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Reviews of Tropic Thunder
Scorcher VII!
Posted : 11 months, 3 weeks ago on 22 December 2008 03:42
(A review of Tropic Thunder)Ok, 2 things made me laugh so much in this movie. First, the previews beforehand and Tom Cruise. There is something about Tom Cruise in that character, dancing like he does that just makes me break down and laugh, even when no one else is around. Honestly, the movie itself was ok, some funny parts but overall just ok. I would seriously suggest this movie for just those two reasons. I don't care what anyone says, Tom Cruise and fake previews are funny. All it needed was Steven Seagal as Cock Puncher.
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"What Do You Mean You People?"
Posted : 1 year ago on 7 December 2008 07:08
(A review of Tropic Thunder)The hype for this film was crazy, and I was hearing nothing but good things about it. For the first month it was in theaters, then out of it, I was dying to watch it, but never got around to it. Thank god I gave it a good viewing last night from the nifty "Netflix" service, because It was just as good as advertised, and also much different than I was expecting.
The story is very unique, and not usually seen. A rookie movie director attempts to make a film based on a famous soldier named "Four Leaf", who was a hero in the Vietnam war. Things go hilariously wrong and the actors are forced to become real life military men deep into the jungle. Pretty funny I know.
It launches with a few fake movie trailers introducing all the main characters, and what kind of actors they are. The actors featured are Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, and another guy. The fake trailers are very funny, and really give you a good idea as to how funny the movie will be.
My personal favorite quote is when Robert Downey Jr. says "What do you mean you people?" in response to Ben Stiller's comment. This film is filled with enough great actors to win many awards, and is one of the funniest movies of the year.
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A Thunder of Laughs
Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 17 September 2008 04:58
(A review of Tropic Thunder)''Yo asshole! This motha' fucka's dead. Ain't no Chris Angel Mindfreak, David Blane trapdoor horse shit jumpin' off here!''
Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.
Ben Stiller: Tugg Speedman
Firstly I must say Tropic Thunder achieves exactly what it sets out and strifes to accomplish. What it equals is one of the best American Comedies to come out that tries something new and isn't achingly hard to fathom. This is simple undiluted Black Comedy with crazy action war antics.
''Same thing happened to me when I played Neil Armstrong in Moonshot. They found me in an alley in Burbank trying to re-enter the earth's atmosphere in an old refrigerator box.''
Or little intricacies like helmets resembling Full Metal Jacket and the Platoon nod with Stiller being shot near the beginning shoot in film.
Vietnam movie mocking aside Tropic Thunder also makes a stab at method actors, Comedians and wanna-be rappers. Not to mention an array of subjects like drugs, race and homosexuality.
''There were times while I was playing Jack where I felt...Retarded.''
Jack Black's comedian Jeff Portnoy who is a comic of Nutty Professor proportions with his farting antic film.
Ben Stiller's Tugg Speedman who's the Action star, with a strange baby Sci-fi flick he's seen advertising. Later the pant wetting ''Simple Jack'' AKA Speedman doing retarded.
Robert Downey Jr. as Australian Method Actor Kirk Lazarus, who goes for Awards and becomes so immersed in a role, he stays there. Taking the piss out of all Method Actors in the field to boot out there. Thoughts possibly aimed at Forest Whitaker or Daniel Day Lewis with mad glee. Robert playing an Aussie playing a Black dude, it's priceless...
Brandon T. Jackson as the funnily named Alpa Chino(Where's De Niro tho! haha!), the rapper turned actor, who hides a riot of a secret regarding his sexuality.
''Now I want you to take a step back... and literally fuck your own face!''
But the one that really tops it off, which even rivals Robert Downey Jr's transformation is that of Tom Cruise as Les Grossman. IT actually took me five minutes to register that it was in fact him. The main funder of Damien Cockburn's (Coogan -Wait till you see what happens to him! Laugh your head off!) film and a no shit taking corporate man. Cruise doing his lines and dancing, not to mention hair everywhere except on the top of his head is so funny, it Hurts...
I mean you get to the credits and your face is blowing more blood vessels because the chaos and laughs haven't stopped.
Tropic thunder rips the mickey out of everything and anything....
But it's so damn funny you wont mind unless of course you do, but in that case you may have missed the point.
A grand effort from Director and Star Ben Stiller and Thunder has a killer soundtrack to boot.
Can I see Tom Cruise dancing at the end again? Quality!
