Clever, original and funny, Tropic Thunder lives up to it's expectation.

Rating: 8/10 (30 August 2008)

Many reviews of this film have called it a mean shot at Hollywood. That has been used in both a negative and positive light, but either way, I didn't feel that was very true at all. Sure there is some references to Hollywood and actors in general, as there should be in a movie about that. The only Hollywood aspect shown as a negative is the heartless producer, played by no longer surprise guest Tom Cruise. I felt I'd get this out of the way first, but whether or not you find the biting satire of Hollywood to be plentiful, I'm sure you'll find the laughs are.
A new huge budget movie, Tropic Thunder is currently being directed, by newcomer filmmaker Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) none the less. The actors in the movie include aging action star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), method actor Kirk Lazerous (Robert Downey Jr.), comedic actor Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) and rapper Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson). After a series of expensive blunders, the movie producer Les Grossman (Tom Cruise) becomes very angry. The writer of the book that the movie is based on, Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte) decides how to solve the problems and suggests they shoot the movie guerrilla style, with hidden cameras in the trees. Take the boys to the action for authenticity. What we end up with is a small group of actors stuck in the jungles full of men who are ready and willing to torture and kill them.
The jokes in this movie come at fairly fast rates, though not so fast as to stoop to lame crotch hit gags or typical fart jokes. The acting is usually perfect to the characters. Robert Downey Jr. plays a "black man" and gives an over the top, but believable performance. If I shut my eyes and just listened, I could swear Brandon T. Jackson is Wanda Sykes with a sex change. Despite that he was a nice addition to the cast. Tom Cruise was a little too much at times, but he has a screen presence, so even when he was acting like a moron, it was fairly enjoyable. Jack Black was amusing in his drug addicted state and was normally funny, as was writer/director/actor Ben Stiller.
The direction worked very well. It was mostly tight cuts and fast paced, but many scenes spoofed other war movies, and they are filmed how the other movies are. Ben Stiller has these war movies down, too. From the direction, to the lighting, to the acting, he obviously has seen many of these types of movies.
Overall, this is a funny, enjoyable movie. It's violence doesn't make the tone any darker, either, which is good in this case.
My rating: *** out of ****. 107 mins. R for language, violence and drug content.