Tropic Thunder [MA]

Three of Hollywood’s biggest stars have come together to make a movie about a real American hero who survived a suicide rescue mission during the Vietnam War. But the film appears to be highly ill-fated as the soft-cock actors can’t work with one another, the explosions and special effects are a series of disasters, and it’s a directorial debut from a theatre director who can’t handle the strain. But then, in an attempt to get the actors to get serious, they get dropped off in the middle of the Vietnam jungle plagued with rigged mines and booby traps. Unbeknown to the director and writers a highly dangerous militia of Asian drug suppliers runs the area where they’ve dropped their actors and, all too soon the movie becomes real. 

I have to be honest and say that when I first saw this movie, I really didn’t like it. I’d had a couple of drinks too when I first saw it and I still thought it was awful. But my brother really likes it, I bought it for him to have in our collection, and today I thought I’d give it another crack. I now have to say that I appreciated it much more the second time around. Having now seen a couple of Vietnam War movies like Apocalypse Now and stuff, I actually understand the humour that underlies this movie and I appreciated what it was trying to do. 

Three of Hollywood’s biggest stars have come together to make a movie about a real American hero who survived a suicide rescue mission during the Vietnam War. But the film appears to be highly ill-fated as the soft-cock actors can’t work with one another, the explosions and special effects are a series of disasters, and it’s a directorial debut from a theatre director who can’t handle the strain. But then, in an attempt to get the actors to get serious, they get dropped off in the middle of the Vietnam jungle plagued with rigged mines and booby traps. Unbeknown to the director and writers a highly dangerous militia of Asian drug suppliers runs the area where they’ve dropped their actors and, all too soon the movie becomes real. 

Despite the fact that it’s American and they use an inordinate amount of gore humour, which I just think is too gross Tropic Thunder is actually quite cleverly constructed. Case in point the beginning, even before the movie’s makers are named, features loads of teaser trailers for the newest movies featuring the film’s character/actors. I’m not going to try and explain the genius of it, you’ll have to go down to your local Blockbuster and rent the movie, but I tell you it’s actually really clever. On top of the film’s original beginning, it also is a story about a film within a film, a mockumentary of a biopic if you will. I found that quite funny also. 

And then, on top of everything else, we have these fantastically weird central characters: we have Ben Stiller who also produced, wrote, and directed the film, as your John MacLaine-esque action man, Jack Black as a flatulent and drug-addicted comedy star, and Robert Downey Jr. as a method actor so serious he went through a series of operations to black up for this biopic. 

Most of the comedy comes in the form of the script, which is crudity central and is packed to bursting with profanities, but does harbour some clever comic and quotable treats. Then there is an excess amount of gore humour that, in a sick and twisted way, takes the piss out of many of those Vietnam War movies. 

Starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Brandon T. Jackson, Bill Hader, introducing Brandon Soo Hoo, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder is a surprisingly clever movie packed with war, gore, action, explosions, drama, and plenty of comedy. I didn’t think much of it the first time I saw it, but now I’m eating my words. It’s actually a very clever and funny movie.