Tropic thunder is a movie that caused a minor storm recently at the box office when it was released. Produced and directed by Ben Stiller himself , the movie is written by Stiller with the help of Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. The film’s star cast includes Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr , Jack Black along with a few cameos from the who’s who of hollywood. ( Tom cruise, Matthew McConaughey Toby Maguire etc )
The movie basically has a wafer thin plot though I got to admit it will keep you amused nevertheless. the movie is about the making of a movie from a book called tropic thunder penned by a vietnam war veteran starring the once highest paid and most popular superstar Tugg Speedman ( stiller ) who have lost his box office charm in his attempt to do serious cinema, a five time acadeny award winner " character" actor Kirk Lazerus ( downey ) who undergoes a controversial pigment implantation surgery to play the african american soldier with genuinity, a drug addict comedian Jeff ( black ), rap star Alpa Chino ( Brandon T Jackson ) and a younger inexperienced actor Jay. Due to all of their general misbehaviour and egos a $ 4 million explosion goes off with no camera rolling which results in the movie being dubbed the most expensive war movie never made !!!
A month behind schedule, loss of serious money, incooperation of his actors and the studio executive Les Grossman ( Tom Cruise ) literally beating him up, the newbie director is at a loss when he is suggested by the war veteran author to just drop the actors ( 5 in total ) in the middle of the jungle with hidden cameras all around and fake explosive rigged up for a guierilla style film making!! The actors are given a map and scene listing for continuos shooting but the director ends up dead when he steps on a land mine. But due to his bizzare speech before his death all the actors with the exception of only Lazerus thinks its just an act. The actors were dropped in the golden triangle jungle where a heroin producing terrosrist gang called the flaming dragons rule the roost and they misunderstand the actors as american DEAs and are out to get them!!
Tugg’s incompetency leads the unit to be split eventually with him being alone and soon captured. The flaming dragons torture him and demands a ransom of 50 million dollars to release him to his agent Rick Peck ( Matthew McConaughey ) who takes it up with Les who not so subtly suggests to let Tugg die as they can make more money from his death by insurance and public sympathy. He offers Rick a G5 plane and lots of money, who is split between new riches and his loyalty to his client and friend of 15 years!! Meanwhile Lazerus and gang are arranging a crude rescue mission to save Tugg. Will Rick desert Tugg?? Can lazerus and his 2 comrades rescue tugg? Will Les make money from his evil plans?? All this forms rest of the movie.
Let me tell you guys I have just given you a very basic idea of the script only. There are tons of funny scenes and story twists which I havent mentioned so as to not drain your viewing pleasure. Ben Stiller is in top class form as the insecure action star while jack BLack is in his usual competent self as a drug deprived, frustrated comedian. RObert Downey Jr steals the show with his potrayal of an australian character actor who undergoes lot of troubles to be an authentic African american. His dialect and body language are so well etched that I think he is rising to be a major acting force! But the scene stealer is Tom Cruise in his cameo as the fat , bald, ill tempered and foul mouthed studio executive. This is Cruise as you have never seen him before. His cameo was apparently a well guarded secret and was meant to be a surprise treat to his fans. I have posted his pic , check it out to see what the fuss is about!
All in all a fun movie for the group of friends to watch but be warned about lots of Obscene language ( mainly Cruise!! ) . ?The movie was very well recieved with it garnering $ 27 million in its opening weekend and stayed there at No 1 spot for three consecutive weekends even displacing Dark Knight’s four week streak!! GO watch it and judge it for yourselves