Tropic Thunder
Director: Ben Stiller.
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black.
Details: US / 107mins (16).
"Tropic Thunder is my Catcher in the Rye!" Somewhere in Vietnam, action hero Tugg Speedman (Stiller), method actor Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr.) and comedian Jeff Portnoy's (Black) new film Tropic Thunder is in trouble: egos are raging war on set, the director Cockburn (Steve Coogan) can't handle the pressure and tough producer Les Grossman is coming down hard. So when war vet Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte), whose book the film is based on, suggests taking the cast deeper into the jungle to capture the reality of war, Cockburn gets excited about the guerrilla filmmaking. However, when the cast and crew run into real drug traffickers, the actors still think it's a movie...
Although he doesn't exactly steal comedy back from Judd Apatow et al, Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder is a lot funnier than recent Apatow outings. A parody of Vietnam movies (in particular sacred cows like Platoon and Apocalypse Now) that actually loves the movies its parodying, Tropic Thunder is every bit the blockbuster it sends up, and still takes time to poke fun at a vicious Hollywood with the balding, fat producer and Mathew McConaughey's zealous agent a delight. It's Downey Jr.'s method actor ("I don't drop character until the DVD commentary.") who gets all the laughs, however. So committed to the role, his Kirk Lazarus underwent a pigment alteration procedure, dips his voice, takes on the role of a Southern black man, and every time he opens his mouth it's funny. The only downside is Black's drug-addled comic; maybe he doesn't have the lines or a character to play around with, but he just isn't funny. Only Jack Black fans will laugh at his antics for no other reason than it's Jack Black.
Don't miss the start, as we're treated to three mock trailers encompassing the stars' previous hits, which are arguably the highlight. There are still a few months to go in 2008, but this could be the comedy of the year.
Review by Gavin Burke : Agree/Disagree? Write a review... and win Cinema tickets!
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Your Reviews
Useless - Locky
How did this film get such a good review? one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life. it's not funny what so ever, it's just stupid. And I like stupid humour like all of will ferrels movies.... MORE
Review Published 15 December 2008
Star Rating: 
Hilarious! - Doyler
This is a great movie. I haven't laughed so much in a cinema for a long time. Robert Downey Jr's performance is getting a lot of attention and kudos, and deservedly so. He's excellent throughout. The... MORE
Review Published 03 November 2008
Star Rating: 
simple jack on vhs - Phil
The casting was genius, with Jack Black taking the top funny man trophy!! Bold but brilliant move to get Robert Downey jr. to play a black man, hilarious and sometimes cringeworthy. Ben Stiller is... MORE
Review Published 29 October 2008
Star Rating: 
Yes - cogemelo
Lots of hype about this one. PC incorrectness at its best. Ben Stiller overacted as usual but Robert Downey Jr as a white man painted black BRILLIANT. Tom Cruise loved his take no prisoners attitude,... MORE
Review Published 23 October 2008
Star Rating:
Soo funny - Irish_Chickidee
This movie is one if you see, if you didn't know how to laugh when you went it, you will when you came out! I would reccomend it but only if you aren't senstive or squeamish
Review Published 14 October 2008
Star Rating:
brill !!!! - Maryheavey
comedy at its robert downey and jack black impressed me but i was disapointed by ben stiller he really is losing his touch the same stupid character .
Review Published 14 October 2008
Star Rating:
Playe.....R - Plant
Tropic thunder begins with some fake trailers that advertise some fake movies to set the tone for the rest of the movie and before the movie actually starts the audience have started a wave of... MORE
Review Published 13 October 2008
Star Rating:
let down - Warr W62
expectation means nothin after this film, despite some funny scences it just wasn't good enough in a poor film which just dragged on an proved why a film of such wasn;t done before
Review Published 10 October 2008
Star Rating: 
hopefully funny - conor
i am going to see this movie tonight and cant wait as people are saying its very funny!!
Review Published 10 October 2008
Star Rating: 
great!!! - Diana
very funny movie!!!
