LuckyWillSTORM WARNING - Watch out for TROPIC THUNDER
September 11th 2008 17:06
Tropic Thunder, like Galaxy Quest did in 1999, is a film that shows just what happens when typical Hollywood actors are forced to ply their trade in the real world. Ben Stiller plays the action hero Tugg Speedman whose career is plummeting toward its demise and makes matters worse by ruining the most expensive scene in his last chance at a revival, ‘Tropic Thunder’, when he is unable to cry during a shoot. One of his co-stars is the 5-time Oscar winning Australian actor, Kirk Lazarus, played by Robert Downey Jnr, who is so committed to his craft that he actually undergoes a surgical procedure to darken his skin in preparation for his role as an African American Army Sergeant. Also included in the cast is a drug addicted Eddy Murphy type actor, Jeff Portnoy, (Jack Black); the super cool gangsta rapper Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) and the up and comer Kevin Sandusky, played by Jay Baruchel.
When their film begins to fall apart after only 5 days of shooting, the director decides to throw them all into the jungle and film the actors’ real life trek to salvation using fake explosives and gunfire to scare them into their greatest performances yet. However, the plan quite literally blows up in his face along with the rest of him after stepping on an old landmine left over from the war. The actors must then fend for themselves as they struggle to follow a script that no one else seems to know about and battle the dangerous drug gang known as the Flaming Dragons with nothing but pretend guns and blissful ignorance.
The film is essentially a comedy but with serious undertones which is quite fun to watch. The actors really get into their characters and some of the serious scenes are intentionally hilarious. Robert Downey Jnr is particularly impressive as the Australian actor pretending to be black. Throughout the entire film he remains true to the African American stereotype much to the annoyance of Alpa Chino, his actual African American co-star. In one scene, for example, Lazarus takes offence to Tugg’s use of the term “you people” to which Alpa Chino then takes offence that he should even find it offensive considering he’s really white.
Tom Cruise has managed to harness the lunacy that made him famous (or infamous) in real life to create the character of the explosive, overweight film producer, Les Grossman. Despite an awkward looking dance of his that he appears strangely proud of, Cruise steals almost every scene that he is involved in as he hurls crude insults at everyone around him. Jack Black is a little too convincing as the recovering crack addict but also very good, as is Ben Stiller’s impression of the Forest Gump like character of “Simple Jack.
The men learn about themselves and each other as their journey goes on and there is enough humour and action to keep audiences entertained for the full 1hr and 47minutes. It’s a fun movie to watch but pay attention and keep an open mind.
Rating: 4 clueless actors/ 5
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