Movie Review – Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder (2008) – Through a set of bizarre circumstances a group of actors shooting a big budget Viet Nam war movie suddenly discover themselves in a real shooting war.  They’re over budget, behind schedule and their newbie director dies in an accident.  The actors assume everything is more of the director’s attemtp to create “realism” so when a drug gang attacks them they assume it’s just part of the shoot.  Eventually they have to rescue star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller).  Utter insanity ensues.

Let me be honest, I have no idea why I watched this movie.  I can only plead that the concept was so utterly, utterly insane that I couldn’t resist.  The cast is certainly interesting – Robert Downey Jr.(playing a white actor who is playing a black character.  A totally over the top performance that has to be experienced to be believed), Jack Black plays another of the cast who is not quite firmly connected to reality.  My feeling has always been that Black is better in a supporting role (“School of Rock” being the obvious exception, although he has a bunch of cute kids to keep him grounded in that one).  Tom Cruise plays movie exec Les Grossman in a performance so completely out of control as to beggar description.  Matthew McConaughey plays agent Rick Peck to a demented T as well.  There’s a handful of star cameos as well.

If you’ve ever seen a Viet Nam war movie you’ll recognize scene after scene in “Tropic Thunder”.  They’re all there, from “Platoon” to “Apocalypse Now”.  Here, they are fabulously sent up by a cast and script that just go for it.  This is a great send up of the entire genre.  It mocks Hollywood, stardom, the movies, even the actors themselves sometimes.

At the same time I must admit that the movie takes on some uncomfortable humor as well.  Tuggman’s previous movie hit “Simple Jack” is more than a little overboard.  Intended to parody heart tugging movies about people with physical or mental challenges (think “Forrest Gump” or “Radio”) it spends way too much time just be unpleasant and derogatory.

I went into this movie prepared to dump it 40 minutes in.  Instead I was amused, charmed and delighted.  It’s an utterly insane and often idiotic movie.  But it’s a funny, insane and idiotic movie.

Rating – *** Worth A Look