Today’s quick review: Tropic Thunder. To motivate the cast of his war movie, novice director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) drops them in the Vietnamese jungle to act their scenes out for real. But when their fake squad runs into a real heroin operation, waning action star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), drug-addled comedian Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), and distinguished method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey, Jr.) quickly find themselves out of their depth.
Tropic Thunder is a ridiculous comedy that parodies war movies and the film industry as a whole. A movie about a movie, Tropic Thunder thrusts a crew of spoiled Hollywood caricatures into a dangerous situation where the line between truth and fiction becomes blurred. The film’s humor is irreverent and eclectic, taking shots at all corners of the film industry while telling its own unique story.
Much of the film’s comedy comes from its offbeat cast. Each actor starring in the fictional Tropic Thunder is having his own personal meltdown in the middle of the jungle, giving the real movie plenty of material to work with. Between the volatile situation the actors find themselves in and their own personal crises, the movie does a good job of setting up ridiculous situations for its talented cast to play out.
Tropic Thunder is less skilled at putting it all together. The individual gags are funny, but they require a disproportionate amount of setup to earn only a decent payoff. The film misses an opportunity to show some heart by taking character arcs tailor-made for emotional payoff and playing them for comedy alone. Tropic Thunder also dates itself with pop culture references that have turned stale less than a decade after the film’s release.
Still, Tropic Thunder is an entertaining watch with plenty of inspired jokes and quotable dialogue. Its particular brand of humor will not appeal to everyone, but a strong cast, fun cameos, and a unique premise make Tropic Thunder worthwhile for anyone in the mood for something light and raunchy. Skip it if you are looking for a refined or subtle parody.
7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for entertaining comedy, a great premise, and decent execution; your score may be higher if the humor catches you the right way.