This is the kind of Ben Stiller we need more of

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2015)

Back when "Tropic Thunder" came out, it was part of the press that Robert Downey Jr. was playing a black man - that, is, playing an uber-serious actor submerging himself in the role of a black character (complete with skin pigmentation surgery). And that brand of multiple abstractions kicks up my admiration for that guy. What wasn't part of that press was who was playing Les Grossman, the sociopathic studio boss who hijacks the movie with his foul-mouthed douchebaggery. He's the movie's secret weapon, and everyone (myself included) did a double-take when they realized it was Tom Cruise in bald cap and padding. He's completely against type here and so buried in the role that believing who that is feels like a tall order.
That's what makes this movie so funny: it goes there. Always out-of-bounds and going for broke. And the humor is constantly riffing on the movie industry (I imagine all the tropes are covered); it's always absurd but feels so spot-on in its satirical jabs. There's just something deranged about all of this. There's a lot of shaking your head in disbelief at what goes on here, but it's also more fun than it probably should be.
7/10