Tropic Thunder (DVD, 2008, Sensormatic Packaging)

It's hard to really capture the essence of this "terribly," good movie. It's hardcore, adult comedy like on the comedy circuit except it's in the form of a full length feature film with special effects. The dialogue is raw and rough like straight out of the R-Rated Las Vegas comedy strip. I really do enjoy Stiller's sense of humor, but until now I really thought that he wasn't capable of making a complete film. Usually the humor dies out half way through, the plot becomes boring, and I just want the film to end - having not regretted seeing the first half.

Director Ben Stiller generates amazing performances from his lead actors including himself, Jack Black, Downey, Brandon T. Jackson, and Nick Nolte. Jack Black especially stuck out to me as having done excellent in this film, very convincingly (read: amusingly) portraying a drug addict going through withdrawal. Ben Stiller was good too, but he didn't really seem to stick out as extraordinary. Robert Downey Jr. stole the show as I expected, with his character being a hilariously confused actor stuck in all the roles he had played. But the surprises are the big name supporting actors like Matthew McConaughey as Tugg's agent Rick Peck and of course Tom Cruise.

While this new film doesn't achieve anything "great" it is, finally, a complete film that succeeds from beginning to end. the direction was obviously open ended enough to get a lot of good work out of the actors... the plot, while not spectacular, provides a good vehicle for the humor from beginning to end. As a satire the film succeeds better in some areas than in others... near the end there are some particularly difficult scenes that are reminiscent of "Apocalypse Now" "Platoon" and "The Prisoner" that actually succeed somewhat. It is in this area that I find that most modern comedies fail completely, but Stiller and Co. manage to pull it off - just enough.

"Tropic Thunder" will offend virtually everyone. Stiller and crew have written bold biting comedy blind to elements of conventional taste that mercilessly mocks the egos at play in the world of celebrity and entertainment. If you like this film, I also recommend "The Party" as they are very similar in some ways (though The Party is more subtle) and I can't help but think that "The Party" was a bit of an inspiration for this film.

This movie was insane. Comedy legend Ben Stiller directs an outrageously hilarious adventure you would think only stupid kids would get into. There's nothing short of three big comedy stars (more or less with Downey Jr.) who just ad lib the bajeezes out of every scene and it turns out fantastically satire. There is no predictable plot or famous writers or directors trying to make a few bucks off a box office hit, it's pure genius. Downey Jr. is spectacular as a black man and Tom Cruises performance, if you can notice him, is totally funny too. Throw a bunch of funny actors together with a big budget and this is what you get.

Of Laughs In “Tropic Thunder.” By KJP of the Channel Guide Store
Satirizing the making of Hollywood movies on film is nothing new. Everyone knows what a bloated, ego-driven industry it can be, so it’s always a ripe target. But it’s going to take some doing for such a film to out-parody Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder.

The story begins on the set of overbudget action film Tropic Thunder, a gory, Vietnam War drama starring past-his-prime prima donna Tugg Speedman (Stiller). Along with costar Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) and a couple of sidemen portrayed by Jay Baruchel and Brandon T. Jackson, the group are forced by their director (Steve Coogan) to leave the comforts of their pampered on-set routines for the real-life terror of the jungle. There, they gradually find themselves in actual combat with an armed-to-the-teeth drug cartel.

Much has been made of Tropic Thunder’s un-PC elements, from Downey’s character playing his role in blackface to Stiller’s riffs on the mentally challenged. They were bound to upset a number of people, but they do underscore what this film is about: Hollywood in all its crassness. Egos, vanity, drug excesses, executives — nothing is spared the skewer. For every familiar archetype, like Matthew McConaughey’s cloying but dubiously loyal agent, there’s a Tom Cruise portraying an executive producer so abusive and psychotic that some in Hollywood might well wonder how Stiller ever got this movie greenlit in the first place.

A lot of the fun in Tropic Thunder may depend on your proximity to the actual film industry. The closer you’ve been to the moviemaking process, the funnier it’s going to seem. But it’s a world to which any moviegoer can relate. Stiller wisely makes no one onscreen very likable at all. When you see him and his gang plunked down in the jungle, you want to see them fall into harm’s way. You want to see their namby-pamby Hollywood sensibilities blown out, crushed to dust and fed back to them. And Stiller and company don’t disappoint, abusing every available action movie cliché in the process.

If there’s a flaw in Tropic Thunder’s mission, it might be that its self-referential irony is in danger of wearing out its welcome simply because irony itself has been so prevalent in popular culture in recent years. But if irony is on its way out, at least Tropic Thunder sends it out with a bang.

Tropic Thunder is a raunchy, politically incorrect, and at times, disgusting movie. I loved it! At times I would rewind my favorite parts and belly laugh until I cried! This is just a funny, smartly written, well acted movie with tons of celebrity cameos that are little treats to discover. I would not let my kids watch this movie, but for adults, lighten up and have some fun!

I like the idea about actors playing actors in a movie within "The Movie" itself. I like the all-star cast.

I decided to buy it because my mother was an extra in the movie when she passed away. And Ben Stiller and DreamWorks paid for everything for our family--on the Island of Kauai as well as mainland. So I had to have a copy.

Thanks.

