Written by: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Etan Cohen
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel
Rating: [3.5/5]
All who participate in the Hollywood system open themselves up to ridicule for how they operate in order to create the beautiful empathy machines we love. Tropic Thunder takes aim at nearly every aspect of this process holding absolutely no punches and while it begins to fall into the very trappings it seeks to mock, the final product makes for something incredibly funny and quite bold.
Based on the memoir of a Vietnam War veteran, the film “Tropic Thunder” is filmed in Vietnam with a cast made of the best Hollywood has to offer. However, with the project grossly over budget, behind schedule, and an outright disaster, the director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) decides to try something new to get his cast fully invested in the story they’re telling as as an attempt to salvage everything.
For all of the jokes that reverberate in the mind of anyone who has watched this feature, the one that undoubtedly comes first is Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Kirk Lazarus as he gets into character by darkening his skin. We can argue all day long whether or not they could make something like this today but it makes quite the hilarious jab at the idea of method actors and the extremes they go to in order to fully get into character. Lazarus takes it to the absolute extreme for comedic effect and really digs into the absurdity of the practice as a whole. From the skin tone to the tone of voice he attempts to utilize you have to watch it at times through your fingers.
Among other areas, this feature well and truly digs into so many different stereotypes and beliefs that we can make fun of and the film does quite well in breaking down their ridiculousness. From the head-scratching popularity of Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) who made his fame from toilet humor or the desperation of Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) to win an Academy Award by playing the character of “Simple Jack,” this feature takes aim at everyone to a hilarious degree. These four actors represent a Hollywood type where in some of their cases, you can pick out exactly who the actor represents in the real world further adding to the comedy on display.
The entire conceit of this feature where these actors believe they are filming when in reality they are in the middle of a Vietnamese jungle with real dangers around them well and truly takes the cake on a concept using this level of satire. The way it plays out comes with mixed results but it comes as no surprise this feature managed to nail some strong jokes in the process of working through its narrative and the fairly terrifying circumstances these characters have found themselves in.
On top of the main cast, this feature comes with an abundance of supporting actors each contributing in their own ways and delivering in spades. From individuals like Matthew McConaughey, Bill Hader, and Steve Coogan, all bring such value to the story and how they shine in these small bites and punches. However, no one comes close to the impact of what Tom Cruise comes in and provides as a foul-mouthed studio executive, Les Grossman. Everything this man screamed is genuinely hilarious. Where this role fits into Cruise’s career makes the performance all the more important as he acts as the villain and manages to go outside his archetype during a time when his career sat on a knife edge. He absolutely knocked it out of the park.
Partly operating as a spoof film but also with its own worthwhile story, Tropic Thunder takes us deep into Vietnam to make fun of itself and the entire system around it. We have Ben Stiller not only doing a strong job in front of the camera but also behind it as he pokes and prods everyone and everything indiscriminately. This feature packs quite the punch right from the very beginning with the fake trailers and the bombastic way in which it concludes as something that feels wholly unique within the modern comedy landscape. It sets itself to be tripped up naturally but it remains something admirable for what it attempts to create and achieve.
Films with Josh 
