Almost very clever

Rating: 7/10 (17 August 2008)

If Ben Stiller never existed, Tropic Thunder could have been a masterpiece. I'm fairly certain it's entirely fair to pin Thunder's failings entirely on Stiller's mainstream comedic sensibilities. After all, it's his character whose arc is the least...(read more) self-aware. In Stiller's mind, he is still a hero in Tropic Thunder, but the actual hero is clearly Jay Baruchel who pulls off a very funny and incredibly likable performance as the only not-yet famous actor in the film within the film. He's put-upon, but delightfully earnest.
Don't get me wrong, there's some truly great stuff here. I found myself laughing hard and loud more times than I can count, but there would also be gaps where I wouldn't even giggle. If the gags - which are plentiful - aren't working, it's because they are one tweak away from perfection or one toke over the line.
Tom Cruise is getting most of the hype here, and it's well-deserved. As Les Grossman, the overweight, bald studio head, Cruise is hilariously crude. It's a great cameo. But then it stops being a cameo, as Cruise just keeps coming back, even dancing to a Ludicrous song over the end credits - a prime example of running a brilliant joke into the ground, something Stiller knows a a lot about.
Still, I have no problem enthusiastically reccomending Tropic Thunder to anyone. When it does work, it can be pretty damn funny.