Tropic Thunder Review

Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 08.13.2008

The Vile One tackles what could very well be the funniest movie of the year.

TROPIC THUNDER



Directed By: Ben Stiller
Written By: Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, and Etan Cohen
Runtime: 107 minutes
Official Website: Tropic Thunder Official Site
MPAA Rating: Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material.

Tug Speedman - Ben Stiller
Kirk Lazarus - Robert Downey Jr.
Jeff Portnoy - Jack Black
Kevin Sandusky - Jay Baruchel
Alpa Chino - Brandon T. Jackson
Damien Cockburn - Steve Coogan
Four Leaf Tayback - Nick Nolte
Rob Slolom - Bill Hader
Cody - Danny McBride
Rick Peck - Matthew McConaughey
Tran - Brandon Soo Hoo
Les Grossman - You Know Who

The audience that jam-packed the Horton Plaza theatre on July 23rd, preview night of the 2008 San Diego Comic Con, in the Gas Lamp District of San Diego, CA for an advanced screening of the new comedy, Tropic Thunder, was treated to a little something extra. Before the movie, stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. gave their own personalized introduction of the flick for the Comic Con audience. Then they started arguing over who the bigger fanboy was. Downey Jr. of course was being a total arrogant ass since he's busting up box office records after playing Tony Stark/Iron Man this summer. Stiller argues that he's the biggest fanboy after he brings out his old school Star Trek TV series collectibles, like the original Gorn mask and Spock's ears. Black tries to play friendly mediator, and Downey Jr. says something to the affect of, "wanting to put himself inside all of us," and Ben Stiller going all, "Yeah, Iron Man, wooooh!"

And then finally came the movie. Tropic Thunder, bar none, without hyperbole the funniest comedy of the year. Even more than that, Tropic Thunder is most distinct since it's the first movie Ben Stiller has directed that's actually, truly funny. Not to say that Cable Guy and Zoolander are horrible films without quirks and slightly amusing moments, but Stiller generally failed with both those flicks. Let's also not get started on Reality Bites, his directorial debut. With Tropic Thunder, working off a script and story Stiller co-wrote with Justin Theroux (the actor-turned writer who is currently working on writing Iron Man 2), Stiller finally succeeds in delivering a drop-down, knock-out, funny flick that delivers in spades while also being a great Hollywood movie industry riff.

Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, a waning action hero that's coming off a tremendous flop called "Simple Jack" in which he delved into drama by playing a mentally retarded man. Tugg's looking for a comeback playing the lead role in a Vietnam War picture based on an apparent true story and life of the double-hook-handed veteran, Four Leaf Tayback (Nolte). Tugg unfortunately has to share the screen with an extreme, Aussie method actor, Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr.). There's also Jeff Portnoy (Black), a comedy actor addicted to drugs due to his own self-loathing for his toilet humor laced starring roles.

The picture is shooting on location, and due to the tension between the leads and an inexperienced director, Damien Cockburn (Coogan), things aren't going so well. The borderline debacle of a movie shoot even has the lugubrious, pot-bellied financier, Les Grossman (You know who), seething with Diet Coke out his nostrils. So the gruff Tayback formulates a solution to Cockburn. Dump the whiney, diva performers into the bush and shoot them in the elements, "guerilla style." Unfortunately, they are dumped smack dab into the area for an Asian drug cartel called the Dragons who are led by a young, evil, little boy, Tran (Brandon Soo Hoo). Speedman thinks they are still shooting the picture, while the rest of the boys realize that something is up.

With the set-up of the film, it first appears that Tropic Thunder might play like a modern update of The Three Amigos, with the actors thinking they are playing in what is actually a real, grave situation. Instead the story unexpectedly doesn't, and that idea only stays for a short while on Tugg and his own dim ignorance.

With all this talent in one movie, a lot of the performers fight to steal the show. But the #1 pick has got to be Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus, who sums up his excellent character with . . . well . . . he's the dude playing a dude that thinks he's another dude . . . wait, what? OK, Downey Jr. is hilarious playing a hilarious shout-out to the Russell Crowe's and method actor types of the world. There's really nothing controversial about the fact that the character of Lazarus in the story goes through a procedure to have his skin dyed to a darker color so he can play an African American in the Nam picture. The multi-faceted rapper Alpa Chino (Jackson) doesn't let up with his displeasure toward the ridiculous lengths Lazarus takes his technique. When everyone realizes they are in real danger, Lazarus still holds on to the characters. Downey Jr. is really a joy to watch these days since his career rebirth, so hopefully it can stay this way since he's on an absolute roll.

There's also You Know Who as Les Grossman and my fellow Longhorn alum, McConaughey, as Tugg's agent, Rick Peck. At first it is difficult to recognize You Know Who under piles of make-up, but it's hard not to chuckle at it especially through the gut-busting closing credit sequence. McConaughey's Peck is also surprisingly fun as Tugg's slimy agent who feels that TiVo is the key to keeping all your clients happy. Also notable is Jay Baruchel's Sandusky. Baruchel does an excellent job as a young, newcomer performer as well as the role of an able straight man amongst all the veterans and lots of lunacy.

More than anything, where the movie really delivers is the action-packed, blow-away third act. What's amazing about it, is that recently rarely do you see a movie that mixes action and comedy so well. And Tropic Thunder rocks the camel's ass in this area. The action is totally old school awesome, while still keeping the hilarity dialed up to 11. Think Hot Fuzz with more of a jungle, Rambo type of setting.

Recently there has been some a ridiculous controversy brought up over one of the movie's many movie-within-a-movie in-jokes with Stiller's Tugg Speedman as the retarded "Simple Jack". Most sensible people can really just recognize that this is more of a parody of Hollywood's portrayal of the "mentally challenged" and trying to turn that particular type of role into awards bait or a "serious turn" for a performer, some tightwads had to complain. There's really nothing offensive about this flick at all.

The 411: Hey, if this is what we have in store for the Stiller and You Know Who's team-up for a Hardy Boys re-imagining count me in. You Know Who and Stiller just seem to always be a winning combination, going as far back as their MI:2 skit from way back in the decade. It took Stiller a while, but he finally nails theatrical comedy directing, but he didn't do it alone with such an amazing ensemble here. Hats off to Stiller for a truly amazing, hard R-rated, take no prisoners comedy, the caliber of which we have not seen for years.

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]