Solon Economou

"Tropic Thunder"-- My Movie Review

My advice on this one:  Wait for the DVD.

In fact, I would have waited for the DVD myself if the Kennedy clan had not aroused my curiosity by making such an ado about the use of the word "retard" and Ben Stiller's portrayal of "Simple Jack," sort of a film within this film within this film, if you know what I mean.  But comedy is comedy and satire is satire, and I believe the producers treated Simple Jack with a certain degree of affection in the film.

I'm aware some of you have already seen Tropic Thunder and think it was terrific.  It got good write-ups from Playboy to The Economist.  But I think too much of the "humor" was over-the-top gore and raunch. 

Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr., three genuinely funny actors, go into the Vietnamese jungle (actually filmed in Hawaii) to make a movie about "war hero" Nick Nolte.  I hope I don't give too much away by saying he's more like the Cape's own Glenn Marshall than he is Sergeant York.

Vietnamese drug lords mistake them for DEA, and the action begins.  In the goriest, and I think the most hilarious, scene, their nasty, arrogant director steps on an old French land mine right before their eyes and gets blown to bits.  Ben Stiller convinces most of them it's just "Hollywood special effects" and picks up the severed head.  "It's made of rubber," he assures them as he holds it up and allows the blood to run onto his tongue and into his mouth.  "Blood-colored honey," he says.  Then observes, "Blood-FLAVORED blood-colored honey."

The drug scouts watch this action from the jungle.  The scout leader radios back to their chief, "These Americans are fearless!"  To me, that was the funniest part of the movie.

Robert Downey, Jr., was a joy to watch in every scene.  He plays a white dude playing a black dude playing a black dude, if you know what I mean.  Don't forget, this is a movie within a movie.  As the movie progresses and he really gets into the role, he starts to lose his true identity, resulting in confusion and some pretty funny scenes.

Throughout this movie, their balding, paunchy, ruthless producer in the United States continually bawls them out and threatens them via television closed circuitry.  When he hears they may be killed by the drug gang if nothing is done, he does nothing.  He figures the insurance policies he has on them may gross more than the movie.

I never recognized the producer because of the makeup and had no idea he was in the movie.  He is revealed in the closing credits.  To me, this was the second best part of the movie.

Did I enjoy it?  Yes.  But, while recognizing it was also a satire on Hollywood movie making,  it still relied too much on gore and raunch for comedy.  I say wait for the DVD.