Wayne's World's 12 Most Hilarious Moments Ranked
"Wayne's World" hit theaters in 1992 and immediately delighted audiences with its hilarious gags and an all-star cast. Based on the popular "Saturday Night Live" sketch, Mike Myers plays the titular character Wayne Campbell, who hosts a self-produced TV show on cable access with his best friend Garth Algar (Dana Carvey). The show, "Wayne's World," is shot in Wayne's parent's basement, where he lives, and has a small but dedicated and loyal audience.
The film's villain is studio executive Benjamin Oliver (Rob Lowe), while the rest of the cast is filled with notable names like Tia Carrere, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Kurt Fuller. The cult comedy was incredibly successful in theaters upon its release, debuting at #1 at the box office and raking in over $180 million worldwide on a budget of just $20 million (per Box Office Mojo). Myers followed up the film with the 1993 sequel "Wayne's World II," though fans never got to see a third installment.
While pretty much every scene in "Wayne's World" is memorable, some have definitely stood the test of time better than others. Time to party on — these are the 12 most hilarious moments of "Wayne's World," ranked.
12. Recruiting Russell
Toward the end of "Wayne's World," Garth and Wayne come up with an ingenious plot to get Cassandra's (Carrere) band's tape to screen in the limousine of rock promoter Frankie Sharp (Frank DiLeo). Garth is going to hack into "the secret military spy satellite" in order to beam the feed from Wayne's basement into the vehicle. There's just one problem: the guys need to get their equipment from the new sound stage. After breaking into the studio, the team is confronted by Benjamin's producer partner Russell (Fuller).
Russell initially tries to stop the gang from getting away, until Garth delivers a hilarious speech to talk him down. Garth tries to convince Russell that Benjamin is not his friend, and tells him that "if Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and d***." Garth is successfully able to disarm Russell's flashlight, and they all become friends on the drive over to Wayne's house.
The whole scene is brilliant, from Garth falling on his keys as he tries to sneak across the grass, to him disassembling Russell's flashlight as if it's a real weapon. Russell's instant change of heart is also an amusing turn. It's definitely one of the top moments in "Wayne's World," and one of Russell's best scenes.
11. Garth uses his taser at Gasworks
From the beginning of "Wayne's World," Garth quickly becomes one of the audience's most beloved characters, largely due to his timid but idiosyncratic personality. One of his most enduring moments happens early in the film when he takes on a bully at Gasworks while watching Cassandra's band, Crucial Taunt. Garth is trying to watch the show when another guy twice his size blocks him from getting by. Garth politely asks the larger man to move aside, but after getting pushed to the ground he decides on a new strategy: his battery-powered taser.
After retrieving his homemade taser from his car (the Mirthmobile), Garth goes back inside the bar to confront his transgressor. The taser ends up delivering a massive shock to the man, throwing him backward and onto the ground. Garth then juggles the device like a gunfighter, before bolstering it in his custom belt, impressing several women in the crowd.
The scene is one of the most notable in the entire movie, and definitely one of the funniest. You never expect Garth to pull a homemade taser device out of his car, and combined with his timid deadpan delivery, it really defines his character. Garth's taser definitely earns a spot in the funniest "Wayne's World" moments.
10. Wayne and Cassandra's subtitled conversation
Some of the best comedy in "Wayne's World" comes from its absurdity, and there is no better example than Wayne's relationship with Cassandra. In an effort to connect with her, Wayne learns her native language of Cantonese. And while that's certainly a romantic gesture, it's more than a little improbable Wayne would manage to become fully fluent in just a few days.
That's why when he starts speaking Cantonese fluently to Cassandra, it's both surprising and funny. He says he's still learning, but he has absolutely no problem saying relatively complex sentences and understanding everything Cassandra says. During their conversation on the roof, Wayne's ex-girlfriend Stacy (Boyle) starts making out with a random guy behind them to make Wayne jealous -– only to crash through the ceiling and fall into the club.
The subtitles are put in so the audience can see what's going on, but it's clear that at least some of the dialogue and subtitles do not match. At one point, several lines of translated dialogue start flashing across the screen, while Wayne, not saying anything at all, just looks at his watch and waits. It's definitely one of the more subtle comedy bits in "Wayne's World," but it's still one of the funniest.
9. Garth's daydream
Throughout "Wayne's World," Garth is shown to be infatuated with a woman (Donna Dixon) who works the pastry case behind the counter at Stan Mikita's Donuts. When he, Wayne, and Cassandra are all at the cafe fresh off signing their new contracts, Cassandra and Wayne encourage Garth to pursue his love interest, with Wayne saying, "If you blow chunks and she comes back, she's yours. But if you spew and she bolts, it was never meant to be."
