Tropic Thunder Grading and Discussion - Spoilers.

[Trekker4747]

Tropic Thunder the new action-comedy staring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. premieres tomorrow night, sneak previews are tonight which I'm going to one. I'll post my review tonight when I get home -along with my Summer Roundup in the Summer Movie thread (as Tropic Thunder I'm calling the end of my Summer Movie season run.)

But as this is probably one of the, if not THE, Summer comedy movie I feel we need a thread on it to discuss away.

I suspect RDJ is going to steal this show.

 

[TGTheodore]

Yep. I'm off to a press screening tonight (Tuesday), too. A colleague saw it on Saturday and told me to prepare myself to laugh -- a LOT!

Been looking forward to this one for months.

--Ted

 

[Spot's Meow]

Like I mentioned in the other thread, I saw a screening of it about two weeks ago. I love Ben Stiller movies and this one didn't disappoint. I couldn't believe that I actually enjoyed a "war movie." The only thing I didn't like about it was Jack Black...never been a big fan of him and his schtick in this movie kind of wore thin on me. Everyone else was great.

It was refreshing to see such a unique story. Movies rarely have that anymore. And comedies tend to follow the same basic routine after a while. But this one was definitely different.

I thought the little kid with the red shirt at the end was awesome.

 

[Thrall]

I read that Ben Stiller got the idea for the plot of the movie from all these interviews famous actors would give about how they would go through basic training for war and action movies and would always say that it was the toughest thing they ever had to do in their lives. Stiller thought that was a load of crap. " Hey I've been in those types of movies !You guys go through 2 weeks of calisthenics and thats mostly for 2 hours a day!".

 

[Trekker4747]

Just got back.

Before I start, this is to the mother and father who brought their five year old and eight year old to this screening:

[Nelson]Ha-ha![/Nelson]

This is by far the funniest movie of the Summer, nix that - the year (so far.)

The movie starts off with a fake commercial for an energy drink and three fake movie-trailers to establish the "actors" who carry the movie. First there's another movie in an action franchise that stars Ben Stiller's character who's an action movie Vin Diesel/Bruce Willis type, the next trailer is of Jack Black's character in a "The Nutty Professor"/"The Klumps"-like multiple fat-suited role movie filled with fart jokes and finally a dramatic Oscar contendor staring RDJ's Kirk Lazarus a Method actor who's wom muliple Oscars as a Rennisance era monk in a very, Brokebackian[/b] situation with a surprise cameo. After the "trailers" we're sent into the "movie" these four actors are all starring in together an action-drama (a'la Saving Private Ryan) set during the Vietnam War the scene goes sour and the Director calls cut, has a shit-fit over his prima donna actors and things only get worse. Before the director knows it he's bitched out by the Producer (another surprise, awesome cameo) and before long the director has decided to shoot the movie "Blair Witch Style" in the real Vietnam wilderness. Before we know it Ben Stiller's character is caught by Vietnamese drug lords and it's up to his co-stars to save him. Hilarity, and I DO mean hilarity, insues.


This movie is a laugh riot from the beginning's fake trailers all the way through the end. There's a very surprising performance from a very well disguised guest actor, a surprise hilarious cameo, an the all-star leads are at their very best performances. (Accept for maybe Black who's given little to do.)

This movie is HILARIOUS. Lots and lots of laughs in this and as expected Robert Downey, Jr. steals the show as the "Method" Kirk Lazarus who gets his skin died black to dig into the role of a black military man and it's every bit as hilarious as you'd think it is and see in the trailers.

My biggest gripes on this movie is the underused of Black and I think the language in it is a bit strong and over the top. I don't really mind foul language in movies but this carries it a tad bit too far.

But those are minor things as this one awesomely funny movie that everyone who enjoys good comedy should go and see.

Fantastic, fantastic stuff. I would give it an A+ but my two quibbles are going to knock it down to a Straight-A.

This is definitely NOT a movie to bring kids too, everyone else? Go see this NOW.

 

[Aragorn]

Five actors you never expected to see in the same movie:

 

[Trekker4747]

This was a simply awesome cast. Tom Cruise surprised the hell out of me.

