David Spadeis a terrific comedian and actor who frequently falls short of his potential, at least when it comes to feature films. He got his start onSaturday Night Livein the 1990s,earning a reputation for his sarcasm, self-deprecation, and deadpan delivery.He quickly pivoted to film and sitcoms, finding decent commercial success. Although some of his movies were box office hits, Spade is probably at his bestwhen doing stand-up, and his movie roles tend to only hint at the kind of comedy he’s capable of.
For this reason, he’s been involved in a lot of films that are pretty lackluster, though he’s usually at least solid in them. Indeed, most of Spade’s features are not great cinema or anything, but they can be entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny. At the very least, they should be fun viewing for those who like Spade’s stand-up and are looking for more of his humor. Here are Spade’s ten best movies ranked.
10’The Wrong Missy' (2020)
Directed by Tyler Spindel
“Now close your eyes and tell me I suck at singing!“The Wrong Missyis a straightforward comedy based on a good old-fashioned case of mistaken identity. Tim (David Spade) thinks he’s inviting his dream girl, Missy (Molly Sims), whom he met at an airport, to a company retreat in Hawaii. However, he accidentally invites a previous disastrous date, the wild and unpredictable Missy(Lauren Lapkus). As the trip progresses, Missy’s outrageous behavior causes havoc, though Tim eventually begins to see a different side to his accidental date.
“The movie was eviscerated by critics and, indeed, it’s no masterpiece, but it delivers a few decent laughs and should appeal to viewers who are already fans of Spade.”
The movie was eviscerated by critics and, indeed, it’s no masterpiece, but it delivers a few decent laughs and should appeal to viewers who are already fans of Spade. Plus,the highlight is actually Lapkus, who turns in a committed and high-energy performance despite the limited material the script gives her to work with. She’s charmingly anarchic throughout; her castmates would’ve benefited from channeling some of her energy.
Watch on Netflix
9’Black Sheep' (1996)
Directed by Penelope Spheeris
“I’m not far from dragging you out of the car and beating you to dust.” In this one, Spade plays Steve Dodds, a sharp-witted and loyal campaign aide to Al Donnelly (Tim Matheson), a gubernatorial candidate. The plot centers on Al’s brother, Mike (Chris Farley), whose well-meaning but disastrous antics threaten to derail Al’s political aspirations. Steve is assigned the unenviable task of keeping Mike out of trouble, naturally leading to a string of chaotic escapades.
Black Sheepessentially tries to recapture the lightning-in-a-bottle fun of Spade and Farley’s earlier team-up,Tommy Boy. However, it doesn’t come close to that movie’s easy chemistry. In addition, Spade plays more of a straight man here rather than a goofball, which doesn’t work as well. That said,he’s competent in the role and delivers his sarcastic lines nicely.LikeThe Wrong Missy, however,Black Sheepfalls short of its own potential. It was panned by critics:Gene Siskelsaid it was one of only three movies thathe walked out on. Ouch.
Black Sheep
Watch on Fubo
8’Joe Dirt' (2001)
Directed by Dennie Gordon
“Right on. You’re Joe Meteorite and I’m Joe Dirt.” Spade delivers one of his most well-known performances here as the dimwitted but eternally optimistic protagonist; a kind of holy fool. Abandoned by his parents at the Grand Canyon, Joe grows up in a series of foster homes but never loses hope of reuniting with his family. He journeys across America as he searches for his roots, facing a series of humorous and sometimes poignant encounters.
“Joe Dirtis silly to the core, but it’s also packed with eccentric characters, ridiculous visual gags, and crude humor.”
This movie could have been an utter dumpster fire but winds up being fairly enjoyable, thanks to Spade’s comedic timing and easy rapport with co-starsDennis Miller,Brittany Daniel, andChristopher Walken.Joe Dirtis silly to the core, butit’s also packed with eccentric characters, ridiculous visual gags, and crude humor.In other words, it delivers on what its target audience is looking for. Plus, it represented something of a bolder role choice for Spade at the time,pushing him outside his comfort zone a little.
Rent on Amazon
7’Grown Ups 2' (2013)
Directed by Dennis Dugan
“Hang on. I got a burpsnart coming up.“Grown Ups 2reunites its cast of comedy stars for a second round of parental misadventures. Spade is joined byAdam Sandler,Kevin James, andChris Rockas a group of friends navigating adulthood while trying to recapture the fun of their younger days. Their antics in this one involve a chaotic house party and a showdown with a crew of rowdy frat boys.
Like the first one,Grown Ups 2received abysmal reviews but performed well at the box office. It’s basically a live-action cartoon with the subtlety of a sledgehammer but, in fairness, this is by design. The recipe was clearly a winning one commercially, asGrown Ups 2brought in$246m worldwide. It does at least give Spade’s character a bit more of an actual story, as a long-lost son from one of his flings turns up, forcing the unrepentant lothario to rapidly grapple with fatherhood.
Grown Ups 2
6’Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star' (2003)
Directed by Sam Weisman
“This is Nuckin' Futs!“Dickie Roberts: Former Child Staris a goofy but frequently funny comedy about a washed-up actor (Spade) desperate to regain his former fame. Dickie, once a popular child star, now finds himself forgotten and struggling to secure roles. In a bid to land a part that could revive his career, he hires a family to experience a “normal” childhood he never had.
