Tropic Thunder

There's a lot of comedy movies around these days, but (and maybe it's just because I'm old and miserable) none of them actually make me laugh out loud (or LOL as the hip street kids text these days). Tropic Thunder, however, I laughed my arse off throughout the entire movie. It was genuinely, that funny.

What impresses me about this movie - and we can really thank Ben Stiller for this as he wrote, produced and directed this film - is that an effort has been taken to make the movie something special. We get an advertisement and three previews before the movie actually starts and this sets up four of the five lead characters - all stereotypical actors. The fifth lead, is another stereotype - the unknown. The other four are the comedy actor turned dramatic actor (Jack Black); the action hero (Ben Stiller); the "real" actor (Robert Downey Jr); and the rap star turned actor (). Add to this mix a pyromaniac effects man, a useless British director, a grizzled war verteran on which the movie is based, an agent obsessed with keeping his client and the hard-as-nails, no nonsense producer. Contrary to what the previews suggest, this is actually quite an ensemble movie.

Of the three ostensible leads, it is Downey Jr who steals the movie. Ben Stiller pretty much plays the same part he always plays, while Jack Black does show his acting abilities, but his character is the standard Jack Black character. Downey Jr on the other hand is completely different in both the character he's playing, and the character his character is playing. Indeed at one point Downey Jr has the self referential line "I'm the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude"...you are indeed, Robert.

And for Marvel fans, Tobey Maguire has a cameo at the beginning of the movie so that, for a brief moment, you get to see Tony Stark and Peter Parker on screen together...albeit holding hands as monk lovers.

However, the real stand-out performance in the movie is Tom Cruise who I completely did not recognise due, not only to some impressive makeup, but mostly due to an amazing performance that shows him as a character he has never ever played before. And I hate Tom Cruise! His vehement, conscious-less, foul-mouthed producer steals every scene he is in, whether he is getting the key grip to punch the director of his movie in the face, or telling the leader of a heroin smuggling clan to "take a step back and, quite literally, fuck yourself in the face". It's an amazing performance and I have nothing but praise for Cruise in the first role I have really enjoyed him in.

Tropic Thunder is a movie that is well worth seeing. Get out, spend the cash and do it.

"A+"