Review Published 10 October 2008
Star Rating:
Jungle Feeble - pandabat
Ahhh, Hollywood! Take a great cast and put them together in a movie billed by some to be comedy of the year and what do you get? "Tropic Thunder" is what. Following the scrapes of a group... MORE
Review Published 07 October 2008
Star Rating:
crazy and fun, best comedy in a long time - edelmouse
i really can't understand why some people didn't get the humour in this film. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. It was the best comedy I have seen in ages. I actually laughed out... MORE
Review Published 06 October 2008
Star Rating:
i wet myself - bloo
well...i haven't seen this movie yet but the people who reviewed this movie sound like couch potato's ..meaning that they have no sence of humour.. grow down :)
Review Published 04 October 2008
Star Rating:
A simple film for simple people (harsh but so true) - Mack82
My God, what a waste of money this film is! A few laughs but nothing major. The middle just drags on...and on....and ON! I generally like Ben Stiller films and i'm aware this film is a piss take but... MORE
Review Published 03 October 2008
Star Rating:
Better the second time round - hellcat1983
The only thing that really stands out with this film are the note-worthy performances from both Robert Downet Jr. (ressurecting his career playing Academy award winning Aussie Kirk Lazurus, who has... MORE
Review Published 02 October 2008
Star Rating:
simple jack - dk
This movies is funny. Ben Stiller was beginning to really get under my tits for a while but even if only for the hilarity of the simple jack scenes, he has been redeemed. It seems for a long while... MORE
Review Published 01 October 2008
Star Rating:
yawn . . . it put me to sleep - ****
I went to this movie with people who normally laugh their heads off at the dumbest films. The cinema was full but I only heard a couple of people laughing more than a few times. very disappointed... MORE
Review Published 01 October 2008
Star Rating:
Don't Bother - buff
HOW Gavin Burke gave this movie 4 stars I don't know. Tropic Blunder is barely amusing, typical muck from Ben Stiller that we've all seen before and over the top crap from Jack Black that we've all... MORE
Review Published 01 October 2008
Star Rating:
Solid,enjoyable,and at times hilarious - Keith R
It seems a long time since a worthy comedy came out of Hollywood without the name Judd Apatow featuring in the writing/directorial credits,but lo and behold,Ben Stiller has resurfaced after his... MORE
Review Published 30 September 2008
Star Rating:
Easy Watching - nejjerooney
I believe anyone that didn't like this movie OBVIOUSLY didn't know it was meant to be a ridiculous movie, It was written & directed and practically freakin everything was done by Ben Stiller... MORE
Review Published 30 September 2008
Star Rating:
Total Tropic Tripe! - MissMagoo
This is easily one of the worst films of all times. I think I laughed once during this film. It's ridiculously bad.You could count the amount of laughs in the entire cinema. The reviewer Gavin... MORE
Review Published 29 September 2008
Star Rating:
Hilarious - trishastar
This movie is hilarious - Tom Cruise is outstanding, great cast, definitely worth going to see twice!!
Review Published 29 September 2008
Star Rating:
Certainly no Tropic Blunder - Cyberx_94
Tropic Thunder. Tropic Thunder is an American action/comedy film starring Robert Downy Jr and Jack Black. The film is about a director who is trying to make a film based on a book about a group of... MORE
Review Published 28 September 2008
Star Rating:
Simply not funny - Justin
Spending 107 minutes with one-joke characters (or in the case of Jack Black, zero-joke characters) isn't fun. If you find people shouting in and of itself funny, you may like this. There were maybe 3... MORE
Review Published 28 September 2008
Star Rating:
Satire with a somewhat blunt edge - Andy Millman
Watching Tropic Thunder is like being on the deck of a whaling ship as a modern Captain Ahab fires one exploding harpoon after another into the inert mass of his giant prey. Megalomaniac producers,... MORE
Review Published 26 September 2008
Star Rating:
Worth a look - jennith
This film directed by Ben Stiler is about a bunch of spoiled Jealous actors making a Vietnam war film based on the book by a veteran Four leaf Tayback played by Nick Nolte.The film shooting is not... MORE
Review Published 26 September 2008
Star Rating:
Fun - Cascarino
Is there any wonder so many people get Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller mixed up? The latter is involved in all aspects of this film, producing, directing and playing the lead part, and yet it could... MORE
Review Published 25 September 2008
Star Rating:
Good effort - horrorfanatic
Before I watched this film, I did not think much of the majority of the cast and I was not expecting much from the story line. However, for the people that think the film wasn't funny, they are... MORE
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
Gino - Davetherave
It's not really criticism - I liked most of those films. It just speaks volumes for your choice in comedy is all. Tropic Thunder is a very different beast and draws its comedy from satire, not "i've... MORE
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
Davetherave - Gino Cork
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one Dave.....I think your criticism of the afore mentioned films would be widely contradicted by many.
