Moon Minis - Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder

Star-studded cast, including writer/director/actor Ben Stiller, presents an action-packed, tongue-in-cheek satire of war films that's heavy on violence but surprisingly low on laughs. The film is entertaining, of course, featuring Stiller's distinct brand of humor, with witty dialogue and twists so ridiculous they're believable, but for the most part, the jokes are more chuckle-worthy than any laugh-out-loud raucous one would expect from a team-up of Stiller, Jack Black, and a black Robert Downey Jr. Black's  role is decidedly lacking here, and when he is on camera, he's delegated to a pathetic drug addict whose sole purpose is to act as withdrawn as possible. Even Stiller's role is minor; it is Robert Downey Jr. who provides the most laughs, with his spot-on, if controversial, performance.

It feels as though the film stretched itself too thin - with such a large cast, an intricate metafictional plot (a movie about making a movie based on a book based on a war), and action sequences that look and feel like serious war films, Tropic Thunder has a hard time focusing on one thing and doing it well. Instead, it has its moments, particularly when mimicking its inspirations (most notable - the use of late 60s, early 70s rock hits), but a lot of the jokes shoot blanks. Adventurous, experimental, but unable to push past the satire.

Tropic Thunder on Rotten Tomatoes