Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel ...( see more  see more... ) , Steve Coogan

Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Flixster Users

69% liked it

248,395 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

218 critics

R, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Ben Stiller

Release Date: August 13, 2008

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 18, 2008

Get It:

Stats: 30,437 reviews

Your Rating



clear rating
Facebook

Flixster Reviews (30,437)


  • January 18, 2010
    I'm sure on paper this film sounded like a sure fire hit, unfortunately in reality it's just OK, not terrible, it's much better than that, it's just OK. I'm being quite kind by giving it 3 stars really, I'm giving it one star alone for what happens to Steve Coogan's character to ...( read more)be honest (In my opinion, the best bit)! The problem with Tropic Thunder is that in hiring John Toll as Cinematographer, it totally misses the point of what a spoof is. It starts so well and then just loses momentum a third of the way in. The story gets a little thin, the characters a little dull and the point a little confused. As for the acting, well it's fair to say that everyone involved have had better days. It should have been funnier as well, seeing as it was a comedy and all! (Oh, and the long praised and much hyped Tom Cruise cameo was OK but not that funny really!) I thought Jay Baruchel was quite good though. Overall disappointing but fine to switch off to, it's inoffensive enough (unless you call Downey's part offensive but I'm not going to get into all that)
  • January 9, 2010
    An instant classic. An outrageously hilarious, offensive and absolutely brilliant comedy satire that's truly awesome. Gut-busting funny from start to finish. An incredibly fun movie that delivers all you can want from a comedy. A terrific all-cast. Ben Stiller performs, writes an...( read more)d directs a completely original flick that's a total blast to watch. The cast strikes pure comedy gold. Jack Black is hysterical. Robert Downy Jr. gives the best performance in the film, he is blisteringly hilarious, creating a unforgettable and original character. Steve Coogan, Danny McBride, Bill Hadder and Nick Nolte are teriffic. Tom Cruise and Matthew McCounghahey turning in very surprising and very funny performances. Cruise totally knocks it out of the park giving his funniest performance ever. Downy Jr. Stiller, Black, Jay Baruchel and Brandon T, Jackson have wonderful chemistry. An explosive good time loaded with humor and action. It is loaded with offensive and racist jokes that you cat help but laugh at. A wickedly outrageous roller-coaster joy-ride of a movie.
  • December 28, 2009
    ''Yo asshole! This motha' fucka's dead. Ain't no Chris Angel Mindfreak, David Blane trapdoor horse shit jumpin' off here!''

    Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

    ...( read more)Ben Stiller: Tugg Speedman

    Firstly I must say Tropic Thunder achieves exactly what it sets out and strifes to accomplish. What it equals is one of the best American Comedies to come out that tries something new and isn't achingly hard to fathom. This is simple undiluted Black Comedy with crazy action war antics.


    ''Same thing happened to me when I played Neil Armstrong in Moonshot. They found me in an alley in Burbank trying to re-enter the earth's atmosphere in an old refrigerator box.''

    Tropic Thunder proceeds to rip the piss out of every Vietnam film in existence, whether it be a nod to Apocalypse Now, with Stiller going abit like Marlon Brando's character, was so amusing.
    Or little intricacies like helmets resembling Full Metal Jacket and the Platoon nod with Stiller being shot near the beginning shoot in film.

    Vietnam movie mocking aside Tropic Thunder also makes a stab at method actors, Comedians and wanna-be rappers. Not to mention an array of subjects like drugs, race and homosexuality.

    ''There were times while I was playing Jack where I felt...Retarded.''

    The mock trailers at the beginning were very comical indeed focusing on the four main characters and showing ''other'' movies they have under their respective belts.
    Jack Black's comedian Jeff Portnoy who is a comic of Nutty Professor proportions with his farting antic film.
    Ben Stiller's Tugg Speedman who's the Action star, with a strange baby Sci-fi flick he's seen advertising. Later the pant wetting ''Simple Jack'' AKA Speedman doing retarded.
    Robert Downey Jr. as Australian Method Actor Kirk Lazarus, who goes for Awards and becomes so immersed in a role, he stays there. Taking the piss out of all Method Actors in the field to boot out there. Thoughts possibly aimed at Forest Whitaker or Daniel Day Lewis with mad glee. Robert playing an Aussie playing a Black dude, it's priceless...
    Brandon T. Jackson as the funnily named Alpa Chino(Where's De Niro tho! haha!), the rapper turned actor, who hides a riot of a secret regarding his sexuality.

