Steve Carell Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Steve Carell, whose latest project "Minions: The Rise of Gru" opens in theaters on Thursday. 

Steve Carell's Filmography Ranked:

24.The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (D+)

23.Evan Almighty (C)

22.Despicable Me (C)

21.Welcome to Marwen (C)

20.Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (C+)

19.Irresistible (B-)

18.Dan in Real Life (B-)

17.Dinner for Schmucks (B)

16.Cafe Society (B)

15.Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (B)

14.Date Night (B)

13.Bruce Almighty (B)

12.Battle of the Sexes (B)

11.Foxcatcher (B)

10.The Way, Way Back (B)

9.Last Flag Flying (B)

8.Get Smart (B+)

7.Little Miss Sunshine (B+)

6.Crazy, Stupid, Love (B+)

5.Vice (A-)

4.Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (A-)

3.The Big Short (A-)

2.Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (A+)

1.The 40-Year-Old Virgin (A+)

Top Dog: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Top form Judd Apatow is such a powerful cinematic force. Backed by an extraordinary cast (Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco, Jane Lynch, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann) who was largely unknown or underappreciated prior to this project, Apatow made a hilarious juvenile sex comedy that slowly and organically blossoms into a really heartfelt adult love story. This transition would be unthinkable for most filmmakers, but Apatow's unmatched understanding of grown men acting like childish fucking idiots and mature, loving romantic relationships make this daunting, unexpected transition look downright effortless.   

Bottom Feeder: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

It's always disheartening to see talent go to waste on screen and the now long forgotten The Incredible Burt Wonderstone tossed an impressive collection of luxury items into the dumpster without a care in the world. Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde, James Gandolfini and Alan Arkin all helplessly flounder around in this nearly completely laugh-free dud that struggles to mine quality jokes out of the inherently ridiculous world of Las Vegas magicians.   

Most Underrated: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Is Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues on the level of the original? No and personally, I think expecting it to be is unfair. As far as I'm concerned, Anchorman is a singular work of comic genius that couldn't be replicated under any circumstance. However, what Anchorman 2 does do is deliver the best follow-up possible. The returning cast (Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Carell, David Koecher, Fred Willard) slips back into their roles seamlessly and the new additions (Kristen Wiig, James Marsden, Megan Good) easily carve out their spots in the ensemble, the absurd humor is delivered with panache and energy and the volume of great scenes/quotable lines sprinkled throughout this long-awaited reunion affair is high enough to ensure that there's still plenty of big laughs to be had.      

Most Overrated: Despicable Me (2010)

A single Despicable Me/Minions movie was more than enough for me. While it's relatively inoffensive on the whole, there wasn't a strong enough comical or emotional hook present for me to feel compelled to spend any additional time with Gru, the Minions and the rest of the gang. 

Comedy That I Remember Very Fondly, but Have No Idea How Well It Holds Up: Get Smart (2008)

Get Smart was a movie that I had lot fun with when I saw it in theaters back in the summer of 2008. I even excitedly purchased a DVD copy of it for stupid cheap ($2-3) at a Newbury Comics a few years later. Like most films that I saw as a teenager/young adult, but haven't rewatched since, I'm not overly confident that I'd be as high on Get Smart if i watched it today. Comedy has a tendency to age worse than any other genre and it's not exactly being championed or even brought up much currently (its current IMDB score is 6.5 and the reviews it received during its initial release were mixed). Maybe I'll have to break out that DVD in the near future and get some clarity on this Get Smart take.