Sorry I never got around to posting my movie reviews last week like I said I would; I'll be posting them all this week instead.
In Roger Ebert’s positive review of Ghostbusters, he remarked that it’s incredibly difficult to effectively mix big budget special effects with comedy. “Special effects require painstaking detail work,” he said. “Comedy requires spontaneity and improvisation, or at least that’s what it should feel like, no matter how much work has gone into it.” Tropic Thunder is another movie that manages to balance over-the-top special effects/action with smart, very funny comedy. It stars Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., and Ben Stiller (who also directed and co-wrote the film).
The movie centers around a group of actors shooting “Tropic Thunder,” a big budget, Apocalypse Now-styled war film based on a supposedly true story. When the shoot goes over budget and the studio starts to get antsy, the director decides to drop the actors into the jungle on their own in order to give them some real motivation. Unbeknownst to all of them, the site they are dropped at is part of a nearby heroin cartel, and the guys ultimately find themselves fighting a real battle (even if they aren’t always aware of it).
This is clearly a labor of love for Stiller, who in the last few years has starred in a number of forgettable comedies (The Heartbreak Kid, Envy, etc.). Unlike those films, Tropic Thunder pulses with energy and inspiration. The film gives the audience an intriguing look at the inner workings of Hollywood and the lives of actors that, while surely broadened for comedic effect, doesn’t feel like it’s too far removed from reality. Stiller also proves himself to be a skilled action director: the intense action sequences often rank on the same level as the films they are spoofing. But, most importantly, the action never gets in the way of the comedy. All the actors get a chance to get big laughs out of the material, especially Downey Jr. as a revered Australian actor (think Daniel Day-Louis) playing an African American sergeant. Downey takes a potentially hazardous role and walks the line perfectly; he could very easily get an Oscar nod for this role.
There are a lot of in-jokes and special guest appearances that make up some of the funniest bits of the movie (hint: it may take you a few minutes to realize the movie has actually started). Most people already know about the appearance of a certain Scientologist, who may have single-handedly saved his career with this role. Tropic Thunder manages to be one of the best comedies of the year as well as one of the best action films. Definitely worth seeing.
Tropic Thunder gets a 4 out of 5.