Tropic Thunder
I'm always a fan of farces and satires, especially when it deals with Hollywood and the movie industry. Ben Stiller and his gang of hooligans bring us Tropic Thunder, which stops at no lengths to bring us an absurd and over the top sidesplitting movie about making a movie. I'm sure you're aware from the marketing campaign we are greeted by: action star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), funny guy Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), and award winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey, Jr.).
On the set of a Vietnam War movie entitled "Tropic Thunder," a series of problems and freak occurrences swarm the project. With his back up against the wall and feeling the heavy pressure from a studio executive ? cameoed by Tom Cruise in makeup ? a rookie director hatches a scheme to drop the showboating hotdog actors into a warzone. There, the actors are forced to be real soldiers as the crew attempts to film them in real life actions using guerilla tactics.
Tropic Thunder reigns triumphant as it covers everything up for grabs to be satirized in Hollywood ? the insecurities of actors, the drugs, and complete selflessness. I think this is clearly the funniest movie of this seemingly dead summer of movie activity that has been sucked into the vortex of The Dark Knight's overtake. Everyone in Tropic Thunder has a scene stealing moment, whether it be from the actual stars or the cameos.
Robert Downey, Jr. gives a truly memorable performance in this comical farce that I think is a notch below Heath's Joker. Tropic Thunder is a laugh out loud comedy that really takes it all the way home as it goes full out. You can see where the movie approaches a gray colored realm of uncertainty and pushes through to the other side as it embraces the absurdity and doesn't stammer. It's over the top, but works as we take notice and marvel at it.
On the other hand, though, it's a two headed monster. By taking it so far and pushing the envelope, Tropic Thunder seems straight up silly at points. But I think that the quick paced laugh a minute comedy coasts through those trenches as it keeps a smile on our face. It's shrewd and smart as it will make you fall to the ground.