FINALLY, a smart, funny movie!

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2009)

While his most recent credits don't really do this comparison much justice, this is undoubtedly Ben Stiller's best for quite some time. Quite apart from the fact that I think it says a lot about Ben Stiller as a person that he directed, co-wrote and starred in this film while still graciously giving all of the best lines to somebody else, TT gives every actor of the piece a chance to have a blast with their characters and is undoubtedly a wicked career high for everybody involved.
The three fake trailers at the beginning of the movie immediately tip you off as to what you're in for, and are a nice touch: it's cool to see a film biting the hand that feeds it and taking a dig at hackneyed Hollywood prototypes, paying no attention to the kind of backlash that it might get in response. Scorcher VI is just the kind of big-budget rubbish that Tinseltown wouldn't hesitate to produce ("Here we go again...AGAIN" lol) while Jack Black's vehicle The Fatties is particularly amusing because it looks so authentic - I think we can all agree that it's very much the kind of movie which could so easily become a real franchise, of which Jack Black could VERY easily become the real star. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.
But of course it's no secret that the whole film just belongs to Robert Downey Jnr., and not just because of his audacious decision to take part in something that could inevitably bring him controversy. His wonderful execution and priceless one-liners are so pitch-perfect that you'll be too busy laughing to worry about how un-PC it all is (and let's face it, when have PC jokes ever been funny?). Furthermore, the role is clearly not meant to be a swipe at black people; it's more of a swipe at that breed of over-confident dramatic actors who take their work so seriously that they're usually willing to do whatever it takes to become a character, even if it means absorbing themselves into the role in such a demoralising and over-the-top way. I dare say that we can all think of an actor along these lines. So hats off to Robert, who handles his part with such silliness, bravery and - dare I say it - heart that you've just got no choice but to love him. The scene in which Kirk and the others go to rescue Tugg from the POW camp ("HERE'S MY MOTHERF**KIN' FARM!!") has got to qualify as the coolest movie moment of 2008.
All of the other cast members are equally impressive and milk what they've got to offer for all that it's worth. Jay Baruchel does a great job with his role, while Brandon T. Jackson is awesome as the typically cocky rapper who actually has a brain underneath the hood ("There's no S in Viet Cong. It's already plural. You wouldn't say 'Chineses'!"). As a plus, one of the most notable things about this movie is the fact that the secondary characters are given just as much to do as the frontrunning ones - somewhat of a rarity in cinema these days, movies in general and comedies in particular.
Anybody who doesn't watch this because of its subject matter is missing out on a great time. What can I say, each to his own, but I think that TT nicely caters to all of the areas which its target audience would be hoping for; comedy, action, suspense, intrigue and good acting. Even Matthew McConaughey, somebody who I can normally take or leave in movies, manages to be appealing in his character, while Tom Cruise is wildly outstanding as the sleazy executive producer whom he probably had great fun playing.
It loses two stars for its pacing, which does suffer a little in places (occasionally scenes drag on) and I'm saving my ten-star rating for something really spectacular, but ultimately TT is a slick, fun and hilarious ride that definitely deserves multiple views. Mr. Stiller, PLEASE give the romantic comedies a rest and do more films like this.