Ben Stiller's Hollywood satire fare is subversive and audacious, yet wildly funny

Rating: 9/10 (12 April 2017)

Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder is a comedy that opens the door to arguably the most clever and groundbreaking spoof of Hollywood politics ever to put to film. This action comedy hybrid makes the score not solely on outrageously belly laughs, but tackling original ways on poking fun at the extravagant world of Hollywood and perhaps the entertainment business itself. Director and actor Ben Stiller serves as the hefty hand for bringing this subversive comedy to life in ways that without a doubt questionable and have stirred up a fair amount of controversy. At the same time, he makes an inspiring achievement at bringing birth to one of the most audacious, yet funny comedic vehicles in recent years. Opening up with fake four trailers introducing the four main characters each as Hollywood actors, this movie follows the story of a film crew lead by English filmmaker Damien Cockburn (played by Steve Coogan) who must lead a group of prima donna actors including: Tugg Speedman (played by Ben Stiller), a Sylvestor Stallone-like action star, Jeff Portnoy (played by Jack Black), a comedic star of a popular comedy franchise known for flatulence jokes, rapper Alpa Chino (played by Brandon T. Jackson), Kirk Lazuras (played by Robert Downey Jr.), an Austrailan actor undergoing a controversial blackface make-up alteration to portray an African-American soldier, and Hollywood newcomer Kevin Sandusky (played by Jay Baruchul). These actors are making a Vietnam War movie based on the memoir by U.S veteran John Fourleaf (played by Nick Nolte). Frustrated by the actors' incompetent acting skills, Cockburn is adviced by Fourleaf to drop them into the the jungles of Vietnam where they are forced to rely on their acting talent to survive against a dangerous Vietnamese drug cartel.
This satirical action comedy operates not only as a near-endless cornucopia of raunchy sex jokes and snappy comedic dialogue, but also a fresh source of smart (and hilarious) spoofs of popular war movies. Opening up the story is the characters in their fictional acting forms performing a gruesome, yet appropriately unrealistic combat sequence pays a sweet homage to Oliver Stone's 'Platoon'. While the special effects including explosions going off and the sight of an actor disemboweled by an Vietnamese bayonet serve as shocking eye meat, the humor is what sets the tone of the story. From there on, the plot settles in with the lead characters dropped off in the jungle of Vietnam where their filmmaking experience turns into a dangerously real 'Apocalypse Now'-like adventure with plenty of snappy meta humor and social commentary of the showbiz thrown around and about. Although Ben Stiller is not well-known for pushing the envelop with audacious humor, he manages to stretch the boundaries with character sporting dubious tropes that very few (if any) cinematic entries are capable of even getting away. One of the attention-grabbing is his character Tugg Speedman's loathed portrayal of a mentally impaired farmer named in a film within the film 'Simple Jack' which has raised the eyebrows of many including the mentally handicapped community. Though some will be able to engage in the satirical purposes behind this fictional figure, there is a certain level of offense that shouldn't be ignored. Another questionable of course, would be Robert Downey Jr. playing a race- altering role in the form of blackface that while adds to some witty satirical commentary, can also be seen as a rather bold move.
Ben Still makes an astounding achievement of assembling an overwhelmingly inspiring cast to the screen, blending the crowd with some comedic veterans and more dramatic actors. And joining the ensemble cast is director Ben Stiller himself as the main character Tugg Speedman, who serves as an action star drawn as a homage of Sylvestor Stallone in the popular 'Rambo' franchise. Stiller breaths plenty of charisma and comedic fever into the role, it is hard not to admire. Grabbing the public attention is Robert Downey Jr. playing an African-American soldier who suits as an opposite of his real-life caucasian persona (both within and outside the film). Downey proves himself charismatic in the role, and brings major appeal to his otherwise controversial character. Jack Black, stepping the role of a Chris Farley-like comedic star, adds some good comedic touch as does Brandon T. Jackson as the Ludicrous-like Hip-Hop star. Jay Barachul is good, but brings nothing truly memorable due to the limit in which this character is written. Danny McBride as the pyrotechnics operator does his job here. Playing Speedman's agent is fellow Matthew McConaughey is makes a surprising on screen presence. But arguably the most shocking performance displayed on screen as Tom Cruise who sports a bald cap and fat suit to portray a foul-mouthed studio executive who goes trigger-happy with sprouting F-bombs every minute he's on screen. While his performance does shine, the biggest shocker is learning who is the character is as his bald cap and fat suit render him completely unrecognizable, especially as the actor is somewhat of a stranger in the comedic territory.
Tropic Thunder is a wildly entertaining take on Hollywood satire, generated with outrageous laughs and powerfully appealing performances an inspiring cast. At the very best, the film marks not only an exhilarating entry in the comedy genre, but also an inspiring demonstration at Ben Stiller's directing chops. This movie doesn't hold back on being wildly irreverent and audacious with humor, but that's the good news.