    ''Now I want you to take a step back... and literally fuck your own face!''

    Tropic Thunder has more appearances by random actors that its hard to mention them all. Faces like Nick Nolte, Danny R. McBride(Pineapple Express - obviously into comedies), Steve Coogan and Matthew McConaughey all pop up.
    But the one that really tops it off, which even rivals Robert Downey Jr's transformation is that of Tom Cruise as Les Grossman. IT actually took me five minutes to register that it was in fact him. The main funder of Damien Cockburn's (Coogan -Wait till you see what happens to him! Laugh your head off!) film and a no shit taking corporate man. Cruise doing his lines and dancing, not to mention hair everywhere except on the top of his head is so funny, it Hurts...
    I mean you get to the credits and your face is blowing more blood vessels because the chaos and laughs haven't stopped.

    Tropic thunder rips the mickey out of everything and anything....
    But it's so damn funny you wont mind unless of course you do, but in that case you may have missed the point.
    A grand effort from Director and Star Ben Stiller and Thunder has a killer soundtrack to boot.
    Can I see Tom Cruise dancing at the end again? Quality!

    ''Mama, I'll see you again tonight in my head movies. But this head movies makes my eyes rain!''
  • December 18, 2009
    In a weird way I had to sort of just free myself up to believe that is was ok to be stupid or dumb.

    This movie is Insane just like the test of my Movies. lol
  • October 26, 2009
    OMG, Walter, this is my 1000th review. Of all the great movies that could have dropped into this position, it has to be this piece of borat. I don't even think I can fake anything profound to say.

    I guess I could just erase what I've written so far, wait for something better

    ...( read more) to fill the #1000 review slot, and then slip this one in at #1001. Nah, it's hardly worth the bother.

    Okay, I smiled once -- when Coogan blew up, and I hee-hee'd once when the kid got chucked off the bridge -- although Stiller knew that one would work because of the dog-out-the-window scene in There's Something About Mary. Seriously, those are the only two moments that are even remotely funny.

    Come on, Binky Boy, dig deep. One great insight for review #1000. . .

    . . .

    . . .

    . . .

    Okay, I give up already. Bor-at me. Oh, I know. Ben Stiller is not his mom or his dad -- not by any stretch of the imagination.

  • February 8, 2010
    i own this and love it so
  • February 6, 2010
    While the plot structure was messy, 'Tropic Thunder' succeeds as a satirical comedy which satires the film industry and the making of big blockbusters with it's often funny gags and some excellent comedic turns from Robert Downey jr. and Tom Cruise.
  • February 3, 2010
    laughed and laughed and laughed and then was like ewwww thats gross. all good
  • February 1, 2010
    I paid money to see this and the only good thing was i watched this up home in maine and ticket prises was only 5 dollars.
  • January 31, 2010
    Everyone loves this movie... It was ok.

Critic Reviews


October 1, 2008
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

With so much extreme mayhem going on, keeping the comedy cooking at top levels is a daunting task Stiller pulls off with aplomb. full review

September 19, 2008
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

The Hollywood comedy Tropic Thunder comes at us like a mad army cresting a hill, intent on audience massacre. My advice: shoot first and don't wait for the whites of their eyes. full review

August 18, 2008
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker

After the dazzle of the early scenes, something droops and flags in Tropic Thunder. full review

August 13, 2008
Claudia Puig, USA Today

There are some wildly funny scenes, a few leaden ones and others that are scattershot, with humorous satire undercut by over-the-top grisliness. Still, when it's funny, it's really funny. full review

August 13, 2008
Armond White, The New York Press

Its behind-the-scenes humor sharpens our understanding about how movies exploit history. Stiller sketches comic idiocy so energetically it's almost disappointing when the film settles into a plot; yet... full review

August 13, 2008
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

At its best, Tropic Thunder skewers impotent directors, fascist producers, prima donna stars and classic scenes from the camo-fatigues genre. full review

August 13, 2008
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Tropic Thunder is ridiculous and deeply enjoyable, but it also flashes a mercilessly polished mirror at the "prestige" products that the movie business so glibly feeds us in order to reflect glory bac... full review