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
I do apologise - Davetherave
Obviously you're right. Anyone who liked it is an idiot and we should all bow to your obviously much more informed opinion. It's called satire; unlike the knob and fart joke ridden films you listed.... MORE
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
Come back....re: davetheraves comments - Gino Cork, Gino Cork, Gino Cork, Gino Cork
Film's I've found excellent.....confirmed sense of humour which I have in abundance..... Mr Deeds Something about Mary Dumb and Dumber Happy Gilmore etc..... You're sense of humour is a very long way... MORE
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
Gino - Davetherave
Well, if you don't agree it must be true Gino, right? Thought this was very very funny and an overall excellent film. Crawl out of your arse for a second and grow a sense of humor
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
Outstanding...up there with the great comedies - Liam K
This is an outstanding comedy movie. I'll despair if there is even 1 bad review for this. It's up there with the best comedies of the last 30 years. I can remember where I was when the likes of... MORE
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
Worst movie of the year? - Gino Cork
Yet again I find myself hugely contradicting the 4-star rating given by your website, this film was not funny, there were perhaps two or three laughable moments in the film mostly when tom cruise... MORE
Review Published 24 September 2008
Star Rating:
Comedy crap! - Suasn - Cork
I didn't like this film!! I know I know!!! Don't harass me!! But seriously!! The story line was good! But the comedy element was very few and far between! Ok! So its about 3 separate actors, for me... MORE
Review Published 23 September 2008
Star Rating:
Rubbish - diarmuid
Six of us went to see this in the states in August expecting great things from a great cast and in Stiller a great writer. How dissappointed were we. The best part of the film are the fake movie... MORE
Review Published 22 September 2008
Star Rating:
Garbage - slick
In tears laughing for first 10 mins then the onerous dialogue and scarcity of quality gags made me want to leave-trite, puerile and unfunny. Downey is excellent. Overall the whole laugh-out-loud... MORE
Review Published 21 September 2008
Star Rating:
top class movie. - hansolo
This may be my favorite war movie ever. The more you think about it the more you see that unfortunately true to life it is. Genuinely funny as well.
Review Published 21 September 2008
Star Rating:
i think it's great - tropic thunder
i think it is great
Review Published 20 September 2008
Star Rating:
Perfect popcorn comedy movie! - Amanda Smith
It's stuff like this that make you love America when you are a kid. Funny, over the top, a good heart, dumb ..all the Things that make movies like this work so well. It has elements of Dumb and... MORE
Review Published 19 September 2008
Star Rating:
Definitely worth a view - Gary
I enjoyed this movie but maybe 4 stars is pushing it, there are some excellent scenes usually containing Tom Cruise or Robert Downey Jr. Unlike Gavins review I was happy to see Jack Black playing a... MORE
Review Published 19 September 2008
Star Rating:
Meh - Neecie
They spent a bit too much money on the cast for this and not enough on the film itself. Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr were good investments but I expected more from this.
Review Published 18 September 2008
Star Rating:
Half a click short of a great 'Nam spoof - Mark
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Stiller, Black, Downey Jr. and co. delivery a gentle parody of Hollywood movie-making and of Vietnam movies in particular. While there's much that's... MORE
Review Published 18 September 2008
Star Rating:
brill must see - stonecold
wat a film .when it started off didnt no wat was happening . starts off with a few trailors of all the stars previous fake movies. Ben Stiller plays pampered action superstar Tugg Speedman, who is... MORE
Review Published 17 September 2008
Star Rating:
Sooooo goooood! - movielover
Saw this in the US and i would totally go back to see it. I was kinda worried for Robert Downey Jr as he was painted as a black man, but he was fantastic. I'm not a fan of Ben Stiller, but he was so... MORE
Review Published 05 September 2008
Star Rating:
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