Tropic Thunder Reviews

You ever looked at Heart of Darkness, not the novel but the documentary about making Apocalypse Now, and think but what if it were a comedy? If the answer is no, then you’re clearly most people and not Ben Stiller. Props to Ben Stiller for deciding to take the piss out of the entire construct of prestige projects, auteurs, and ego-centric actors with Tropic Thunder.

It’s an entertaining 107 minutes, one that hurls a string of jokes at you, most of which land, and then rolls off into the credits happy to have entertained. It has no grander ambitions and thank god for that. It’s fun to watch Ben Stiller play a movie star trying to go serious, and perhaps a bit uncomfortably reflective at points given how he’s forsaken these types of films in favor of smaller scale character dramas lately. Same goes for Jack Black playing a comic actor big on fart humor not only trying to go serious but dealing with a massive heroin addiction that leads to some…unique verbal diatribes.

It’s at its zenith when it sits back and lets Robert Downey Jr. rip into overly Method-y actor types, like the great Daniel Day-Lewis, who torture and contort themselves for their art and begin to believe the fantasy is real. His character is a tightrope here, at once a joke about overly serious/earnest artistic types and essentially appearing in blackface. That last bit is baked into the film’s humor and treated with appropriate derision and lampoonery, mainly by a rapper-turned-actor dubbed Alpa Cino (Brandon T. Jackson). 2008 was a glorious return to form for Downey Jr. as an actor, between this and Iron Man, and a reminder of what a great comedic actor he can be when allowed to rapid-fire dialogue and find the truth in the absurdity. I’m sure he had plenty of ammo after working with Val Kilmer in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Still, comedy is hard to maintain for a prolonged period of time, and Tropic Thunder’s eventual concession to make goods, happy endings, and brotherly bonds deflates some of its sharper critiques. This is a movie that opens with Stiller’s character being rightly chastised and spoofed for a poorly made film about a disabled character in a clear bid for artistic credibility and awards, then ends with his receiving those exact things. Tropic Thunder wants to have its cake and eat it too, as if it were afraid to maintain its savage tone for too long.

Or the egos got brittle and in the way. They needed some soothing after the lashing they’d been receiving. It’s not earned and ends the film on a curious note after what was a lively, raucous glimpse at actorly self-absorption and a nearly unrecognizable Tom Cruise going beyond “ham” and into something far bigger, broader, and stranger. It can’t dilute the comedic might of what came before, but it’s an unsatisfying climax.

Since I kept hearing some really good things about this movie, I was quite eager to check it out. First of all, I have to admit that I really didn't like ‘Zoolander’ at all. Indeed, I thought it was completely lame and rather worthless but ‘Reality Bites’ and ‘The Cable Guy’ were both not bad at all so I thought I might give Ben Still the benefit of the doubt for this new directing effort. Well, fortunately, this flick turned out to be pretty good. Still, to be honest, I can’t say I was completely blown away by the whole thing though. The main issue I had is gthat the whole thing was just so over-the-top and I always had a hard time to care for such moronic characters. Still, even if it didn’t completely blow me away, the whole thing was still quite rather and very often really sharp. Furthermore, therewas a huge cast involved and they were quite entertaining. My favorite one would be Tom Cruise who delivered one of the best performances of his career. Seriously, it was so refreshing to have this huge star finally having fun with his image, I wish he would try more often to surprise like this. To conclude, even though it was probably not a masterpiece, it is still a really enjoyable and entertaining feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

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