 

[TGTheodore]

It's basically a hoot for ANYBODY ... but if you've ever worked with or been an actor, director or producer, some of the bits are through the roof.

DO NOT BE LATE for the beginning of this flick.

--Ted

 

[Trekker4747]

It's basically a hoot for ANYBODY ... but if you've ever worked with or been an actor, director or producer, some of the bits are through the roof.

DO NOT BE LATE for the beginning of this flick.

--Ted

I saw it with my mom. She was confused as she thought that the begining of the movie were real trailers (since in our premiere we didn't get any) she was wondering what planet she was on that she had missed these movie franchises.

 

[ancientone51]

Saw it this afternoon and LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't made a movie, but even stage actors have worked with these clowns.

And the premise, worth the wait because we got a fine whiskey when they finnally tapped the cask of this idea, age made it so smooth.

The big names were great, but the two "new" guys held there own and stood toe to toe with the names and made the depth of characters solid and fathoms deep. It was just a terrific show all the way around and worth seeing more than once.

Tops my DVD list.

 

[PsychoPere]

I saw it with two friends a couple hours ago. I'd say Tropic Thunder is mostly Above Average.

I didn't think that the fake trailers were all that funny; the Tarantino/Rodrogiuez Grindhouse collaboration used fake trailers in a more effective manner.

Robert Downey Jr. was, without a doubt and unsurprisingly, the powerhouse of the film. He was fantastic in the role of the "actor's actor" - a man at the top of his game, who may also be just a bit cracked, psychologically speaking. I've never considered Jack Black to be all that funny, so I was glad to see that he wasn't overused in the film. Ben Stiller was effective enough as the action hero striving to break into dramatic roles and be taken seriously for a change. Jay Baruchel and Brandon Jackson aren't names that I knew before this film, but I found their performances to be much more interesting than Black's, so I plan to try and keep an eye out for their future rules. The supporting roles were great, too: Matthew McConnaughey and Tom Cruise were both hilarious.

I really liked the "film within a film" conceit, particularly when we were given glimpses at the actors prior to their Tropic Thunder roles. I liked the dynamics between the actors as they trekked through the jungle and had to band together to rescue Speedman. Overall, I found the film to be mostly enjoyable, though I don't imagine that it's one I'll remember for very long.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I have to say that I don't think the fake previews would have been as effective had I seen the movie normally. There were no regular previews in the screening but I think most in the theater were expecting them. So when that ad for the ass drink popped up everyone burst out laughing and was like, "wtf? Is this real?" It was honestly pretty hard to tell! It wasn't until the next fake preview that we realized it was part of the movie.

 

[Dream]

I can't wait to see this!

 

[Trekker4747]

I saw it with two friends a couple hours ago. I'd say Tropic Thunder is mostly Above Average.

I didn't think that the fake trailers were all that funny; the Tarantino/Rodrogiuez Grindhouse collaboration used fake trailers in a more effective manner.

Grindhouse's trailers were done to keep in tone of the "Grindhouse" feel of the movie. Tropic Thunder's were done to establish the characters and the absurdity of Hollywood.

Big differences between the two.

I have to say that I don't think the fake previews would have been as effective had I seen the movie normally. There were no regular previews in the screening but I think most in the theater were expecting them. So when that ad for the ass drink popped up everyone burst out laughing and was like, "wtf? Is this real?" It was honestly pretty hard to tell! It wasn't until the next fake preview that we realized it was part of the movie.

The theater's "Feature Presentation" bumper didn't tip you off?

And who added those Tags?! As if the thread title wasn't obvious enough?

"Tropic Thunder Grading and Discussio, hmmm wonder what that thread is about? Well, let's check the tags..."

 

[PsychoPere]

Grindhouse's trailers were done to keep in tone of the "Grindhouse" feel of the movie. Tropic Thunder's were done to establish the characters and the absurdity of Hollywood.
Big differences between the two.

