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Officer Riggs and Officer Murtaugh
The movie: Lethal Weapon
The actors: Mel Gibson and Danny Glover
Buddy cop movies don’t get any funnier than 1987’s Lethal Weapon. Officer Riggs is a hot-blooded juvenile rookie while Officer Murtaugh is the veteran, more traditional in hist style of sleuthing. What they both have in common is the enjoyment of flying solo. They’re paired together to bust a local gang of drug smugglers and suddenly this is no longer just some mindless action film, but a story about friendship and teamwork. The success of their partnership spawned three sequels proving that audiences cherish a hearty bromance. It will have you looking at your closest colleague and wanting to give that person a hug.
Seth and Evan
The movie: Superbad
The actors: Jonah Hill and Michael Cera
Best friends Seth and Evan just want to get laid before having to leave for college. As separation anxiety ensues and graduation nears, pressure mounts as these two awkward seniors try and impress their high school crushes Jules (Emma Stone in her breakout role, drool) and Becca. With the help of their friend Fogle, they use a fake ID to score some booze and flatter the ladies. They must overcome obstacles in the form of some bumbling cops, drunken shenanigans, and the hidden angst they hold for each other’s college future.
Zoolander and Hansel
The movie: Zoolander
The actors: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson
“Hansel, he’s so hot right now!” are the words that haunt professional male model Derek Zoolander whose career is threatened by a fresh Abercrombie& Fitch neo-hippie named Hansel. The pectoral-flaring fashionistas become allies when they uncover a conspiracy involving the use of male models as assassins. The film satires the idea that models aren’t really that smart…just, you know, really, really, REALLY good looking. With an outstanding cast of comedy and fashion vets, it’s marvel a marvel of one-liners, walk-offs, and ORANGE MOCHA FRAPPUCCINOS!!!
Mike and Marcus
The movie: Bad Boys
The actors: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence
Mike and Marcus, Miami’s resident best friend drug enforcers are the product of a pre-Transformers Michael Bay¬–you know, when it just wasn’t about CGI and blowing shit up. When an internal threat penetrates their division, the buddies must find the perpetrator who fucked up their bust and save their jobs. No wonder Will Smith is so good at what he does, he has practically built a career playing one-half of law enforcing duos in many a crime-fighting comedy. There are now three Men in Black films and two Bad Boys movies, making him the best movie cop in the galaxy.
Jay and Silent Bob
The movie: Most Kevin Smith movies
The actors: Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith
No Kevin Smith-directed film is complete without these two boobs. They originally appeared in Smith’s indie-outing Clerks, peddling marijuana to the burnouts outside a decrepit convenience store. Jay is the wise-ass while Silent Bob is the, uhm, quiet type. Always on the prowl for a good time, titties, and a chance to get high, they somehow wlmost always end up saving the day. Snoochieboochies!
Harold and Kumar
The movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
The actors: John Cho and Kal Penn
Why is it that most stoners of pop-culture come in twos? The answer is probably because after a couple of bong hits, one or the other is bound to get into some form of trouble. Harold and Kumar, Asian American’s best bet for stoner couple of the year had us all wanting to food trip on a good white castle burger. After consuming a hefty dose of doobie, they embark on an epic journey to sate their cotton-mouthed cravings. We certainly know how that feels.
Their antics spawned the sequels Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and their Christmas special, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, where you can see Neil Patrick Harris’ mug magically pop out of the screen, granted you’ve burned some joints prior. See it with a friend, preferably your favorite pothead.
Lee and Carter
The movie: Rush Hour
The actors: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker
When the daughter of a high-profile politician is kidnapped, Lee and Carter–cops of different culture and continent–join forces to save her. Director Brett Ratner’s comedic caper was a sleeper hit, and the chemistry between Chan and Tucker undeniable.
The play on their cultural differences only heightening the comic element, Remember their shtick where Carter asks Lee in a loud and absurd tone: “DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH?” Then there’s the whole bit with the Edwin Starr song that goes: “War! Hoo! Yeah! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!”
Schmidt and Jenko
The movie: 21 Jump Street
The actors: Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum
This tale of two underachieving undercover agents was both a critical and commercial success. This revamping of the Johnny Depp 1980s TV teen drama follows the same sort of premise. Schmidt and Jenko grew up on opposite sides of the high school spectrum. Jenko was a jock and Schmidt was a dork.
They form a friendship in the police academy and they are sent to investigate a syndicate of hallucinogenic-hustling hipsters at a local public school. The synthetic drug is called HFS, meaning holy fucking shit. And after seeing this movie we practically screamed the same thing, because, as we found out, that was some funny shit indeed.
Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega
The movie: Pulp Fiction
The actors: Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta
Where most of the duos we mentioned were either cops or dope-up deviants, Jules and Vincent are not-so-cold-hearted contract killers. Part of the joy of director Quentin Tarantino’s wicked Pulp Fiction is witnessing the conversations between these two hired hands.
Vincent Vega is a heroin junkie who gets too involved with the bosses wife and Jules is a bible quoting, Kahuna burger-munching hit man; their most infamous scene the one where they discuss the metric system and quarter-pounders. Classic.
Cheech and Chong
The movie: Up in Smoke, Nice Dreams
The actors: Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong
This notorious comedy duo that began in the 70s is the original stoner bromance. In their movies, Cheech and Chong are always high as a kite and trying to evade the long arm of the law. They’ve made vans out of weed, sold glass bongs for a living, and have won a grammy.
Their films and music have soared to cult fame, sealing their legacy as the most popular and recognized stoner duo of the century. See, what did we tell ya, stoners always, always come in pairs.