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the tropical thunder
Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 30 August 2008 08:50
(A review of Tropic Thunder)Awesomely funny movie, the product spoofs at the beginning were a laugh, and jack blacks offers of oral sex were hilarious!!! As much as it pains me to admit, Tom Cruise was awesome in this movie, his closing scene was the icing on the cake!
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very lame and not very funny
Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 26 August 2008 05:51
(A review of Tropic Thunder)Tropic thunder (like said in other reviews) opens with 4 fake trailers that is supposed to give us a little something before the movie starts. which pretty much what the whole movie is like throughout. a series of events that hardly have a point to them and are not very funny. although the acting is superb from the entire cast which includes Jack Black (who's roles lately have been somewhat different than his other films in the past).Robert Downey Jr.(Iron Man), and the leading man (who also directed and wrote the script ) Ben Stiller. there really is no goal for any of the main characters throughout this horrible attempt at a comedy. which leads us to what the movie is really like a series of events that have no major purpose other than to try and make us laugh but do not. the only thing i have to positively say about this movie is that it has a great soundtrack that sometimes doesn't fit or is to overbearing to the dialogue that is currently being said throughout the movie. if your looking for something hilarious check out Pineapple Express well worth the money.
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Terrific action/comedy romp!
Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 23 August 2008 02:05
(A review of Tropic Thunder)"I'm just a little boy who plays with his penis when he's nervous."
Tropic Thunder was Ben Stiller's most ambitious project yet. The actor/director/writer's career abruptly plummeted after starring in a number of disappointing films such as the tepid Night at the Museum and the lacklustre recent remake of The Heartbreak Kid. The last time Stiller accepted the obligations as a director was for 2001's successful comedy Zoolander (he also directed the 1996 Jim Carrey movie The Cable Guy). Put quite blatantly, Tropic Thunder is bona fide redemption for Stiller. He's returned to form with this zany, wild comedy that's an absolute blast from start to finish!
As many have noted from reviews thus far and from the hyperbolic marketing, Tropic Thunder is a straightforward spoof of the war genre. From Platoon to Apocalypse Now, from Saving Private Ryan to Rambo - no war movie is safe. But additionally, the film is far more than a mere brainless genre parody (we've had enough of Epic Movie, Date Movie, etc) as it's also a thorough satire of Hollywood. The characters in the film represent the clichéd Hollywood actors, cleverly satirising their demented egos and pretensions. In the incredibly over-the-top characterisations and imaginative set-ups, the filmmakers seriously cross the line. In fact, they don't simply just cross the line...they rape the line, kill it, burn it, then urinate on the ashes. It's a full-frontal, no-holds-barred comedy assault capable of making one laugh so hard that you'll have trouble breathing.
In order for the film to work, the script had to be clever. Stiller dons three hats for this film - he serves as director, writer and lead actor. He shares a screenwriting credit with Etan Cohen and Justin Theroux (who's been hired to write the script for Iron Man 2) in the construction of an ingenious composition of unbelievably hilarious moments. Granted the script unnecessarily lulls and occasionally the situations appear irretrievably lost; however it does its job of moving from point A to B, C to D while stocking a high supply of laughs.
Tropic Thunder opens with an intriguing boom. The film's opening is tagged with three fake trailers and a fake TV advertisement. These four segments are indubitable comedy gold. These are included to establish the four protagonists. Without a doubt the best trailer on offer here is Robert Downey Jr. as Oscar-enshrined Australian actor Kirk Lazarus: the mock teaser is a narrative of illicit gay love between two Middle Ages priests (the other cameoed by a famous Hollywood actor whom I won't name)...and it's hysterically evident by meaningful gazes and exaggerated apprehension.
Following these four opening segments, the film kicks into action.
Tropic Thunder is fundamentally the story of making a war movie. After a prolonged (hilariously embellished) Michael Bay-esque series of explosions and gun battles set in the Vietnam War, it's established that the focus of the story is actually on a film set. A bunch of over-demanding actors are in the middle of making a film rendering of a novel penned by grizzled Vietnam veteran Four Leaf Tayback (Nolte). However the film is millions of dollars over-budget and a month behind schedule...just four days into filming! Four Leaf is afraid that his story will be ruined by incompetent first-time director Damien Cockburn (Coogan) behind the camera and the cluster of prima donnas in front of the camera. Four Leaf suggests they shoot the movie guerrilla style: by placing the actors in the middle of an actual war zone. This goes ahead, and these actors suddenly find themselves attacked by a dangerous group of drug dealers. Worse yet, some of the actors are still convinced that it's all part of the moviemaking process and they aren't in any actual danger.