August 12, 2008
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Think of all the ways you can hurt yourself laughing, as in fall down, split your sides, bust a gut, blow your mind. You get it all in Tropic Thunder, a knockout of a comedy that keeps you laughing co... full review

August 12, 2008
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's the kind of summer comedy that rolls in, makes a lot of people laugh and rolls on to video. It's been a good summer for that. full review

August 11, 2008
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

The Ben Stiller action-film parody Tropic Thunder is all over the map, but it's worth enduring the botched gags, formula plotting, and even the racism to marvel at the genius of Robert Downey Jr. full review

View more Tropic Thunder reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • danperry17
    March 10, 2009
    Props to agent2009 for suggesting that this movie is like Hamburger Hill. It's clear from one of the first lines Downey Jr. says: "it... ain't nothin but... a... thing"! Hilarious reference, speaks right away to the 'Nam movie lovers.
  • kizza1991
    December 19, 2008
    This movie was great, very funny.. Tom Cruise is hilarious!
  • perfectgentlemn
    November 7, 2008
    Ridiculous, think I love these types of comedies more & more. just ridiculously funny, Robert Downey Hilarious, Stiller amazing, Jack Black tied to the tree...de-toxing friggin hilarious wording... + Tom Cruise. OMG. almost died laughing. Kind of along the lines of Don't Mess With The Zohan...another ridiculous movie. Watch this one carefully you don't want to miss anything. Very Very Good. ;-) Enjoy.
  • chrismid259
    September 20, 2008
    Worth watching for Tom Cruise.
  • vahhho
    September 18, 2008
    Watch this movie now online in HIGH QUALITY

    http://portalflix.com/video/page1/tropicthunder/tropicthunder.html
  • munkybeans86
    August 27, 2008
    This was an awesome movie. It was soo funny and I dont usually have much interest in these types of films now that Im a bit older now but this movie made me laugh for 10 min on just one scene. I will be buying this one when it comes out and I have not bought any new movies since little miss sunshine came out since I wait until they are a bit cheaper. Ben Stiller made an awesome and hilarious movie he is now one of my favourites, Tom Cruise was awesome and everyone was just so funny.
  • shanedetert1
    August 20, 2008
    THE FAKE TRAILERS ALONE MADE THIS MOVIE AWESOME. IF ROBERT DOWNEY JR. WASNT IN THIS MOVIE IT WOULD OF SUCKED.JACK BLACKS CHARACTER I COULDNT GET INTO HE WAS KIND OF JUST THERE. DOWNEY AND CRUISE CHARACTERS WERE JUST GREAT I REALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS THE UNDERDOG GREAT MOVIE OF THE SUMMER AND IT DIDNT DISSAPOINT IM HOPING THEY DO A SEQUEL. THIS MOVIE MA MA MA MA MA MAKES ME HAPPY
  • loveatfirstsight1985
    August 19, 2008
    good one! must watch! the only ben stiller movie to watch and after a long time
  • maemae1979
    August 15, 2008
    This movie was very very funny. I was expecting Jr's character to be funny, but he was HILARIOUS!! I mean, he didn't even have to say anything and I would just bust out laughing at his facial expressions, the way he walked, his "grunts" and phrases like "Pump yo' breaks". LOL! Ben Stiller was very funny too. I just wish the movie didn't have such gratuitous foul language and sexual references. It could have probably done without them. But, yeah this movie was funny as a very good parody.

  • pooglywoogly
    August 12, 2008
    ooohhhh comes out tomorrow!!!! too bad im poor and cant get in

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Pineapple Express
    Pineapple Express (61%)
  • Zoolander
    Zoolander (81%)
  • Rambo III
    Rambo III (44%)
  • Superbad
    Superbad (57%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Tropic Thunder : Watch Free on TV


Tropic Thunder Trivia


  • Name the actress: The Brady Bunch Movie Zoolander Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story License to Wed Tropic Thunder  Answer »
  • Who among the following is not present in the movie, TROPIC THUNDER  Answer »
  • In which movie Robert Downey JR says:I'm a dude playing a dude,disguised as a another dude.  Answer »
  • Tropic thunder: Jack Black's character, Jeff Portnoy, is partially based on Chris Farley.  Answer »

Most Popular Skin