As I See It

Stiller, Downey, Jr., Black

First off, I apologize that the first movie I am reviewing is Tropic Thunder. I blame Hollywood’s inability to produce good material. Please, please don’t judge me.

So, for better or worse, here it is…

There is little distinction between Ben Stiller’s new action-comedy Tropic Thunder and what I put in my trash can. Friday evening, after an awesome dinner at a local Thai restaurant (where my husband and I indulged in the most incredible Coconut Ice Cream in the North Texas area),we headed off to the movie, hoping in earnest that it would not fall short. We were not so lucky.

I had heard some things floating around in cyberspace about protesting from several human rights groups in regards to a particular stream of humor in the film. Now, I must say, I rarely pay attention to accusations regarding the brand of humor or political statement featured in a film. I am someone who stands in firm opposition against censorship, in any form. I do not agree with a lot of what is out there (in film or printed in the media, and a lot of modern fiction is purely fluff), but that does not take away the civil right of the author or filmmaker to present it to the world. After all, that is where our freedom to choose not to support it comes in. (What would I rant about were that taken away?) So, I approached Tropic Thunder with optimism, and I was greatly disappointed.

The film chronicles the bungled mess that is the filming of a Vietnam war movie called, shockingly, Tropic Thunder. After running into budget problems and poor camaraderie between the actors, the director, Damien Cockburn (an obvious play on words there), sets off into the jungle with his lead actors, the films special effects coordinator (played humorously by Danny McBride) and the “Vietnam Vet” Four Leaf Tayback (a dirty, drunk Nick Nolte). All manner of chaos ensues and thus the plot moves along. The plot isn’t where the movie’s issues come in, however. It is both clever and inventive how they set up the conflict, and all the actors are in their respective elements. However, Jack Black, with his buzzed blond hair and protruding belly (not to mention an insane heroine addiction) steals the show, without crossing the line.

I had heard that Tom Cruise made a striking cameo in the movie, and that was 100% true. Cruise plays Les Grossman, and to say he was foul mouthed would be a gross understatement. Cruise spews out more f-bombs than rest of the actors in the film combined (and keep in mind, this movie is Rated R for some violence and drug content, but primarily for pervasive language). He plays a hairy, balding, and disgustingly wealthy film mogul who is both ruthless and cunning, as well as foolish and superficial; but somehow he wins. I found myself both amused and annoyed by his tirades. Strangely, somehow, I was reminded of why, at one time, I actually enjoyed watching Tom Cruise. There was an element of the ridiculous about his performance that poked fun at the bizarre, controlling facade he portrays in the media. I truly, despite my greatest efforts to feel otherwise, was glad he was in the movie.

Along with Cruise, there were many other cameo’s and surprise appearances throughout the film, which did little more than show off how many friends Ben Stiller actually has in the industry. However, I did enjoy Matthew McConaughey’s appearance as the slightly dim-witted, bushy haired agent to Stiller’s character Tugg Speedman. Anytime I am surprised my Matthew McConaughey is OK with me. A lot of the movie felt contrived, however, and I found myself at times feeling like I was trying to digest stale bread. It was occasionally fresh, but mostly, it carried the trademark Stiller humor and nervous twitch which comes with it. I did an equal amount of laughing as rolling my eyes and shaking my head.

Now, to the primary reason I would have to say “No” to Tropic Thunder. All of Jack Black’s goofy, uninhibited humor,  and no amount of Matthew McConaughey or a re-vamped Tom Cruise, could remove the reproach that entered from almost the first frame of the film. Ben Stiller’s character made a movie entitled “Simple Jack” about a mentally challenged man slightly reminiscent of Lennie from Of Mice and Men. Had it just been the brief reference to the movie and a few jokes, maybe that would have been OK, but this particular storyline (accompanied by numerous insensitive references to mentally challenged individuals, and an incredibly offensive moment in which Stiller and Downey, Jr trade insults about it) threads throughout the entire movie. There’s a lot that I can ignore, or even find the humor in , that is off-color or even offensive; this is not one of those things. The theater was full and there was a noticeable tension that arose every time this particular storyline came back around. It was highly alienating, causing me to feel removed from my immersion in the movie frequently.

So, in conclusion, if you were considering seeing Tropic Thunder, think again. For the few highlights, and the humor that it does have, it carries with it a great deal of unecessary insensitivity. I would choose not to support the filmmakers decision to poke fun at that particular group of individuals, and therefore, greatly alienating a significant part of their audience that does not find that particular brand of humor amusing. So, as far as I’m concerned, this one, is a NO.