Film Review: Tropic Thunder (2008)

Grade: A-

Tropic Thunder is the funniest movie of the year, a refreshing comedy that surpasses the overdone Apatow and McKay projects of the past few years, as Stiller delivers again in his first directorial film since Zoolander.

It's the story of a bunch of pre-madonna actors making the most expensive war film of all time till the studio's pressure forces the director to lead his cast into Southeast Asia to encounter real villains, real guns, and real death. But unlike many comedies with an interesting premise, it's not ruined in the trailers, as everything I have just explained happens in the first 20 minutes or so. After that, you're not really sure what is happening, going on for the fun, ridiculous ride with the fake actors.

From the get go, you're already laughing -- with a commercial for Alpa Chino's Booty Sweat and three trailers that's highlighted by Robert Downey Jr. and surprise cameo Tobey McGuire's film with the tagline (I've been a very very bad boy). And after that, it's a non-stop laugh-out-loud film that's headlined by their three big stars (Stiller, Black, and Downey, Jr.), but much of the credit must be given to the supporting cast. The two other soldiers in the film -- played by Brandon T. Jackson and Jay Baruchel (from Knocked Up) -- are sensational and at times, outshining Stiller or Black (who is my only knock on the film, just plain annoying as opposed to adorably annoying).

The only performance better than Downey Jr.'s incredible portrayal of a dude playing another dude disguised as another dude is Tom Cruise, who is more than a cameo in his role as the studio executive. I don't remember the last time I've laughed that hard at a movie theater, as every body movement and line he says is delivered with such comedic force I'm not sure anyone can resist him.

Add to that former-G.I. played by Nick Nolte (yeah, Nick Nolte!), special effects man played by Danny McBride (this is the month of Mr. McBride), studio executives' right-hand-man played by the always dependable Bill Hader, first-time director Hamlet 2's Steve Coogan, and Stiller's agent played by Matthew McConaughey (he doesn't even take his shirt off!).

Tropic Thunder is a comedic stroke of genius, a satire at its best and not even close to a spoof. The difference is in its intelligent script only multiplied by its ridiculousness. It's in the same league as Thank You for Smoking, just masked in a different way. For the first time, you were having fun in a film that was obvious the actors were having a ton of fun as well.

After a summer of disappointing comedies that sell themselves as comedies but aren't very comedic, my hats off to you, Ben Stiller and the rest of the gang of Tropic Thunder, the funniest film since Hot Fuzz.