by Jenny Jones
Call it a satire, a parody or a spoof, “Tropic Thunder” runs the gamete of humor from well thought out, witty and intelligent comedy to the just plain down right stupid. The first 20 minutes or so are typical Ben stiller comedy and I have to admit I was tempted to just shut it off at that point. In retrospect I am glad I stuck it out because once you get past the opening scene the movie definitely takes a turn for the be best and just keeps getting better until the final gut busting scene starring Tom Cruise. I will not ruin for those of you who have not yet seen it, but the smile that this scene alone smeared across my face was worth watching the movie for.
The film opens with an introduction to the actors that are being portrayed by Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. The first is Tugg Speedman, an adventure hero whose movies have become repetitive and continue to flop. Black, as Jeff Portnoy, is the typical funny fat guy character and Downey Jr. is the multi academy award winning, self-involved leading role playing celebrity.
Once the introductions are finished we find ourselves smack in the middle of a crappy movie shoot (here’s where you need to be patient). This is only a fake movie being made and it’s supposed to be really bad so bear with it a bit. Once the movie is declared a flop by media and producer Les Grossman (played by Cruise) demands the director make this production a blockbuster success, the writer of the “Tropic Thunder” novel, John “Four Leaf” Tayback (played by Nick Nolte) suggests that the only way to get real drama and emotion from their cast of primadonnas is to drop them in the middle of the actual jungle and let them fight their way out while hidden cameras roll from afar. The director agrees and the stage is set for non-stop laughs from here on in.
First the crew is accidentally dropped in the middle of the Golden Triangle, where the leading heroin producing gang known as The Flaming Dragons runs their factory. Then the director accidentally blows himself up. Next the heroin gang spots the actors but mistakenly takes them for DEA agents. While Speedman and his crew, with the exception of Robert Downey Jr.’s character, mistakenly believe that the drug runners are a bunch of fellow actors and engage them in battle. It is just one funny coincidence after another with hilarious cameos by Matthew McConaughy, Nick Nolte and Tom Cruise, who prove that the best actors are those who are able to laugh at and poke fun of themselves.
I am not a fan of Ben Stiller, McConaughy or Cruise but even I enjoyed this movie. I could not help but laugh at the way Cruise mocked himself and I tip my hat to him for that. This type of role was perfect for him and may help him reestablish himself in the entertainment industry. If you are sick of all the American war movies with their depressing forced emotion and drama, cliche one-liners and repetitive war tunes, and you just want to sit back and laugh for a couple of hours, then check out “Tropic Thunder”. It is guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
8 out of 10.
Features
- Filmmaker And Cast Commentaries
- Before THe Thunder
- The Hot LZ
- Blowing S#%t Up
- Designing The Thunder
- The Cast Of Tropic Thunder
- Rain Of Madness
- Deleted And Extended Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- Full Mags
- MTV Movie Awards – Tropic Thunder
Technical Specs
- BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
- Region Free
Video Resolution/Codec
- 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Aspect Ratio(s)
- 2.35:1
Audio Formats
- English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround
- Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles/Captions
- English SDH
- English Subtitles
- Spanish Subtitles
- French Subtitles
- Portuguese Subtitles
Supplements
- Audio Commentaries
- Featurettes
- Short Film
- Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- Outtakes
- BD-Live Content
Exclusive HD Content
- BD-Live Functionality