Stiller shines again as director

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2008)

Ben Stiller has been around movies nearly all his life with his own career and the at one time large career of his father. Naturally he has a taste of how discombobulated things can get especially with some of the most provocative of actors are working in the same movie.
What does that have to do with this movie? Well, everything really because as an average audience member I only see the actors on screen so I never really know too much about their antics and the chemistry that is involved with a group of people making a movie. This is the fourth movie Stiller has directed and each on has not as much gotten more funny, rather then better quality script, acting, and over all narrative.
What makes this movie special is that Stiller combines realism in the sense of conversations before and after "cut" is yelled while at the same time pleasing the average viewer who wants to see explosions and action. It's as if Still completely understands in only his fourth directing job how to capture an audience of almost any kind.
If you go into this movie hoping for a lot of laughs you will get that and leave satisfied, while at the same time if you wish for a good script, and great casting/performances then those wishes will be granted too. It is rare that a "spoof" (although you can hardly call Tropic Thunder that because it approaches different genres) contains a compelling story line and characters that you genuinely take an interest in. Why? Because that's not what is expected of a spoof/comedy and the actors know that going in. Stiller once again exceeds expectations and has the help of Downey Jr. (who is hilarious and magnificent as a psychological mess of an actor) and Cruise who comes out of no where to play the part of a snobby rich entrepreneur perfectly. This movie almost starts a new genre of a dramatic spoof although it might sound odd it makes sense when seeing the film as there are countless laughs and also excellent plot twists/narratives.
The main idea though, is to enjoy a movie and I can almost guarantee that most viewers will enjoy this movie because it relates to almost every kind of audience. This movie seems to be the likely successor to The Dark Knight for the weekend box office because many people will want to see it twice and really understand all of the concepts in this magnificent film.