What ensues is a full-blown dance sequence, set to the soundtrack of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady." Garth begins dancing around the cafe, thrusting to the rhythm of Hendrix's guitar, while lip-synching and making fox ears with his hands on his head. Unfortunately for Garth, because it is a daydream, the scene ends with him awkwardly smiling at Wayne and Cassandra, too shy to go talk to the woman.
This is one of the most unforgettable moments in the entire film, and one of the defining scenes of Garth's character. He's typically so quiet and shy, but for a few seconds, he finally lets loose. "Foxey Lady" is also a great song choice for the scene, and Garth's fox ears are the cherry on top. You really can't talk about "Wayne's World" without at least acknowledging this scene.
8. Wayne and Garth play hockey
Another awesome moment from "Wayne's World" comes when Garth and Wayne play hockey out the front of Garth's house. Both are dressed in Chicago Blackhawks jerseys, due to the movie being set in Aurora, Illinois, and they both look on point. Garth is wearing an old-school Jason Voorhees-style mask, complete with his signature glasses resting on top, and massive hockey pants (but no leg pads), while, Wayne is sporting paper-thin gloves and his jersey looks like it could use a good wash.
They shout "game on!" when they start playing, only to keep yelling "car!" as they are constantly interrupted by passing vehicles. What really makes the scene one of the best in the movie is when Wayne's ex-girlfriend Stacy shows up riding her bike. She is obviously madly in love with Wayne, yet he is thoroughly disinterested in getting back together with her.
While wearing a neck brace — the result of her falling off the roof while trying to make Wayne jealous back at Gasworks — Stacy rides by trying to get his attention. However, she fails to focus on the road ahead and immediately goes careening into a parked car and tumbles over the hood. Wayne and Garth watch the whole thing, trying not to laugh as she picks herself up.
7. The Suck-Kut
The opening scene in "Wayne's World" is also one of its funniest, as we're introduced to Ron Paxton (Charles Noland) and his "Suck-Kut" invention during a taping of the cable show. His device is a part-vacuum-cleaner-part-hair-cutting machine, which Wayne sarcastically refers to as "a totally amazing excellent discovery." Wayne allows Ron to test out the machine on Garth's head, who asks Ron for "just a trim."
As soon as Ron puts the "Suck-Kut" on Garth, he begins to panic. The vacuum starts pulling on Garth's hair, lifting him out of his seat and making him scream. Within a few seconds, Garth's timid winces turn to soul-wrenching cries of terror and Wayne has Ron cut the plug as Garth starts hyperventilating. Wayne has to calm Garth down by having him imagine himself alone in a forest with Heather Locklear.
Not only is the scene laugh-out-loud funny, but it actually plays a very important role in the movie. Benjamin is watching the episode with his girlfriend, which ends up leading to him signing Wayne and Garth. The "Suck-Kut" is definitely a pivotal scene in the movie, and one of the most amusing.
6. Wayne and Garth sell out
After new contracts, corrupt executive Benjamin starts to flex his muscle by forcing Wayne and Garth to have the show's new sponsor Noah Vanderhoff (Brian Doyle-Murray) on for an interview. While that doesn't sound very funny, it's Wayne and Garth's reactions to the demand that makes it memorable. While Benjamin is trying to matter-of-factly explain that the contracts state Noah is guaranteed a spot on the show, both respond about their reluctance to sell out.
While both Wayne and Garth are articulating their reasons, they are both seemingly engaging in blatant product placement. Wayne eats Doritos and drinks Pepsi while saying their taglines direct to the camera. Meanwhile, Garth, who is covered head-to-toe in Reebok-branded clothing, says "it's like people only do things because they get paid, and that's just really sad."
Benjamin looks bemused and mildly confused, as Wayne and Garth keep hawking products like Nuprin and Pizza Hut. The scene is a subtle shot at the abundance of product placements in movies, showing how they add nothing to the plot and only serve as unnecessary distractions.
5. Wayne confronts Cassandra and Benjamin
A pivotal moment in "Wayne's World" is also one of its best. After Wayne and Cassandra have a falling out, he confronts her and Benjamin while she is shooting a music video with her band. The scene starts with Cassandra trying to play her bass guitar in the music video while dangling a snake around her neck. She keeps insisting to Benjamin that the snake is obstructing her, and the large reptile keeps falling off as she tries to sing.
Wayne finally shows up, and that's when the real hilarity ensues. First, he tries to win her back by delivering a dramatic speech while an "Oscar clip" caption is displayed on-screen, complete with him splashing water in his face to simulate tears and falsely confessing his inability to read. Wayne then tries to prove to Cassandra that Benjamin has been lying to her in an attempt to steal her away, but all of his attempts keep getting foiled — he says the band isn't even there, only for the members to immediately walk past and then he opens the camera to show there's no film, only for an endless roll to come flying out.