Yes, I'm quite aware of the point, thank you. You're right, though, that there was a big difference between the fake trailers in Grindhouse and those in Tropic Thunder: the ones in Grindhouse were actually interesting, whereas the ones in Tropic Thunder merely made me wish the movie proper would hurry up and start. I would've much preferred more media coverage, interviews, etc., of the actors in order to establish the characters, instead of the yawn-inducing trailers.

 

[Trekker4747]

Grindhouse's trailers were done to keep in tone of the "Grindhouse" feel of the movie. Tropic Thunder's were done to establish the characters and the absurdity of Hollywood.
Big differences between the two.

Yes, I'm quite aware of the point, thank you. You're right, though, that there was a big difference between the fake trailers in Grindhouse and those in Tropic Thunder: the ones in Grindhouse were actually interesting, whereas the ones in Tropic Thunder merely made me wish the movie proper would hurry up and start. I would've much preferred more media coverage, interviews, etc., of the actors in order to establish the characters, instead of the yawn-inducing trailers.

I thought the trailers worked for establishing the characters. They give a laugh, they "throw you off" by just going right into them without any opening credits or even (IIRC) the movie's own studio animatics. I got a laugh out of all of them, not so much the energy drink one, but Black's mockery of the absurdness of The Nutty Professor movies, post-apoclyptic action movies with Stiller and I'm still laughing at the one with Tobey.

I think it "established" things well. Especially for the "movie within a movie" angle of things.

 

[Spot's Meow]

The theater's "Feature Presentation" bumper didn't tip you off?

There was none. We were sitting there in the darkness and all of a sudden the fake commercial came on screen, nothing at all before it. It was pretty funny.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Oh yeah and I didn't add the tags (at least I don't think I did...I've added a lot of tags recently) but they aren't just meant for seeing what the thread is about (in most cases they are quite painfully obvious) but for when you go to Tag Search and can then find all of the grading and discussion threads on the board, or all the Tropic Thunder threads on the board. I think there are 2 or 3 Tropic Thunder threads already, this way they can all be found together.

 

[Pensive]

Just got back from seeing this, and let me tell you I am still wiping away the tears of laughter. I have visited all the viral sites (kirklazarus.com, rainofmadness.com, et al) and those really helped me enjoy the movie more. Seeing RDJ - as Lazarus - as Osiris in those mockumentary trailers was enough to make me laugh and think "man the guy is nucking futz!"

I gotta see this again, because there were times I was laughing so hard I missed lines. The whole movie could have been Downey in the sfx makeup doing shitty Shaft impressions and I would have paid $10 to see it. The guy is great -- he played the most complex role by far in the film (TWO characters!) and aced it.

And of course I loved the TOS clip playing on Speedman's iPod

It's high time someone did a really well thought-out sendup of Hollyweird, with the cheap comedies/disability Oscar-bait/self-absorbed Method stuff. I particularly loved the bit where Lazarus gives Speedman tips on how to win over the Oscar crowd: "never go full retard."

A

 

[Trekker4747]

Just got back from seeing this, and let me tell you I am still wiping away the tears of laughter. I have visited all the viral sites (kirklazarus.com, rainofmadness.com, et al) and those really helped me enjoy the movie more. Seeing RDJ - as Lazarus - as Osiris in those mockumentary trailers was enough to make me laugh and think "man the guy is nucking futz!"

I gotta see this again, because there were times I was laughing so hard I missed lines. The whole movie could have been Downey in the sfx makeup doing shitty Shaft impressions and I would have paid $10 to see it. The guy is great -- he played the most complex role by far in the film (TWO characters!) and aced it.

And of course I loved the TOS clip playing on Speedman's iPod

It's high time someone did a really well thought-out sendup of Hollyweird, with the cheap comedies/disability Oscar-bait/self-absorbed Method stuff. I particularly loved the bit where Lazarus gives Speedman tips on how to win over the Oscar crowd: "never go full retard."

A

I wonder how Speedman had his iPod and cell-phone (he called his agent) still. The director made the actors destroy them.

Put I agree. I would've watched a movie with just RDJ playing Lazarus. And as you said it's a complex character. RDJ is is LITERALY playing "the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

On the viral websites. I like how Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black)'s character's filmography has Heat Vision and Jack on it.