Mini Movie Review – Tropic Thunder

Over the past few days Tropic Thunder has stirred up a fair amount of controversy. It’s offended a lot of people with its handling of race, mental handicaps, and obesity. Setting aside whether the criticisms are valid or the critics are missing the satire, the basic question for me is not how bad this movie is, but rather is it any good? Can Ben Stiller really play a parody of an action star? Can Robert Downey Jr. really pull off playing an Australian playing a black Army sergeant? And most of all, can it live up to the laughs and action that fill the trailers?

Short answer: Yes. It was funnier than I expected. And the action was better than I expected. Despite the huge marketing campaign, it still had a few big surprises. Downey did a great job with his challenging role, but there was a surprise guest who really stole the show (don’t worry, I won’t ruin it). I was expecting big things from the movie, and it exceeded expectations.

So what’s my take on the controversy? I can see what the various groups are getting offended by, and I can see why they see it as offensive, but in general I think they’re missing the point. The movie doesn’t make fun of the mentally handicapped, the fat, or any ethnic group. It’s intent seems to be to criticize Hollywood for its excesses and eccentricities, not to ridicule them. So let’s all just take a deep breath, have a good laugh, and enjoy some actors playing actors playing soldiers, who have to actually become soldiers so they can keep acting.

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