Do you know what makes a great 'buddy' movie? When the pairing is so unlikely! Two characters, both of which couldn't be farther from each other, go on an adventure or are forced to spend time together. Now there's a recipe for a funny movie and, if things go well, cinematic success! There have been a lot of these in the past few decades, here are some you should definitely check out!
The Lone Ranger
What's better than Johnny Depp up to his old quirky onscreen antics? Having Armie Hammer as a frustrated busybody right next to him. And so went their comedic western, "The Longe Ranger," in 2013. Full of classic chases, gun battles, and the likes, the chemistry Depp and Hammer brought onscreen was undeniable. They worked well off each other, from the former's usual strange charms to the latter's quite dapper cowboy portrayal. In fact, while it's not the most praised movie of that year, their pairing was what critics said was the best part.
Jungle Book
Whether you watch the original 1967 animated classic or the ultra-realistic 2016 remake, the buddy dynamics of Mowgli the human and Baloo the bear are just as charming as ever. You'd think that humans and animals are the last buddy pairing filmmakers would ever put on screen, but here, both times, the worked. It's all about the trust that Mowgli put to Baloo, as well as the love the latter has for the former. It's a heartwarming movie that's all about friendship, no matter what species you belong to.
If you thought a friendship between an animal and a human was unlikely, wait till you see "Pokémon Detective Pikachu!" Yep! You read that right! There's actually a buddy comedy with a Pikachu—played by the wildly hilarious Ryan Reynolds—and a human, the endearing newcomer, Justice Smith. The pairing between the adorable yet slightly foul-mouthed Pokémon (yes, he actually has more lines than just saying his name) and the disgruntled but still charming teenager was a great dynamic on screen.
My Cousin Vinny
This unconventional buddy movie, the highly-talented Joe Pesci plays Vinny, a newly-admitted lawyer who acts more like a gangster than an actual lawyer. In this courtroom comedy, Vinny tries to keep his cousin Bill Gambini, and his friend, Stan Rothenstein, from being wrongfully convicted for a store robbery. The hilarious dynamic between the scared teenagers and their tough tongue-in-cheek lawyer is cinematic gold, to say the least! Pesci was even nominated for an Academy Award for his performance here!
Shrek
Perhaps one of the best least-likely buddy pairings of all time: Shrek and Donkey. They're definitely one of the funniest too! The way Eddie Murphys 'Donkey' annoyed Mike Myers's 'Shrek' is right up there as one of the funniest pairings in movie history. No wonder the film won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature! It's an unlikely buddy movie that kids and adults love, and one that changed the course for animated films within the movie industry!
These unlikely buddy movies are the best of their kind. If you’re looking for a laugh, these are the films to watch!
