Ben Stiller’s track record as of late hasn’t exactly been the greatest for a comedic superstar. Stiller isn’t just churning out an occasional mishap here and there; he’s been producing mishaps with such frequency that watching his shtick becomes an unenviable chore. However, it would be premature to say Stiller is now undeserving of the praise he garnered from films such as Zoolander. Stiller didn’t write or direct any of his universally panned films, but rather he just starred in each film as if he was an unknowing puppet. Tropic Thunder is his first film he’s written and directed since Zoolander, and he really needed a big hit to raise the low spirits of his viewers. Stiller not only achieves that goal, but he also puts Tropic Thunder at the top of the ‘must see comedies of the year’ list.
Not the Average Ben Stiller Film
There’s no question that Tropic Thunder isn’t a run of the mil Ben Stiller movie just upon first glance and TV spots alone. The hackneyed romantic plots of his former movies are replaced by an unbelievably absurd plot that packs more thrills, laughs, and character depth. Leading ladies are replaced by Robert Downey Jr. donning black face and a drug addicted Jack Black. Stiller still gets the down and out treatment again as he plays movie actor Tugg Speedman who is realizing that he is going nowhere with his films he stars in. Though no one may ever be sure if the role was purposely ironic, but it suits Stiller in many ways. Speedman receives his shot to reclaim some of his former glory with a new big budget war movie based on a book by veteran Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte). Unfortunately, near the end of filming director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) and Tayback decide the actors need a dose of realism thrown in to get the cast immersed. So the cast is hauled off to a real war zone where everything they think is a prop is real.
A Thunderous Return to Form
From the moment the plot is introduced the film never lets up on the amount of absurdity. In fact, its foolery is so superfluous that it makes Zoolander look tame.
Just like with Zoolander, Stiller has crafted a unique world for his characters. It’s laced with real world elements (some of the cast briefly play themselves for example), but at the heart are outlandish characters and situations that create a nice juxtaposition with the real elements that drives the jokes. The characters themselves are merely walking satires of other celebrities, and the film itself is packed with war movie references. That doesn’t mean that the film is a one trick pony that relies on nothing but pop culture references as Stiller devotes ample material to his characters. Downey as Kirk Lazarus who plays a white actor using black face is the most notable and controversial of the group. It’s hard to say that the character is detrimental to anyone when he is made so anodyne by his constant barrage of quotable one liners. The delivery of each of his lines seems more like an homage than an insult. Anyone who does go in having a problem with the role will undoubtedly walk away smirking after the movie is done.
Black supplies all the vituperation as Jeff Portnoy, but his shining moments are reserved until the later parts of the film. It’s a little odd because during the earlier parts of the film his talent seems wasted on some of the more trivial jokes. Out of all the characters in the film Stiller’s Speedman is perhaps the most disappointing. It’s too safe and Jay Baruchel as Kevin Sandusky already secures the straight man role. His irreverent role as a retarded farm worker who can speak to animals isn’t enough to propel his character and it grows stale quick. However, Stiller has enlisted more than enough gifted actors to make up for any disappointing performance. Matthew McConaughey as Speedman’s over protective and zealous agent is fun to watch and the brevity of his scenes make them refreshing. Anyone who has watched the film would be remiss not to mention Tom Cruise’s unexpected performance as producer Les Grossman. Cruise hasn’t been this good onscreen for a long while, and he pulls off his outrageous cameo with aplomb, uttering some of the most ridiculous lines in the movie.
The constant switch between the two different cast keeps the jokes consistent and constant throughout the movie. Unfortunately some of the less obvious plot details are get lost in between the laughs, but there’s really no need to get invested in such a nonsensical story. The action the movie provides isn’t meant to compete with that of the top budget films, but what’s there is still captivating. During the later scenes of the film the action and comedy coincide and the audience is treated to nothing short of comedy bliss with the action propelling it. Under the constant barrage of jokes it’s hard to notice that Stiller may very well be making several intelligent observations. Cinema may very well be offering more roles to white actors than black and there maybe too many films that take the mental retardation route to garner views. It’s hard to notice in any of the messages when the jokes come so rapidly, but they really do elevate the film.
It’s time to exalt Stiller again; he’s crafted a funny, smart, and deliciously ridiculous film with Tropic Thunder, and it’s bound to keep the audience in stitches from the very second the film begins.
