Comedy with occasional gems of brilliance

Rating: Null/10 (9 June 2014)

In many respects Tropic Thunder is merely your average action movie parody. It has lots of pointing and laughing, over-played clichés, over-the-top acting, lampshade hanging and general goofiness. It's also very meta with most of the best jokes being played at expense of actor stereotypes, instead of action ones. And it's this last point which makes this film work. That, and a really good cast of talented actors.
Because deep down this movie is nothing special. It is just as aimlessly random and offensive as most parodies. It never really surprises you or offers you anything new. Still, if you like comedies, it'd serve even without its best parts. What elevates it above mere average, however, is how well the jokes are told. And this is largely thanks to the actors. Robert Downey Jr. especially has received a lot of praise for his portrayal of Kirk Lazarus, an extreme method actor that never breaks character until the filming is completely done. And it just so happens that his character plays a black guy in the film within this film. It's offensive and more than a little awkward, but also extremely funny. The way he speaks cracked me up every single time he opened his mouth. Add in Tom Cruise, Jack Black and so many other A-list names and you start to realize why this film managed to rise above its peers.
Not that the writing is weak either. It's nothing special, as stated, but it has a good sense of timing, the premise is imaginative enough and allows for some good jokes, and it strikes a good balance between character moments and general silliness. Not every joke hits a bullseye, but quite many of them do.
Easily recommended for all fans of action comedies.