Ben Stiller has long been one of my favorite comedic talents. From his hilarious role in the kids film Heavyweights to the brain dead model in Zoolander, everything he does makes me laugh!! Stiller is usually at his best when he directs, which is why Tropic Thunder is my favorite film of his as well as the Parcbench movie of the week.
On its surface, this film mocks the making of the epic war film Apocalypse Now. The production took years and was full of setbacks including hurricanes and drug induced actor meltdowns. It is all chronicled in the documentary Hearts of Darkness. Tropic Thunder takes this story and uses it to poke at the absurdities of Hollywood actors and their surrounding culture. They are on the set of a war film when they encounter one problem after another and eventually become the soldiers they were portraying.
Even before Tropic Thunder hit theaters, it had its share of controversy. Once word got out the Robert Downey Jr. was playing a black man phrases like “minstrel show” and “black face” started to surface. Anyone who has seen this film knows that the purpose of this was to show the outrageous and silly nature of many actors who take themselves too seriously (“I don’t break character until the DVD commentary”). Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr.) provided a hilarious take on the stereotypical Black soldier which was contradicted by Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson).
Stiller played the typical action hero, Tugg Speedman, who had his series of films that went on longer than necessary (Scorcher 1-6). He is the token sissy actor who plays tough guys but couldn’t be further from one in real life. Jack Black brilliantly played the drug addict actor with no appreciation for what he has. His claim to fame is the Fatties franchise that satirizes many of Eddie Murhpy’s tragically awful films of recent years.
There are so many funny characters in this film (including roles by Danny McBride, Nick Nolte, Bill Hader, and Steve Coogan). It would take too long to mention them all in detail so if you haven’t seen this film, GO SEE IT! What most people I know talk about, however, is Tom Cruise’s brilliant cameo appearance as a prick studio head. For more see the video below.
Here is the film’s trailer (it speaks for itself!)
