Ryan Reynolds is one of those actors who oozes charisma. Whether he’s playing a badass, a superhero or a muscle-packing psycho attempting to kill his family with an ax, the guy is just likable — and genuinely hilarious.
His latest comedy, Free Guy, is now playing in theaters and does a great job of utilizing Reynolds’ natural comedic talents. As such, we thought it would be cool to look back on some of the actor’s more underrated comedic roles … and no, Green Lantern doesn’t count.
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Waiting…
You’ve probably heard of Van Wilder and Blade: Trinity, which helped boost Reynolds’ star power, but he also featured a little comedy called Waiting… in which he played Monty, a man whose life has come to a standstill after four years of working at the same restaurant.
The low-budget flick marked the directorial debut of Rob McKittrick and featured the likes of Justin Long, Anna Faris, David Koechner, John Francis Daley, and Dane Cook, among others. Critics blasted the flick as little more than a gross-out comedy, but it’s actually a lot of fun and has found plenty of fans over the years. It’s worth checking out, especially for the terrific ensemble.
Just Friends
Speaking of Anna Faris, the talented actress also starred alongside Reynolds in the comedy Just Friends, which, personally, I’ve always enjoyed. Sure, Roger Kumble’s flick relies more on slapstick/juvenile sex jokes than clever comedy, but the cast, which also consists of Amy Smart, Chris Klein, and Chris Marquette, brings enough infectious energy to keep the simplistic plot entertaining throughout.
Plus, that ambulance bit always gets me.
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Definitely, Maybe
Yeah, Definitely, Maybe can best be described as formulaic fun since it follows a basic template and leans on Reynolds (and a hefty dose of 90s nostalgia) to carry its lighthearted premise to a rather predictable conclusion. The actor does a bang-up job alongside Abigail Breslin and a trio of likable actresses, namely Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, and Rachel Weisz. That Kevin Kline appears in a bit role is merely icing on the cake.
Critics were mostly positive, but Definitely, Maybe still only produced $56 million at the box office, and is definitely, maybe worth another look.
The Change-Up
The Change-Up is the highest-grossing live-action film on this list with just over $75 million in worldwide ticket sales, but that seems rather pedestrian for a comedy featuring Reynolds and Jason Bateman. It’s true that the film never lives up to its potential as whatever clever humor existed in the body-switch premise gets lost amongst endless sex jokes and rambunctious humor. However, it’s still an enjoyable watch if only for the chance to see Reynolds and Bateman on the screen together.
Turbo
This one might be cheating, as DreamWorks’ Turbo grossed $283 million worldwide and even spawned an animated series. Except, it still counts as an undervalued Reynolds comedy, rendered with gorgeous animation, a cute premise, and a wild cast that features Paul Giamatti, Samuel L. Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, and more. No, it isn’t Pixar, but Turbo still provides plenty of innocent fun for the whole family.
