Great characters make a great comedy...

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2008)

I had no idea what to expect from this movie. Was it going to be horrible? Hysterically good? Or just lukewarm? For starters, I'll say "Tropic Thunder" is not a movie for everyone. It contains a substantial amount of swearing, some unpleasant gory images (used for comic effect like Monty Python), and even contains some material that people may find indirectly offensive, but I like it.
The reason why I like this movie is because of the characters. Stiller, Black, and Downey Jr. lead an ensemble cast of Hollywood big shots trying to make a Vietnam War picture. Nothing seems to go right, so the director, with the advice of a Vietnam veteran (Nick Nolte) decides to take the actors out into the middle of the jungle so they can face the "real deal". However, things get out of hand, and what the actors thought of as a movie really isn't.
As you can see, the story isn't that special, but each character is unique and funny in their own ways. Ben Stiller is the action hero, a complete spoof off of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold, and even Willem Dafoe (from Platoon). Jack Black is the comedian, a satire off of cheap comedies that Eddie Murphy would star in. And Downey Jr., is the award winner, a spoof of all the great actors ranging from Russell Crowe to Marlon Brando.
In addition to these guys, there are many excellent cameos, including: Tobey Maguire, Jon Voight, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Cruise (strangely dressed up as an obese, bald, Hollywood producer). Every actor in this movie is great and funny. They turn an okay plot into something worthwhile. In addition, there's also a lot of action and nonstop satires against other movies and Hollywood itself.
The one thing I have to note, is that people have criticized these movie because of the multiple uses of the word "retard". It is used, but not as an insult to the mentally handicapped, but aimed at one of the characters.
I enjoyed every moment of this film, from the opening trailer satires to the closing credits. 8/10