competitive against more athletic bodies. But to their great surprise, BASEketball became a sensation overnight. A hilarious premise, with the overall product holding up well enough today to warrant a spot on the list.
7 Mystery Men
Among the most underrated superhero films ever made is Mystery Men (1999). And sure, its team of titular crime fighters don't boast any legitimate powers to their names. It's a spoof of the superhero subgenre, after all. But it's the delusion of the characters that defines the quality of Mystery Men until its hilarious finale. One of them carries a shovel and calls it a power, while another gets really angry. That's it — the latter's ability is rage.
Its uproarious plot played out perfectly thanks to the well-known names among its star-studded cast: Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, and Hank Azaria, for instance. And although this flew a bit under the public radar, it should go down among the more underrated spoofs ever made just as it fits the overlooked mold for its subgenre. On any given day, Mystery Men could land even higher on the list.
6 Mystery Science Theater 3000
Adapted from the television show of the same name, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1996) — or, MST3K, for short — spoofs the B-movies of the forties and sixties. In particular, it homes in on one called This Island Earth (1955), directed by Joseph M. Newman and Jack Arnold. Though not the worst film you'll read about today, This Island Earth fails to hold up properly with contemporary standards. But more on that product in a second.
The film at hand follows a mad scientist named Dr. Clayton Forrester who hopes to fry the brains of everyone in the world by forcing them to watch the worst films of all time. The initial test subject is Mike Nelson, who combats the psychological examination by cracking jokes throughout the film he watches. In this case: the aforementioned This Island Earth. The film-within-a-film was abridged by half an hour to meet the runtime of MST3K, with the overall product worth every minute of your time. Check it out, if you haven't.
5 Mars Attacks!
Parody films often punctuate their titles with exclamation points. This is typically done by the Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker team with films like Airplane! (1980) and the aforementioned Hot Shots! The respective filmmakers intend to imply that the mark legitimately adds intrigue and elation to the film itself, like it's telling you to view the events as exciting. Hey, you know what sounds cool? Mars, attacking! That was the pitch for Mars Attacks! (1994), directed by Tim Burton from a script by Jonathan Gems!
See, such punctuation only excites the respective reader with the proper pacing. But these creatives know that. The titles are of course sardonic, while the films themselves and the jokes they tell within feature some of the keenest timing you're ever likely to experience within film. And none of this has even touched on the star-studded nature of its cast. Their efforts are worth experiencing with a fresh perspective, as is Mars Attacks! as a whole. It ultimately lands just within the list's top five.
4 Bowfinger
Worth noting off the bat with regard to Bowfinger (1999) is that it co-stars two of the best comedic minds of their generation: Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy. It garnered critical acclaim and made decent money in theaters. But frankly, Bowfinger has been thrown a bit too close to the modern wayside of viewership. It's time respect was put on its name. It follows Martin's titular character, a down-on-his-luck producer of B-movies named Bobby Bowfinger.
The other comedy legend in Murphy plays a hot action star named Kit Ramsay, who's featured as the protagonist of Bowfinger's new flick. The twist: Ramsay didn't agree, and he's unknowingly being filmed. With direction under Frank Oz, the project at hand was made from a script penned by Martin. And this should go down among his greatest comedies if not for those screenwriting efforts alone. But he also builds a dynamic on-screen rapport with Murphy that will entertain audiences until the film's final, funny frame. For that, Bowfinger deserves this spot at number four.
3 Hot Shots!
Another movie from the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker group, Hot Shots! (1991) was this time made individually by Abrahams. It's his most famous work outside the trio. And while Airplane! will always soar higher re: popularity, Hot Shots! gives it a decent run for its money as one of the best comedies ever. Just as Leslie Nielson starred in Airplane! to a memorable degree, the same can be said for Charlie Sheen and Hot Shots!
It primarily pokes fun at Top Gun (1986) while also taking aim at Marathon Man (1976), Rocky (1976), Superman (1978), and even Gone With the Wind (1939). A mighty undertaking. But it's seen into fantastically funny fruition thanks to Sheen and Cary Elwes, with the latter going down as one of cinema's all-time best spoof actors. Hot Shots! might be his best.
2 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Perhaps the most famous film on the entire list is Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997). It features Mike Myers in the eponymous role, with that famous comic actor also portraying the film's antagonist: Dr. Evil. His performance drives the quality of the film, showcasing a keen discernment for comedic timing.
But the script is also replete with iconic one-liners and thought-out jokes, boasting some of the funniest dialogue you'll read about today. Its plot follows the titular protagonist Austin as he awakens from a cryogenic experiment to find himself living in the 1990s, no longer in the sixties. Now, he must stop the dastardly Dr. Evil while adjusting to new social customs. Only this team of actors could have pulled off such an off-the-wall premise, with the execution spawning a successful trilogy. An obvious pick for the penultimate spot.
1 Galaxy Quest
A well-written script that spoofs the Star Trek television series, seen into hilarious fruition by a star-studded cast — Galaxy Quest (1999) should go down among the greatest spoofs ever made, let alone of the 1990s. From Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver to Alan Rickman and Sam Rockwell, everyone performs to perfection in rendering this a laugh-out-loud experience from its first frame until its careful conclusion.
Thanks to keen comedic timing with witty wordplay within dialogue, Galaxy Quest is a legitimately intelligent script with unexpected twists featured throughout its plot. And its main character (Commander, played by Allen) embeds a certain emotion thanks to his thought-out arc of development. But this entry is also a gorgeous experience of visual storytelling, with great sound design to boot. Frankly, every fathomable facet of filmmaking comes into fluid fruition to make Galaxy Quest a clear-cut pick for the number one spot.
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