Watch It For Robert Downey Jr. & The Almost Unrecognisable Tom Cruise!

Rating: Null/10 (12 October 2013)

A rollicking romp-ride that parodies a number of war classics over the course of its runtime and also offers an inside look at Hollywood productions in its own amusing manner, Tropic Thunder is a fabulous blend of brilliant direction, skillful writing & charismatic performances that easily ranks amongst the finest comedies of the past decade.
The story of Tropic Thunder follows a group of actors filming a Vietnam-war memoir on site where the production has already gone over budget & is behind schedule. Things are set in motion when the rookie director, who's unable to control his actors, decides to drop them in the middle of the jungle where the cast continues its act thinking that they are still shooting a movie.
Co-written, produced & directed by Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder introduces its characters in an incredibly fascinating manner for it begins with a brief ad, which is then followed by faux trailers that introduces each main character in their upcoming flicks, and after that the main feature presentation begins. And from that point onwards, it's simply an unabashedly funny ride to the very end.
The film derives its parodic elements mainly from Platoon & Apocalypse Now and although it's hilarious as hell, it isn't just around for the comic effect only for it also moves the story forward. The dynamic camera-work injects its own energy into the swiftly unfolding storyline but there are still a couple of moments this film could've done without. But the real highlight is the contribution from its cast.
Featuring a star-studded cast in Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., with additional inputs coming from Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan, Matthew McConaughey & Tom Cruise. Stiller is as good in front of the camera as he's behind it and plays the role of a fading celebrity pretty well while Black is very much in his comfort zone and does nicely as a drug-addicted comedian.
Robert Downey Jr., however, is the best of them all and plays the role of a 5-time Academy Award winning, immensely talented, Australian method actor and his performance as a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude is definitely amongst his finest. The rest of the supporting cast is no slouch & do a good job in their given roles while Cruise simply steals every moment he's in & is quite unrecognisable as the ill-tempered, foul-mouthed studio executive.
On an overall scale, Tropic Thunder is a stinging satire on Hollywood that promises loads of laughs over the course of its runtime, brims with creativity, passion & charisma for the most part, and is at its best when the screen is occupied by either Downey Jr. or Cruise. One of the genuinely impressive examples of its genre that's wildly enjoyable, mindlessly entertaining, ingeniously witty & sufficiently satisfying, Tropic Thunder comes delightfully recommended.