Worth Its Weight in Fun

Rating: 8/10 (8 September 2008)

Once upon a time August was considered a sort of dumping ground for subpar films that couldn't make the grade for the May through July season, but recently late summer films have been triumphant.
Ben Stiller's latest film takes place on the set of a Vietnam War movie based on memoir by Four Leaf Tayback, who is an intense veteran and amputee played to perfection by a nearly unrecognizable Nick Nolte.
Thanks to the unreasonable and ridiculous behavior displayed by the four main actors, the studio threatens to pull the plug on the war epic. Fear of failure drives the desperate director to take Tayback's advice and drop the divas into the wilderness.
The cast is led by Ben Stiller, who both acted in and directed the film, playing fading action star Tugg Speedman who sees this as his last chance to stay afloat in the movie industry.
The amazingly talented Robert Downey Jr. takes an unforgettable turn portraying Kirk Lazarus, a passionate method actor who undergoes a controversial surgery in order to portray the black platoon sergeant.
Some of the funniest moments come from his attempts to embody a stereotypical African American. Lazarus's extreme submersion into the role leaves him incapable of dropping the character, cleverly satirizing the lengths actors are willing to go to in order to perfect their 'craft.'
Jack Black portrays Jeff 'Fats' Portnoy, a lowbrow comedian hooked on everything but phonics, suffers through withdrawals throughout the course of the film and his crudeness opens up many comedic avenues.
Actual African American rap star Alpa Chino, portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson, butts heads with Lazarus, disgusted by the actor's ridiculous dedication to becoming and acting like a black man.
The cast of the epic catches the attention of the jungle's prime drug manufacturers, the Flaming Red Dragon Gang, who initially believes that the oblivious thespians are a threat to their organization.
Speedman continues to believe that the whole experience is doctored and remains convinced that the cameras are still rolling even after the team is ambushed by the drug dealers and real landmines explode.
It is levelheaded rookie actor Kevin Sandusky, played by Jay Baruchel, who holds the team together when Speedman goes off on his own to continue making the movie that everyone else realizes is long over.
When Speedman is captured by the malicious drug lords and forced to perform his critically panned role of Simple Jack for the locals, his costars must think of a way to rescue him as well as save their own skins.
While the action is well spaced and the film is punctuated by many belly laughs, Tropic Thunder is not for the light of heart and is rated R for good reason. There's vulgarity enough for everybody as well as grossly realistic severed limbs and bad language galore.
Downey Jr. leads the pack, portraying the preposterously serious Lazarus with a straight face, despite all of his laughable absurdities, but he does not stand alone. The cast is strong and the dynamic between the five clueless actors creates the perfect environment for both clever comedy as well as the occasional cheap laugh.
The controversy surrounding the film is not without merit for there are many risqué moments and vulgar jokes that could easily upset the sensitive.
However, the offense taken by Lazarus adopting black face and the debate besieging Speedman's portrayal of a mentally challenged character is taken out of context. One can only presume that those who take such great offense to "Tropic Thunder," never bothered to see it.
The point of both controversial depictions is to poke fun at the movie industry and how actors, like fictional Lazarus and Speedman, can take both themselves and their roles far too seriously.
Tropic Thunder succeeds as a great ensemble piece, the main and supporting actors playing off each other perfectly. There is even a hilarious bit part by a nearly unrecognizable Tom Cruise.
This is a movie best taken with a laugh and a grain of salt and true fans of Downey Jr., Stiller and Black will not be disappointed. The politically correct and easily offended should do their best to avoid it.