Reviews by Matt

I will admit that this is my second attempt at this review. I tried about a month ago-at least it feels like a month. It was more like two and a half to three weeks ago. As many of you know I currently an unemployed and am working out the details of my life. There are days when it is all too overwhelming to do anything productive and my first attempt was on one of those days.

That is neither here nor there. I merely mentioned it to point out that as fun as reviewing movies can be, one has to be in the right frame of mind to do it.


“Tropic Thunder” is the story of the most expensive war movie ever made. When director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) finds that just days into shooting he is a month behind and millions over budget he takes desperate measures. He takes his stars into the heart of the Vietnamese jungle. Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr), Jeff Portney (Jack Black), Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) and Kevin Sundusky (Jay Brauchel) all look forward to shooting the movie guerrilla-style.

When Tugg is captured by a group of drug making rebels who live in the very area they are shooting in, it is up to the others to free him before it is too late.

As much as it annoys me, I do love it when a movie stirs up controversy. It proves my point that most people need to lighten up and not become so outraged so easily. In “Tropic Thunder” the bone of contention is the use of the word “retard.” The word is used in a conversation between Tugg and Kirk about actors who play mentally challenged people in a movie and win Oscars. It is not used to offend, but to mock the actors who play those types of characters.

If you are going to see this movie (and I know the majority of you reading this will not) here are the two things to watch for. Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise.

Downey plays a method actor who, to get the role of the black sergeant, undergoes surgery to dye his skin the appropriate color. He never breaks character and at times is a bit on the raciest side with his mannerisms and choice of words. That said he is one of the funniest parts of this movie. He brings the family of the soldier he is portraying with him to Vietnam and treats them as a father and husband would. They extent that he goes to be this man is a lot of fun to watch.

The other thing to watch for is the cameo from Tom Cruise. He plays the studio executive in charge of the movie. He is crass, foul-mouthed and the very antithesis of Cruise. I called this his career redeeming performance and I stick to it. Cruise needed this more than anything. He showed he has a sense of humor and can laugh at himself.

Other than that the movie was lacking in humor. I liked it, but there could have been more comedy. There were plenty of failed jokes and sometimes they were trying too hard for it to work.

8 out of 10
Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material.
107 min