Movie and Television Reviews

From his tragically short TV show on Fox to Zoolander, Ben Stiller has always been very good at lovingly satirizing show business.

Zoolander (Special Collector's Edition)

The Ben Stiller Show

His target in Tropic Thunder are those whose profession is only a couple layers deeper than Zoolander's male models, actors.

Tropic Thunder distills members of this favored American caste into five easily-spoofed types: Ben Stiller is Tugg Speedman, an action star whose turn as an American of impaired intellectuality in the movie-within-a-movie "Happy Jack" and declining revenues for his action movie series, "Scorcher," has him worried about his future in acting. Jeff "Fats" Portnoy (Jack Black) is a gross-out comedian. Robert Downey Jr. is Kirk Lazarus, an Australian multiple Academy Award-winning method actor. Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) is a gangster rapper/actor who sells a drink called "Booty-Sweat." Jay Baruchel is Kevin Sandusky, an unknown actor who has some military experience.

Each of them has some kind of problem. Besides Speedman and his career woes, Chino is struggling with his sexual orientation, Portnoy has a drug problem, and Lazarus has to deal with his inability to distinguish himself from his characters.

Tropic Thunder cleverly introduces the actors through trailers to their movies, a spot-on music video in the case of Alpa Chino, and a funny Access Hollywood segment.

The actors are filming "Tropic Thunder" on location in Vietnam when an expensive on-set accident prompts a quick, violent reaction from the movie's financial backer, Les Grossman (Tom Cruise). The director then decides to deal with the actors' egos, the cause of the problems, according to him, by setting up cameras around the jungle and filming a Cloverfield-like "guerrilla" movie.

Cloverfield (Widescreen) Limited Edition Steelbook

In that jungle, however, lurk the "Flaming Dragons," a heroin-growing gang led by a cinematically-deprived and cruel adolescent.

Thinking that the village is the one in the script, Speedman "invades" the village alone after being separated from the rest of the group. The faux raiders attempt rescue.

Hilarity ensues; I laughed heartily and often. The funniest scenes include Lazarus giving acting advice to Speedman ("Don't go 'full retard.'"); Lazarus, again, attacking the heroin village via his acting ability, reminiscent of Gary in Team America: World Police); and Speedman "going native" while captured. There are many other funny moments.

Team America: World Police - Unrated (Widescreen Special Collector's Edition)

Downey turns in his second excellent performance in a row after Ironman, playing an actor who reflects on acting- very difficult, probably.

Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey as Rick "Pecker" Peck, Speedman's agent do great work too.

One can say that the jokes are obvious considering the premise of the movie, but I think that just speaks to the attractiveness of that premise.

Tropic Thunder is the most male movie since Das Boot. The only women are eye candy.

Das Boot - The Director's Cut

Politics/Message:

Ben Stiller avoids politics. No cheap Bush jokes.

Peck is faced with a moral dilemma- save his friend or receive a jet plane from Grossman.

Chairman of the Special Olympics Timothy Shriver complained about Tropic Thunder's portrayal of the mentally handicapped and many protested its premiere. I sympathize with the parents (That's who we're talking about, let's face it.) of those afflicted with a mental disability, but they're being a little too sensitive here.

Stiller wanted to ridicule the feeling amongst many in Hollywood that playing a mentally handicapped person is the greatest test of an actor. I don't see how Stiller could have done that without giving us an example of how to and not to do it.

The easily-offended would deprive the rest of the world of much good comedy.

I noticed several Catholic references: The Pope praises Grossman and Lazarus plays a homosexual priest in one of his movies. I'm not mad.

Rain Man (Special Edition)

Cast:

Follow up:

Directed by
Ben Stiller

Writing credits
(WGA)
Ben Stiller (screenplay) &
Justin Theroux (screenplay) and
Etan Cohen (screenplay)

Ben Stiller (story) &
Justin Theroux (story)

Cast (in credits order)
Jeff Khan ... Snooty Waiter

Robert Downey Jr. ... Kirk Lazarus
Anthony Ruivivar ... Platoon Sergeant Shot in Head

Jack Black ... Jeff Portnoy

Jay Baruchel ... Kevin Sandusky

Brandon T. Jackson ... Alpa Chino

Ben Stiller ... Tugg Speedman

Eric Winzenried ... Chopper Pilot

Steve Coogan ... Damien Cockburn

Valerie Azlynn ... Damien's Assistant

Matt Levin ... Cameraperson

David Pressman ... First Assistant Director

Amy Stiller ... Script Supervisor
Danny R. McBride ... Cody (as Danny McBride)
Dempsey Silva ... Special Effects Assistant

Bill Hader ... Studio Executive Rob Slolom

Nick Nolte ... Four Leaf Tayback
Jeff Weidemann ... Speedman Assistant #1

Nadine Ellis ... Speedman Assistant #2

Rachel Avery ... Speedman Assistant #3
Darryl Farmer ... Alpa's Posse
Rod Tate ... Alpa's Posse

Maria Menounos ... Herself

Tyra Banks ... Herself

Christine Taylor ... Rebecca
Jel Galiza ... Speedman's Chef

Andrea De Oliveira ... Speedman's Trainer

Matthew McConaughey ... Rick Peck

Yvette Nicole Brown ... Peck's Assistant

Reggie Lee ... Byong
Trieu Tran ... Tru

Brandon Soo Hoo ... Tran
J. Thomas Chon ... Half Squat
Jacob Chon ... Half Squat

Tom Cruise ... Les Grossman

Mike Hoagland ... Grossman's Assistant

Jon Voight ... Himself

Jennifer Love Hewitt ... Herself

Jason Bateman ... Himself

Lance Bass ... Himself

Alicia Silverstone ... Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Denise Bradley ... Academy Award Guest

Jillian Johnston ... Four Leaf's Date
Buzz McEntire ... Farmhand (uncredited)

Chad Mountain ... Agency Assistant (uncredited)

Create a character page for: Snooty WaiterChopper PilotDamien's AssistantCamerapersonFirst Assistant DirectorScript SupervisorCodySpecial Effects AssistantStudio Executive Rob SlolomFour Leaf TaybackSpeedman Assistant #1Speedman Assistant #2Speedman Assistant #3Alpa's PosseAlpa's PosseRebeccaSpeedman's ChefSpeedman's TrainerRick PeckPeck's AssistantByongTruTranHalf SquatHalf SquatLes GrossmanGrossman's AssistantAcademy Award GuestFour Leaf's DateFarmhandAgency Assistant

Produced by
Stuart Cornfeld .... producer
Matt Eppedio .... associate producer
Patrick Esposito .... post-production producer
Eric McLeod .... producer
Ben Stiller .... producer

Original Music by
Theodore Shapiro

Tags: controvertial, positive, retarded movies