It's a very funny movie- but don't miss the beginning of it or you will be confused the rest of the movie through!

Great movie, great price, good time. Nothing bad about this transaction. It was widescreen, just the wya I wanted it. I also reccomend this movie, Ben Stiller's finest. I'm not a Ben Stiller fan, but this movie flows nicely, great cast, and they found the comedy through truth. Definitely not as wacky as Zoolander, but that;s what makes it good.

Starting with the best fake-trailers this side of Grindhouse, TROPIC THUNDER develops into the most uniquely wacky blend of satire/action/ and gross-out I've ever seen. At first it appears to be a straight-up spoof on popular war films, then it becomes a film within a film, then an attack on Hollywood and the film industry in general. Also present are some rather shocking (and hilarious) sight gags (exploding film-crew members, the brutal slaughter of an endangered species) that managed to catch everyone off guard (yet not offend them).

The main reason TROPIC THUNDER works so well though is it's stellar ensemble cast. You have the likes of Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Steve Coogan, and Nick Nolte all turning in terrific comedic performances that they obviously had fun with. Tom Cruise gives the extended cameo of the year as a studio executive, while Tobey Maguire and a slew of other actors make notable appearances. Ultimately it is Downey Jr. who steals almost every scene as the platoon's very white, African-American squad leader.

Rude, witty, and ballsy, TROPIC THUNDER is a great time at the movies. It's hard finding worth-while large budget comedies these days, but DIRECTOR Ben Stiller, supported by a strong cast and a great premise, has proved himself to be the right man for the task.

Great product & in perfect condition. Extremely fast shipping. I will recommend to friends!!! Thank you!!!

Everything was good... Especially the price ... Movie did come with crushed case due to packing not being strong or protective enough, but it did not injure the DVD. i am happy .... great movie !

i bought this movie because of the cheap price and convenience of online shopping. it was in good condition and i enjoyed watching it on my newly installed surround sound.

I bought this because it was not expensive!
I got it pretty quickly in the mail, in the condition described.

I am not a big comedy fan, but decided to buy this movie because I heard it was good. To me it was good, but not great. though it wasn't great, I'm not disapointed because it was still pretty good.

When the box office champ Ben Stiller's comedic performances aren't a variation on a soft-spoken, put-upon everyman with an eventual fuse, he's usually playing a full-blown absurdist monster with an apoplectic Napoleon complex. These bizarre creations usually adorn films in which the funnyman provides the supporting work (DODGEBALL, HEAVYWEIGHTS), but, whenever he's directing, he's free to build an entire filmic universe around his asinine, ludicrously funny, culture-skewering characters and premises. His ZOOLANDER (2001) bit at the entertainment industry with silly abandon, but Stiller has firmly set TROPIC THUNDER within the realm of sophisticated Hollywood satire. In it, a desperate director named Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) trying to make a Vietnam war movie drops his pampered actors into the heart of the jungle. Cockburn's stars include Stiller as an action hero who's starting to make bad career choices, Jack Black as an insecure low-brow comedy star going through heroin withdrawals, and Robert Downey Jr. as an Australian Oscar winner so lost in his "craft" he underwent a procedure to become black for his role. In the jungle, they remain under the delusion that they are still being filmed even after they encounter a dangerous gang of druglords. The film's basic premise has popped up several times since Hollywood's 1970s golden age in films such as THREE AMIGOS! and GALAXY QUEST. Where those films simply blanketed a classic Overconfident Bumbling Idiot comedy showcase with a pop culture lexicon, however, TROPIC THUNDER could have only been made, as on-the-nose at is, by people who have been working in the Hollywood system for years, making cutting observations along the way. Simply put, this raucous satire knows big-budget filmmaking, the delusional narcissism of actors, and even the good points of those actors--perhaps why they're celebrated--like the back of its hand.

Very funny movie. I find this movie different than other comedies. The movie had a story to it but did not loose the comedy side of it. Fun movie, I enjoyed it.

DVD came quickly and on time. Item was in great condition as promised. This is a great seller who i would recommend.

This movie Tropic Thunder is super funny! I had to ad this to my movie collection after seeing it at the theater! This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen! But I would not let any kids watch this, its for adults. Super star actors really do a good job at making you laugh in this move that I think will sure to be a classic!

Did not laugh as much as I thought I would.Left me kind of flat.Glad I did not spend alot on this DVD.I will try to force myself to watch again just in case I missed something,that could possible change my mind but I doubt it.

Great Product! Fast service! Wonderful price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved this movie. The first time we watched it as a rental. I was nice to see again and take in more elements of the film. The first time I watched it I was shocked at the opening then I realized it was a comedy. My 27 y/o son really enjoyed it! Robert Downey is hilarious. A+

Great movie, hilarious. A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++.

Once the funniness started, I loved the movie. Outrageous stuff tickles my funny bone, and Tropic Thunder provided some outrageous moments. My brother and his friend watched the movie with me and did quite a bit of laughing.

This is the greatest movie. Full of satire and off-beat humor. I just wished the seller had sent it to me and I had to buy it elsewhere.

robert downey jr is an incredible black guy! i like jack black and ben stiller comedies and putting these cast members on one screne is a excellent comedy for you and your bong etc...