'Tropic Thunder' review

Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (Credit: DreamWorks)

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War movies: What are they good for? Actors Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) and Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.)—a white Australian who undergoes a pigmentation procedure to make him look black—find out when the war movie they’re making exposes them to real Far East captors, forcing them to become real soldiers.

Big question: Can Stiller, who directed and co-wrote the script, bounce back from “The Heartbreak Kid” and the pre-release anxiety over Downey’s character?
 
Catch it: Hey, an original idea for a comedy! With “Zoolander”-esque spunk, "Tropic Thunder" hilariously mocks many actors' inability to do what they pretend to do, the interchangeable nature of war movies and Hollywood's weakness for award-baiting seriousness. While the Lazarus character is really just there for shock value, Downey Jr.’s performance perfectly depicts an actor who’s gone too far and so believes in his transformation he’s unable to return to his real self.
 
Skip it: If you're thinking of lying about your time in the armed forces. As Cody (Danny McBride, “Pineapple Express”) explains, that's "like punching the American flag in the face." Word!
 
Bottom line: Black really needs to get out of his wild man comfort zone, and the movie's premise loses freshness when the guys have to go in and make a real rescue. (It's also too bad Stiller doesn't question perceptions of the guys' foreign captors the same way he does with the actors.) But inspired cameos from Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey contribute to a film that might not add up to much but has more riotous moments than the last few Stiller and Black movies combined.
 
Bonus: Think a hard-core actor like Christian Bale is dedicated? He could learn a thing or two from Lazarus, who says, "I don't drop character until I do the DVD commentary." Your move, Batman!

Video: Watch the review of 'Tropic Thunder'

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