Tropic Thunder (2008)
★★★ — Tropic Thunder (2008)
Ben Stiller had been directing sporadically since Zoolander (2001) when he took on this Hollywood satire, co-writing the script with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. Filmed largely on location in Hawaii (standing in for Vietnam-era jungle), the production carried a $92 million budget, a considerable studio bet on an R-rated comedy built around a cast sending up their own industry. Robert Downey Jr., in the middle of his career resurrection just months before Iron Man arrived, plays a method actor who undergoes pigmentation surgery to play a Black soldier, a conceit that generated significant controversy both before and after release. Jack Black rounds out the central trio, and Tom Cruise's heavily disguised cameo as a foul-mouthed studio executive became one of the more talked-about surprises of the summer.
They would never get away with this movie today. Pretty funny in places. Amazing ensemble cast and a good story. The fake trailers from the beginning were the best bits. It felt a little too long really. It definitely dragged towards the end.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2008 | Watched: 2025-06-13
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with Ben Stiller: Little Fockers (2010) · Meet the Fockers (2004) · Meet the Parents (2000) · DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