The fiery controversy that casts a dark cloud over Tropic Thunder completely misses the point. It's not racist and its intention was not to offend the mentally challenged. Writer/director/actor Stiller spoke in various interviews regarding the controversy. Never was it his intention to offend anyone...he's pointing his insults towards Hollywood and the demented attitudes that dominate today's industry. In the form of an outrageously entertaining action/comedy hybrid, Tropic Thunder merely offers a contemptuous satire. Those groups boycotting the movie and launching protests are embarrassingly narrow-minded.
The highlight of this ambitious production is the impeccable casting. Ben Stiller is easily in his most satisfying role since Meet the Fockers. He's still playing himself to an extent, but it works in the context as the film required the overzealous, egotistical and overconfident character that Stiller provides. Stiller acclimates himself well enough.
Robert Downey Jr.'s performance has been the talk of the town for months. Downey Jr. portrays an Oscar-winning Australian actor who undergoes a pigmentation alteration procedure in order to portray an African-American sergeant. Downey Jr.'s character is a thorough method actor who doesn't get out of character "until after the DVD commentary". In essence, the significance of Downey Jr.'s portrayal is to show what lengths people will go to in order to play a role. The "blackface" routine just never gets old. It's also interesting that Downey Jr. nails the character perhaps too perfectly, to the point that much of his dialogue is almost incomprehensible. Many will also complain about the profanity levels as well. To me it makes the character more realistic by employing stereotypes to convey the point. Unless you know it's Robert Downey Jr. in the role you won't be able to notice. Downey Jr.'s strongest moment, though, is when he goes from African-American to Australian in a matter of seconds. His Aussie accent is laudable. Apparently Stiller allowed Downey Jr. to frequently ad-lib, and this makes the brilliance of his dialogue far more naturalistic. Downey Jr.'s performance in Iron Man was a highlight of 2008; however Tropic Thunder is by far his best performance ever. He steals the show. Golden Globe worthy? Heck yes! Oscar worthy? That's pushing it, but it'd be great to see Downey Jr. earn an Oscar.
Jack Black's performance is terrific, however he's slightly one-dimensional as well as hollow. The drug addiction grows old pretty quickly. If you're a fan of Jack Black you may be disappointed, but there are multiple lines of Black's that are absolutely hilarious.
Brandon T. Jackson is brilliant as rapper Alpa Chino who's annoyed that the role of the African-American sergeant wasn't given to another brother. Much of the film's hilarity is derived from the obvious rivalry between Jackson's Alpa Chino and Downey Jr.'s Kirk Lazarus.
Jay Baruchel is given the most down-to-earth role as an inexperienced actor seemingly baffled by the surrounding big-name actors.
Steve Coogan plays the incompetent director annoyed by his self-centred actors, and he's fantastic.
Nick Nolte is remarkable as the gruff Vietnam veteran.
There's also Danny McBride as the eager pyrotechnics expert. He has fun blowing stuff up.
A surprisingly fully-clothed Matthew McConaughey nails the role as Stiller's agent determined to get his client the TiVo promised in his contract. Owen Wilson was scheduled to take the role, but was forced to back out after the much-publicised suicide attempt.
There are cameos aplenty to find here. The most memorable and funny cameo depicts a well-known actor (not mentioning any names because it's better as a surprise) as a balding, foul-mouthed studio executive. Said actor offers his best performance for years!
Behind the camera Stiller appears resolute and determined. 2001's Zoolander was a textbook example of a zany comedy, and he retains the same formula here. Both movies essentially follow a one-time superstar whose career is on the wane.
The problem with most contemporary comedies is that there are two standards: one that's hilarious and entertaining in order to overshadow the script flaws and lack of creativity, or there's the clever comedy with stifled gags that's boring as a result. Tropic Thunder is a superior version of the former. There are laughs aplenty but it's also clever. Be that as it may, the problem in the script is that it sometimes tosses the characters into a situation and trails off. Essentially the script throws these characters into the air and lets them land where they may. It needed to be far more succinct and to the point. Additionally, there's a large chunk in the middle section that just doesn't work. It acts as a way to get to the final action scene and climax, but it's far too dragged out and it's a lame excuse for a succession of gags. Worse yet, these gags don't work for the most part. Instead things get boring. Once this section is over, though, the film is redeemed by the highly entertaining final showdown.
Overall, Tropic Thunder is possibly the most creative comedy for years. This is also Stiller's most satisfying comedy for a long time. It provides moments for an audience to laugh HARD as they indulge in an extraordinarily entertaining experience. Despite a few minor flaws, the film delivers the laughs and action it promised. Recommended!
8.1/10
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