One to see: Tropic Thunder (2008)
January 23rd 2009 03:06
When you go to rent a DVD, rarely does the bored-looking employee behind the counter make any comment about your choice - but with Tropic Thunder, I got a 30-second mini-review and the parting advice that if I "took it for what it is" I'd love it. So I was more than a bit intrigued by this film, and let me tell you, as a comedy it does not disappoint. I wasn't laughing from start to finish, but I was still laughing, and there aren't many comedies being made in Hollywood these days that have that effect on audiences.
Using the movie-within-a-movie theme, Tropic Thunder centres around three movie stars of very different backgrounds - played by Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jnr - who have been thrown into the dense jungle of Vietnam by their scatterbrained rookie director (played by Steve Coogan). Despite coming across a very real posse of drug lords, they all believe that it's just part of the movie and that they're still being filmed, guerilla-style. It's an intelligent spoof on all aspects of Hollywood, from the pampered actors to the ambitious agents to the downright evilness of the corporations who fund the films.
And it's FUNNY! The characters, thrown together in an odd situation, are just hilarious in their interactions. Stiller plays a washed-up, insecure action star looking to prove that he's still big news. Jack Black's low-rent comedy star, who is suffering from heroin withdrawals, is quite different to any other character he's played recently and makes for a good supporting act. I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise but have to admit that his sociopathic billionaire was a pretty confronting character, and Matthew McConaughey - who has been relegated to rom-coms for so long that he seemed out of place at first - does a good job as Stiller's Tivo-obsessed agent. It's Robert Downey Jnr's performance, however, that is truly astonishing - he plays an Australian actor so dedicated to his craft that he underwent a pigment transplant that made him look African-American. He portrays the character so well that I had to keep reminding myself who the actor is - Downey Jnr looks, and acts, exactly like a black man. Perhaps this is why he received a nomination for an Oscar.
Some of the jokes are a bit low-brow, and some audiences might find the 'retard' references offensive, but for the most part Tropic Thunder is an excellent parody of the more ridiculous aspects of Hollywood. It also captures the excitement of an action film while successfully spoofing the genre. It's cynical, satirical, and very, very funny.
Using the movie-within-a-movie theme, Tropic Thunder centres around three movie stars of very different backgrounds - played by Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jnr - who have been thrown into the dense jungle of Vietnam by their scatterbrained rookie director (played by Steve Coogan). Despite coming across a very real posse of drug lords, they all believe that it's just part of the movie and that they're still being filmed, guerilla-style. It's an intelligent spoof on all aspects of Hollywood, from the pampered actors to the ambitious agents to the downright evilness of the corporations who fund the films.
And it's FUNNY! The characters, thrown together in an odd situation, are just hilarious in their interactions. Stiller plays a washed-up, insecure action star looking to prove that he's still big news. Jack Black's low-rent comedy star, who is suffering from heroin withdrawals, is quite different to any other character he's played recently and makes for a good supporting act. I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise but have to admit that his sociopathic billionaire was a pretty confronting character, and Matthew McConaughey - who has been relegated to rom-coms for so long that he seemed out of place at first - does a good job as Stiller's Tivo-obsessed agent. It's Robert Downey Jnr's performance, however, that is truly astonishing - he plays an Australian actor so dedicated to his craft that he underwent a pigment transplant that made him look African-American. He portrays the character so well that I had to keep reminding myself who the actor is - Downey Jnr looks, and acts, exactly like a black man. Perhaps this is why he received a nomination for an Oscar.
Downey Jnr's transformation
Some of the jokes are a bit low-brow, and some audiences might find the 'retard' references offensive, but for the most part Tropic Thunder is an excellent parody of the more ridiculous aspects of Hollywood. It also captures the excitement of an action film while successfully spoofing the genre. It's cynical, satirical, and very, very funny.
| 370 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Michelle Sweeney
Competition Queen