Cassandra eventually becomes wise to Benjamin's agenda and she realizes that Wayne has been right all along. Any scene with Cassandra, Wayne, and Benjamin together is gold, and this is definitely one of the standouts.
4. The first corporate Wayne's World
After Noah Vanderhoff becomes the new sponsor of "Wayne's World," Benjamin starts making changes immediately. The first episode of the revamped show gets off to a rocky start when Wayne and Garth are confused by the way their new producer, Russell, counts down to start the broadcast. First, they misunderstand what Russell is telling them about not mouthing the final two numbers of the countdown out loud, and then they can't stop nodding along with it.
Eventually, they get it together, and that's when they unveil the massive green screen for the first time, which Wayne and Garth use to fake travel throughout the U.S. They go to places like New York City, where Garth suggests they go to a Broadway show, before hula dancing in Hawaii and riding horses in Texas. But the best part is when Delaware appears on the screen, and it's clear that neither Wayne nor Garth have any clue about the state.
They both stand awkwardly on screen, with Wayne blankly saying "Hi. I'm in Delaware." His deadpan delivery is brilliant, but Wayne and Garth's entire monologue is great, and one of the top sequences in the film.
3. Garth and Wayne meet Alice Cooper
"Wayne's World" has a number of celebrity cameos, but the short scene with rock legend Alice Cooper may just top them all. After Wayne and Garth watch him perform in concert in Milwaukee, they make their way backstage while making sure to show everyone they can their backstage passes to prove they're cool. Once they make it into the dressing room, Garth is completely starstruck and can only make vague squeaks, while Wayne calmly introduces themselves.
Alice then launches into an incredibly articulate speech about how "Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors," and gives a brief lecture about the history of French missionaries and early Native Americans who had previously lived in the area. He informs them of the Algonquian origins of the name Milwaukee, much to Garth and Wayne's surprise.
However, by far the most iconic part of the scene is when Alice asks if they want to stay and party with him, at which point Wayne and Garth immediately bow to their knees and start chanting "We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're scum!" It's possibly the most memorable scene in the entire movie and is full of laughs. It really shows how Wayne and Garth are still completely kids at heart and total rock nerds. If there is one scene that truly defines "Wayne's World," this one is it.
2. The Noah Vanderhoff interview
After Wayne and Garth sign their new contracts, they are forced to change the format of their cable show. Not only does the new corporate "Wayne's World" have its own announcer, but it also has new cheesy theme music. After being surprised by the new intro, Wayne then has to conduct an interview with the new corporate sponsor, Noah Vanderhoff.
However, Wayne has an ace up his sleeve -– and it's a treat for everyone on set and the viewer. While leading a seemingly normal interview with Vanderhoff, Wayne writes insulting phrases on the backs of all his notecards which are plainly visible to the audience but not to Vanderhoff. Everyone in the studio is laughing hysterically, except Benjamin, who is furious. Vanderhoff mistakes their laughter for cheers and thinks the interview is going great.
Wayne ends up getting fired from the show over the incident, leading to a rift between him and Garth who gets left to host the show alone. Despite this, the scene is still one of the most enduring of the film. Watching the interview is incredibly amusing, as Vanderhoff has no idea what's going on and Garth is trying to stop from bursting out laughing. It's by far one of the best "Wayne's World" moments in the film.
1. The false endings
At the end of "Wayne's World," after Wayne and Garth are able to successfully transmit the feed of Cassandra's band into the limo of Frankie Sharp, it seems like everything is going to work out for them. Then, in a shocking twist, Mr. Sharp informs Cassandra the time isn't right for him to sign her band, which causes her to break up with Wayne while Benjamin stands by and gloats. Stacy then reveals she's pregnant with Wayne's child, and the entire studio burns to the ground, leaving Wayne holding a charred Garth.
Just when it seems like Benjamin has ended up with Cassandra, Garth and Wayne come sliding onstage and assure the audience "as if we'd end the movie like that!" They then proceed to perform a litany of endings, including a "Scooby Doo" conclusion, where Benjamin turns out to be Old Man Withers, "the guy who runs the haunted amusement park!"
Finally, the true ending is played out, which involves Cassandra and Wayne declaring their love for each other, Garth and his dream woman getting together, and Cassandra earning her record deal. Even Benjamin realizes the error of his ways. The absurdity of the ending is truly funny and totally fits in with the message about not taking yourself too seriously. The ability to break the fourth wall while still staying in character is vintage Mike Myers and it really shines in this scene.