Studio: Paramount Pictures Genre: Action •
Comedy •
Drama Street Date: November 18, 2008 Director: Ben Stiller Number of Discs: 2 MPAA Rating: Unrated Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Brandon T. Jackson, Ben Stiller, Steve Coogan, Danny R. McBride, Bill Hader, Nick Nolte, Christine Taylor, Tom Cruise Running Time: 120 minutes Format: DVD Specs: Video: Widescreen 2.35:1 Color
Audio: ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1, SPANISH: Dolby Digital 5.1, FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French Special Features: o Audio Commentary with Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr.
o Blowing Shit Up
o The Hot LZ
o The Cast of Tropic Thunder: Stiller, Downey, Jr., Black, Baruchel, Jackson, McBride, Nolte
o Behind The Scenes of Simple Jack
o Simple Jack Trailer
o Rain of Madness Mockumentary
o Rain of Madness Deleted Scenes: Pre-Pre-Production, Perception, Viet-Wham, Misinformed, Slaughterhouse Live, Hallowed Ground, Good-bye, Gladys, P.P.S.D., The Journey Begins, Clean & Sober, Location Scouts, Historically Accurate
o Deleted/Ext. Scenes/Alt Endings: Sandusky and Alpa Sneak into compound “Snorkels,” Speedman Phonecall with Damien, Speedman Unpacking his backpack, Water Buffalo Wrestling, Speedman’s Cell Portnoy Fight, Alternate Ending Peck captured, Academy Award Speech, Alt tag – Peck and Tran
o Screen/Wardrobe Tests with Tom Cruise
o MTV Movie Awards – Tropic Thunder
o Red Band Trailer – online version
o “Full Mags” with video intro by Ben Stiller: Cody at the Party, Laz Full Retard, Portnoy Tied to Tree, Choose a Dude Split Screen
o Video Rehearsals with video intro by Ben Stiller and/or Greg Hayden Version: Standard Store Exclusives: **Best Buy - *Booty Sweat T-Shirt! (ONLY Available on Blu-ray)
***Walmart -* Exclusive two-pack: /Tropic Thunder/ Single-disc DVD and "Get Some" music
sampler CD - perfect for anytime you're lost in the jungle!
**6-song CD Sampler with music inspired by the /Tropic Thunder/ soundtrack!
Songs include:
~ /Name of the Game/ (The Crystal Method)
~ /I Just Want to Celebrate/ (Mooney Suzuki)
~ /Ready Set Go/ (Ben Gidsjoy)
~ /Run Through the Jungle/ (Creedance Clearwater Revival)
~ /U Can't Touch This/ (MC Hammer)
~ /War/ (Edwin Starr) Review: The film gets off to a rockin good start with fake commercials and trails featuring the “actors” of Tropic Thunder, all of which are hysterical and none of which I will spoil for you. It sets you up for these characters in a neat tight little package and it’s damn funny.
The plot of course is exactly what you see in the trailers; a couple of prima dona actors and one hack director get some bad advice from the ever freakish Nick Nolte to take the film and put it “in the shit”where high jinx and hilarity ensue.
While the plot is pretty low brow all around, how they pull it all off isn’t, it’s smart and funny despite the goofball framework. Watching these guys really sink into the roles and play it straight (for laughs) is exactly the kind of fun you walk in craving for after a summer of tent pole films and popcorn flicks.
Ben is best when he’s playing a character as opposed to a role. As Spock would say “it’s his first best destiny” he’s the ultimate straight man, funny guy and victim of his own machinations. He plays small characters who think they are bigger and badder than they are and watching them fall is always fun.
Jack plays the sad clown of the group; he’s a funny man stuck trading flatulence for laughs in a fat suit (sounds familiar somehow) but he’s got a dark secret behind those puppy dog eyes and doughboy body. While some would say this is just Jack playing Jack there is a twist to this role that sets up quite a bit of laughs, but I won’t spoil this for you either.
Robert on the other hand is the reason I picked this movie over the several open bars around the gas lamp district when I took this in at Comic-Con. I’ve always been a fan of Downey and have been so thrilled at his phoenix like rise from the ashes of his career. Given how much work he’s done and what a great year he’s had I had some concern his turn as a white actor playing a black character could so easily been misconstrued as some form of black face and he and Stiller would both catch hell for it. It’s handled pretty straight forward and with sensitivity…and damn hilarious. Kirk Lazarus is one of the funniest characters to hit screens in a long while. Robert really can pull just about any role in town..and now he has proof.
Nick Nolte plays it creepy as always but here he’s pitch perfect for it and works the role for all it’s worth.
Danny McBride plays the explosively (pun intended) pyrotechnic freakjob of the production who is simply a man who loves to blow shit up and deliver each line with exuberance and sheer glee. The guy is having a phenomenal year and it’ll be great to see what he does next.
I know a ton of reviews are going to go on at length about Tom Cruise’s part in this madhouse, but I’m putting his stuff as G12 Classified and just let you enjoy the surprise..and it is a surprise let me tell ya.
With any good Ben Stiller film this thing is insanely quotable and will be for years as it takes its place next to Zoolander as his most beloved characters. This is a solid comedy with characters and layered humor we haven’t seen in a while. Grab a can of Booty Sweat and Enjoy.
Overall: Tropic Thunder Captures Comedy Lightening In A Bottle. Buy It Now: Rating:
