"An impressive mix of action and comedy that brings together some of Hollywood's finest"
I've only seen two comedies in theaters this year-Get Smart and Tropic Thunder(have yet to see Pineapple Express). I can safely say that both of these are hilarious, but Thunder brings something different to the table to create a hysterical piece of comedy that not only satirizes Hollywood at large, but delivers the laughs through an all star cast.
Tropic Thunder centers on actors who, after many attempts to adapt the book "Tropic Thunder," written by Nick Nolte's character Four Leaf Tayback, find themselves in a dire situation after the decision is made to shoot the film guerilla style and it goes horribly wrong...and by horribly, I mean hilariously.
Tugg Speedman(Ben Stiller) used to be a respected action star, but now sees "Tropic Thunder" as his last chance at redemption after a series of misses, including "Simple Jack," in which he portrayed a retard(oh my goodness gracious, did I just type that?). Jeff Portnoy(Jack Black) is the comedian of the group and "former" drug addict. Representing the oscar winner is Kirk Lazarus(Robert Downey Jr.), who under goes a controversial skin change to portray the black sergent and "never leaves character until after the DVD commentary is finished." Also among these A-listers who were overlooked on the film's poster are up and coming actors Brandon T. Jackson as rapper turned actor, Alpa Chino and Jay Baruchel as Kevin Sandusky, the newbie.
The films starts off with a series of trailers featuring the characters in the film. By that, I mean actual trailers. There's no set up, they just start rolling as soon as the actual trailers before the movie end. While this is an odd and confusing way to begin a film, it's comedic and does a decent job introducing us to the characters.
Ben Stiller, who my dad does not like, earns most of the credit for this movie. He not only starred, but also directed and had a hand in writing the screenplay with Ethan Cohen and Justin Thoreux. This is Stiller's first directing gig since "Zoolander"-and let's just say this is hella better than Zoolander. While the direction isn't great, I got past it seeing as how Stiller also acted in the film as a main character. For that reason, the direction is quite good. In a recent interview with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show, Stiller stated they'd been talking about the movie for 8-10 years, now, rewriting the script and trying to find the perfect time to bring it to life. That shows how committed everyone, especially Stiller, was to this project.
Stiller's performance is also decent, but, again, he also directed the movie, so it's pretty good. My only problem with Stiller is that he seems to repeat his comedy...but that doesn't mean it's not funny. I don't think Stiller has lost his charm at all and this has got to be one of his best, if not the best, film from him to date. My dad would surely change his mind after seeing this movie.
Jack Black is...awesome. What can I say, I love Jack Black, and anybody who doesn't probably will after this movie. A washed up comedian who only gets laughs when he farts is perfect for Black and the drug addiction only adds to the comedy. Seeing Black go "coo coo for crack" is hysterical. Jackon and Baruchel's performances are also great. The conflict between the black Chino and the fake black Lazarus is funny throughout the film.
The man who could have stolen the show if not for Tom Cruise(which I'll get to later), is Downey Jr. His performance is excellent and he plays a guy playing a black guy fantastically. Downey proves he can do dramas, super heroes, and comedy. In a nut shell, each member of the cast brings something different to the table, making the film better.
However, the main cast isn't just comprised of all-stars-there's also cameo appearances from some of Hollywood's best, and the two main ones and ones that stand out are Matthew Mcconaughey and the potential show stealer...Tom Cruise. Matthew delivers some laughs as Speedman's agent of 15 years who spends most of the movie nagging his client about getting TiVo, but Cruise is surprisingly the life of the party, litterally. His portrayal of a movie mogual with a mouth and some moves is quite entertaining, so much so I don't even like calling it a cameo. He spews more curse words than a homeless guy whose box has just been flooded and the dancing-oh, the dancing-will have you rolling down the theater steps. Cruise, despite his personal life, is a great actor and one of my favorites, so to see him take on a genre that he is hardly familiar with(comedy), and do so well, is very exciting. For some, if you've given up on Tom after his past exploits on couches, this might be the movie that jumps him back to super stardom, which is ironic, since he plays a crazy guy. Let's just hope he doesn't ruin it by playing a chef or getting replaced by Angelina Jolie...fingers crossed...
Now for the much talked about retard debate. Yes, the film does go a little overboard, but if you don't let it bother you, it won't. While much of it isn't needed, it does offer one of the funniest scenes in the movie between Stiller and Downey's characters-"You went full retard." Classic. It's also from the mind of Ben Stiller, so what were you expecting? Way to go, picketers. While you were protesting against a movie when it won't do any good and worse things have been done in a movie, a retard drowned...happy now?
Overall, Tropic Thunder is a great addition to the comedy genre. It's definitely not for the kids and the swearing can be a little excessive, but it offers enough explosions, comedy, and terrific actors to satisfy your thirst now that the "big" movies have passed. Don't be retarded...see Tropic Thunder.
The Vis's Verdict: 4.0 stars(8/10)-Impressive
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