The humor here is very childish.Most of the gags are beyond ridiculous, but a few of them wind up being kind of hysterical, like the sequence where the characters, thinking their dog has killed the neighbor’s rabbit, clean up the bunny and put it back in its hutch. However, it turns out that the rabbit had died naturally, and the dog had simply dug it up from its grave. The owners are horrified to see it back in the cage, like something fromPet Sematary, and freak out accordingly.
Watch on Paramount+
5’Hotel Transylvania' (2012)
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
“Look out for pitchforks.“Hotel Transylvaniais an animated gem about a horde of monsters living ina hotel run by Dracula(Adam Sandler). The plot centers on Dracula’s efforts to protect his daughter Mavis from the human world while hosting a lavish celebration for her 118th birthday. Spade lends his voice to Griffin, the Invisible Man, a riff on a character from theH.G. Wellsnovel, who is one of the Count’s closest friends. Spade took part in the sequels as well, which go on to reveal his true human form.
Spade’s contribution is pretty minor, thoughhe has some fun moments when he and the other monsters venture out into the human world.While not the best showcase for Spade’s talents, the most itself is good fun and gorgeously animated, making it one of the stronger projects he’s been involved in. It’s typically stellar stuff from animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky.
Hotel Transylvania
4’The Benchwarmers' (2006)
“He just did that steroid-free!“The Benchwarmersfollows three underdog friends who form a baseball team to take on local Little League bullies. Richie, along with Gus (Rob Schneider) and Clark (Jon Heder), are former benchwarmers who missed their chance to play in their youth. They organize a tournament that offers them a chance to rewrite the past and attain the glory they never won as kids. They have a fighting chance this time thanks to support from a billionaire nerd (Jon Lovitz).
The Bad News Bears, this is not.The Benchwarmersis slapstick and formulaic, with feel-good plot points the viewer can see coming from a mile away. Nevertheless,it’s got a surprising amount of heart too, and the lead actors are in good form.Fundamentally, it’s a celebration of misfits and outsiders, as well as the power of friendship. The movie is breezy at just 85 minutes long and delivers more than enough gross-out humor to please younger viewers.
The Benchwarmers
3’Grown Ups' (2010)
“That’s a nice hat. It brings out the death in the room.” The firstGrown Upsmovie sees the gang getting together for a summer getaway after the death of their beloved basketball coach. The plot is an afterthought here. Rather, the focus is on the jokes and the dynamics between the friends.The actors appear to enjoy each other’s company in real life, giving the movie the vibe of a few pals goofing off, which is often the case with Sandler’s work.
The film’s guiding philosophy seems to be “keep it simple, stupid”, relying on slapstick sequences and one-liners for its entertainment. For example, there are people crashing off ziplines and being impaled during a game of “arrow roulette”. Spade’s comedy is pretty good in the film, at least, and he’s always ready with a well-timed zinger. However, the movie’s most iconic line actually comes from one of the child actors, who declares, “I want to get chocolate wasted!”
2’The Emperor’s New Groove' (2000)
Directed by Mark Dindal
“Yay. I’m a llama again! Wait…” Spade voices the main character, Emperor Kuzo, in this wonderful animation. He’s a selfish and arrogant ruler who is transformed into a llama by his scheming advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt). Stripped of his power and stranded in the wilderness, Kuzco reluctantly teams up with a kind-hearted peasant named Pacha (John Goodman) to reclaim his throne. Throughout their journey, Kuzco learns valuable lessons about humility, friendship, and leadership.
The Emperor’s New Groovewas notoriouslystuck in development hell for years, making it all the more surprising that the finished product ended up being so fun. The brisk pace carries the viewer along and memorable characters like Kronk (Patrick Warburton) provide a ton of entertainment. Spade’s voice acting is also perfectly suited to the character. He makes Kuzco simultaneously annoying and fundamentally likable, a tricky balance to get right. Visually, the character also took a lot of inspiration from Spade’s facial expressions and mannerisms. It’s sure to be one of his most enduring roles.
The Emperor’s New Groove
Watch on Disney+
1’Tommy Boy' (1995)
Directed by Peter Segal
“Hey, a Prehistoric Forest!” Spade’s best movie is this buddy comedy with Chris Farley. He is Richard Hayden, a straight-laced and sarcastic auto parts company executive who reluctantly teams up with the bumbling and lovable Tommy Callahan (Farley) to save their family business. After Tommy’s father dies, the future of the company rests on their shoulders, leading the mismatched pair on a cross-country sales trip.
Tommy Boyopened to mixed reviews and a weak box office performance but later became a home video hit and a cult film. The story and script are fairly average, butthe infectious dynamic between the stars elevates it considerably.They have a genuine rapport, and the two characters bounce off one another nicely. This creative pairing seemedto bring out the best in both actors. Farley, especially, shows off a greater range here as well as a more sensitive side. Finally, the movie shows Spade at his best, delivering his unique brand of comedy with zest.
A carefree, dim-witted heir to an auto parts factory must prove his worth by selling enough stock to save the business after his father’s unexpected death. Teaming up with a reluctant and straight-laced company accountant, he hits the road to secure orders, facing humorous pitfalls and personal growth along the way.
