What's Wrong With Cinematic Comedy?

So, I went to see Office Christmas Party. I really like all the actors involved, and the basic premise sounded cool, but it ended up being just another mildly amusing film comedy. It had some good energy at times, but it never really got as bawdy or as outrageous as would've been nice. It was fun without really being funny.

But it got me thinking-- what's wrong with big screen comedies, anyway? On television you have sitcoms that go through season long arcs being absolutely hilarious, while 90 minute movies can't seem to make it through the third act without some hokey car chase or criminal hijinks that turn the film into a thriller for some reason. You'd think all those great TV joke writers would have screenplays lying around, but the good stuff doesn't seem to be making it to the silver screen.

I don't mean to say there aren't good film comedies out there, but they're often good for reasons other than their humor. This is especially true of indie comedies, which are really more light-hearted dramas. I loved Hello, My Name Is Doris and liked and respected Don't Think Twice, but I don't recall guffawing. I guess most animated films are technically comedies, and many of them are excellent, but more for their whimsical storytelling than for how funny they are. And, of course, when you do get a "good" comedy, it's often because they throw so many jokes at you that at least some have to hit, if only because it's a statistical certainty (this is the situation with most Will Ferrell films).

What bothers me is that we're actually going through a comedy renaissance right now. Louie, BoJack Horseman, Broad City, Rick and Morty, People of Earth, You're the Worst-- all of these sitcoms are funnier than any film comedy I can think of from the last few years. We also have a host of podcasts, talk shows and sketch comedy programs floating around that are consistently laugh-out-loud funny. Why is the movie industry lagging behind?

I'm open to being convinced I'm wrong on this. If you know of any gut-bustingly funny film comedies from the last five years, please post them in the comments section.