Tropic Thunder - A Third review

Sun, Aug 17, 2008

I have to say that I have read many mixed reviews of Tropic Thunder. I need not tell you the stars. You already know that. I need not tell you that this is Ben Stiller that is directing this movie. You probably already know that. I need not tell you that you will get laughs out of this movie. you already know that.

So, why write another review of this movie you ask? It is really simple. Reviews blow this up to be one of the funniest movies to come out this summer. In fact, it might be. Reviews then tear it down and make it sound like the hype is too much. Maybe it is. But, how can it be both? That is a simple answer. The first goes to the movie expecting nothing and getting more than they asked for and the second goes to the movie expecting the world just to be let down. I am the first and always will as there have been times that I did not give a movie a chance because I wanted to much.

In Tropic Thunder, there is action, the is comedy, and there is drama. You can get all three out of it if you or you can be left holding the popcorn. I will break all three down for you.

The drama side is easy to find as the is actually a story line here. Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), and Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downing, Jr.) are actors that are starring in the movie that is being filmed. When they can not seem to get it together, the director of the movie, Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), at the insistance of the writer of the book that the movie is being made from, Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte), decide it is time to take the filming to another level. So they load the three actors along with Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) and Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), which are the other 2 stars to the movie being made, and drop them in the jungle.

Now, this is where the action begins as they have been dropped in a jungle full of poppy fields. The residents of this jungle are not happy and want them out. As for the comedy, it is embedded at the right time in the right place and if you allow yourself to open up, you can see it.

This is a movie that can make you laugh as it did to the 99% of the people in the theater as it did with us. With that said, the other 1% was not as happy. Who knows why. I hope that you go see this and enjoy it as much as we do.