Forecast: Occasional Bursts of Laughter

Ben Stiller is not afraid to take on Hollyweird in his latest pic, Tropic Thunder. Co-written with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen, Stiller also produced, directed, and stars in this comedy about the making of a Vietnam film that goes awry. The movie brilliantly introduces the main characters through mock trailers of the stars previous films.

Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, an action star in serious need of a box office success after his last couple of films were flops. Jack Black plays comedic actor Jeff Portnoy, whose portrayal of every character in films about an overweight family with serious flatulence problems is an obvious take on Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor films. Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up) plays newbie Kevin Sandusky and Brandon T. Jackson plays rapper turned actor Alpha Chino, whose audacious ad for the energy drink "Booty Sweat" begins the film. While each of these characters have their moments, the real star of the film is Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus, an 5-time Academy Award winning Australian actor who undergoes a controversial procedure to darken his skin to play the African-American Sergeant.


Over-his-head director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) takes the advice of the writer of the book the film is based on (played with perfect gruffness by Nick Nolte) to drop his group of spoiled actors into the middle of the jungle and film them through hidden cameras in order to get a more realistic portrayal of soldiers. Through a serious of missteps, the actors soon find themselves lost in a jungle surrounded by Viet Cong heroin dealers with no way to get back to their cushy lives on set.

Of course with so many self-absorbed actors together friction ensues and with it some hilarious scenes between the characters. The most controversial scene involves an extended use of the word "retard" during a conversation between Stiller and Downey's characters about the Academy's lack of giving Oscars to actors that go "full retard." While many disability advocate groups protested the use of the word, the writers are satirizing Hollywood more than making fun of mentally-challenged people. There is plenty of the usual Stiller shtick throughout, but there is also a higher level of satire hidden below the surface.

The film is able to make fun of big Hollywood productions while being one; the cinematography is top notch, and the high production costs don't go unnoticed. There are several funny cameos throughout the film, the biggest being Tom Cruise as the foul-mouthed, gangsta dancing (it alone is worth the price of the movie), malicious studio exec. While the action sometimes overtakes the comedy, and the film is a tad too long, it is an enjoyable way to bid farewell to the summer blockbuster season and get ready for the heavyweights of fall.