Tropic Thunder gets brownie points purely for the ingenious preparation in marketing and promotion put forth to get this film on the map and into the minds of the target audience. With made up E! network interview to theatrical trailers to establish long standing careers for the actors, the characters portrayed. Not to mention the audacity to create and pull off this spoof on the industry that was funding it. From blatant attacks on the inner workings of the industry to the cliché and stereotypical traits of the actors and industry leaders brought to their highest this film is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

 

Although the story and plot contained less than I had anticipated the continuous one-liners and creative license bring the entertainment levels off the chart. A movie, about a movie, about what happened to actors while they went to Vietnam to shoot a war film. The sheer concept and ability to pull off films within films and actors within actors makes this movie’s interest level peak. Reality infused with cinematic follies creates the surreal realm for these characters/actors.

Jeff Portney (Jack Black), reins in his comedic spiel to portray a hardened soldier. Changing his voice and demeanor to show his serious side then dropping it all quicker than the director says, “cut” and reverting to the drug addict actor. Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) attempts to revive his once prosperous action star persona after a disastrous attempt to play a dramatic potentially Oscar-worthy role as a mentally disabled man in Simple Jack. His downfall as fellow actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) crudely points out was that he went “fully retarded, no one ever comes back from that.” Kirk Lazarus is a genius at his craft (“I don’t read the script. The script reads me.”), playing a black man like he was born one and never breaking character because the cameras may still be rolling (“Man, I don’t drop charater ‘til I done the DVD commentary”). Others that must be mentioned are the newbie actor Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), the only one to read the script and actually attended boot camp and Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) the actual black man who seems to find less things offensive then Kirk (“You’re Australian. Be Australian. Excuse me Kangaroo Jack!) 

 

The initial scene continues through a hail of gunfire, explosions, screams in the distance and the heartfelt death speech until the men show their true colors. Tugg has a problem when it comes to making himself cry, “he’s just not that good”, and Kirk’s sobbing and drooling is just so real that the two take part in a pissing match filming stops however the special effects guru Cody (Danny McBride) continues through the scene setting off a four million dollar explosion that destroys part of the Vietnamese forest and is not captured by a single camera.

 

The movie is falling apart and the director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) is getting desperate between the set backs and the banter between the actors so when the script writer/former soldier Four Leaf (Nick Nolte) proposes a guerilla filming deep in the jungle of Vietnam he agrees. And thus begins the actual movie, there are so many levels at play here yet not at all confusing. The actors have it easy follow the scene notes there are hidden cameras and some pre-established sequences ready at the directors command. Easier said than done and the actors soon have to become the characters they are playing as they tread through the jungle of Vietnam off the beaten path.

 

With its constant guest appearances Tropic Thunder was a smart way for a bunch of actors to collaborate and make a mockery of their craft and themselves. This film understands parody. With riveting satire this film delivers consistent wit and absurdity throughout. Hitting at some low points but doesn’t fall short or disappoint.  This film is definitely worth your time. 

 

Loren