Tropic Thunder (2008)

O Masterpiece
X Excellent
O Good
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / August 17, 2008

Truly funny comedies seem to be an endangered species, which makes “Tropic Thunder” a rare animal. Much of this movie is hilarious — and vulgar — and hilarious. And I highly recommend it to any non-conservative movie buff.

The cat, no doubt, is out of the bag that “Tropic Thunder” is a fierce satire which mercilessly ridicules big-budget Hollywood and its bottom-line titans.

Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, and Nick Nolte star in this movie about the making of a high-dollar, Vietnam War movie called “Tropic Thunder.”

Now, it’s interesting that the movie these characters are making is called “Tropic Thunder,” while the actual movie we’re watching also has the same title but is in fact a different movie. This would be similar to “Burden of Dreams” (1982) being named “Fitzcarraldo” (1982).

The fictitious studio has spared no expense in special effects, location shooting and big-name actors. Action movie star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) is cast as Foley, the platoon leader. Rick Peck (Matthew McConaughey) is Speedman’s agent, and the most dedicated agent since Jerry Maguire.

And award-winning method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) is an Aussie who has undergone a controversial pigmentation surgery to play an African-American soldier.

Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) is a heroin addict who’s typically a comedic actor but trying to expand his résumé. Four Leaf (Nick Nolte) is the Vietnam vet who wrote “Tropic Thunder,” the book that the fictitious movie is adapted from. And last but not least, Tom Cruise plays the aptly named Les Grossman, the ruthless, despicable movie mogul whose production company is financing “Tropic Thunder.”

Right away the filming of the movie within the movie is problematic. It is costing far more than the studio execs planned, and the prima donna actors’ egos keep bumping heads. Following the advice of the war-vet-gone-author, first-time director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) deploys his actors deep into the jungle, where they unwittingly encounter real hostiles that they suppose are also actors, much like we saw in “Three Amigos!” (1986).

“Tropic Thunder” gets so many things right: It begins with spoof trailers from the actors’ previous movies, all of which are fictitious, of course. These are great parodies, and are somehow reminiscent of the trailers that played between the “Grindhouse” (2007) double feature. One of these trailers takes aim at Eddie Murphy, and it’s a well-deserved attack.

This could almost be an action movie, too, which is another thing “Tropic Thunder” does right. Unlike Adam Sandler’s “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” from earlier this year, “Tropic Thunder” is a comedy that also has some fairly entertaining action scenes. Once and a while they go over the top, particularly in the violence department, but it works for the intended comedic effect. “Zohan’s” attempts fail.

As noted above, “Tropic Thunder” is quite vulgar and will surely be offensive to many people: I winced while thinking how war veterans might react to this movie’s parody of “Platoon” (1986), and war in general. And I’ve already read scathing reactions to this movie’s ongoing jokes about mental retardation. Both communities probably should be offended.

Tom Cruise’s brave, surprise performance is a delight. And though Jack Black is usually quite humorous, he is mostly useless in this movie. But it is Robert Downey Jr. who truly steals the show. I suspect that his method-actor character pokes fun at Daniel Day-Lewis and those like him.

I know it’s extremely rare — and nearly unheard of — for comedic actors to be nominated for Academy Awards, but Downey Jr. should receive such a nod. He doesn’t have to win, but he should be nominated. I’m not holding my breath, and neither is Downey Jr.

His character dominates the screen with lines like, “I don’t read the script; the script reads me.” His makeup is exceptional, too. He truly looks like a black man. You know, in the pioneering days of motion pictures, white actors played African-Americans with black face makeup, a practice that has since stirred frequent resentment. So, Downey Jr.’s character shockingly returns to that distasteful yesteryear, incorporating many stereotypes. Whether it’s offensive or not, the role is well done.

At one point Downey Jr. alternates between the African-American soldier and the Australian-born actor. The concentration it must have taken to pull that off — and still be funny — is remarkable.

Remember his line from the trailer: “I’m the dude that’s playin’ the dude disguised as another dude”? That scene is brilliant because it has a double meaning. Watch for it.

All in all, “Tropic Thunder” is an excellent, laugh-out-loud comedy. It’s the kind of movie that’s best to watch by yourself, so you won’t feel ashamed of your reaction.

Directed by Ben Stiller
Robert Downey Jr. / Ben Stiller / Jack Black
Comedy / Action 107 min.
MPAA: R (for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material)

U.S. Release Date: August 13, 2008
Copyright 2008: 310