MOVIE REVIEW FOR: "TROPIC THUNDER"
MOVIE REVIEW FOR"TROPIC THUNDER"
art and review by Phil Seahorn
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, Nick Nolte
Directed by: Ben Stiller
Produced by: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld
Robert Downey Jr. seems to have a manager that could bring back the dead.
Literally.
Not even a year ago, to have imagined Downey lighting up Hollywood and movie goers like a roman candle would be a little hard to believe.
And who would have thought that this guy, who used to wake up in strange people's homes and buying crack on Hollywood streets would be in not one, but TWO career re-defining roles?
First as Tony Stark, and now as a crazy ass Australian actor donning modern day black face to deliver one of the funniest fucking characters in a while.
And this is what makes "Tropic Thunder" truly funny.
I never really liked Ben Stiller.
He's not that talented, and seems to play the same character in every movie.
So, in "Thunder", he must have listened to some really good advice, and assembled the actors that fit perfectly in this comedy.
Jack Black (somebody else I don't think is funny) actually IS in this movie as a heroin addled actor playing a World War 2 era soldier in Vietnam.(yeah, I know, go see the fucking movie)
But, it is Downey's role as Australian actor Kirk Lazarus(now C'MON, this HAS to be a fucking inside joke,this HAS to be!!!) being controversial by playing an African Ameirican Vietnam vet, complete with a cornbread black accent.
He is why I have seen this movie three times, and laughed harder each time I saw it.
The film is lensed incredibly good, especially the arial scenes of ,well, wherever the hell in the Golden Triangle they were.(it was actually Hawaii)
The acting is excellent, and the laughs come smoothly.
And, of course , there is the cameo by Tom Cruise.
Now, I'll admit, it was very good, but I really won't go so far as to say that THIS was HIS career changing moment.
See, Tom Cruise IS Holywood.
No shit, the man is THAT powerful.
So, Cruise didn't really NEED to jump start anything.
But he does flavor the movie for the good, offensive, non-p.c. humor that will offend pretty much everybody.
SEAHORN MOVIEMETER: "B"
posted by PHILLIP SEAHORN @ 4:34 PM
