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Tropic Thunder, the movie


gwb123
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I'll get to the point:

 

I was sorely disappointed in this movie, and I do not recommend it.

 

Having said that, it may not be for the reasons that you think.

 

The first thing that you have to understand is that despite appearances to the contrary, this is not a movie about the Vietnam War.

 

It is a movie about ego bloated actors and weak director making a very bad movie about the Vietnam War.

 

And it is not that they didn't have plenty of material to work with. Those who ignore this warning and elect to watch it will recognize send ups of both Apocalypse Now and Platoon. And in that, the movie does have some brilliant moments, such as when Ben Stiller's character starts channelling Marlon Brando's demented Col. Kurtz.

 

So the plot and premise had potential. But in the end it was basically one seemingly endless Hollywood inside joke about big money, financiers, and actors searching for not only their motivation but also their own personal identities which have gotten lost in years of portrying other people. And while I "got it", it was just overdone and frankly self absorbed.

 

And while this will make me sound like a prude, it had way too much of that "I'm hip, and if you don't laugh at my jokes you are not" attitude. That same thing you get from watching more than 4 minutes of E! Hollywood Extra! Really annoying was an over reliance on sexually explicit material... it will make you think that no one in the entertainment industry can complete a thought without the "F" word or reference to either male or female anatomy.

 

Even if you do not find that annoying, the military enthusiast will find a lot to cringe about in this movie. Now recognizing this is satire about actors portraying soldiers, their use of "GI jargon" is so overdone it is painful to listen to. Also, when the "actors" set off to "get real" in the jungle, they take one hop in a Huey from somewhere in Vietnam and somehow end up in the Golden Triangle portion of Laos... with enough fuel to make the return trip! And as with way too many movies, there are bullets flying left and right and yet no one seems to get scratched.

 

If this were not enough, there is a fair amount of subplot about how "retarded" people are portrayed in movies. Believe it or not...

 

So watch it if you like... in the end I found it to be very confused as to what it was trying to portray. It tries to ride the line between satire, black comedy, and in your face gags, and somehow fails to achieve any of the three successfully. And as far as a scathing critique of the movie industry... not quite there.

tropic_thunder_retards_small.JPG

tropic_thunder_2_small.JPG

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FightenIrish35

I was kind of "irratated"when I watch this movie..some parts got out of a little to out of control...but im sorry,whenever robert downey jr started to talk I couldnt stop laughing...his acting skills were just great for the the role he had to play..other than that the movie stunk

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Captainofthe7th

I wanted to see this movie when it came out, I don't think anyone minds some Vietnam War humor (ever read Nam-A-Rama??) but since then I've lost the desire to watch it. I had the feeling I would just be disappointed.

 

Rob

 

P.S. Nam-A-Rama is a hilarious book, I think it's written by Phillip Jennings who was a Marine helicopter pilot and also flew for Air America. If it wasn't written by a vet I would probably find it insulting, but it's just hilarious!

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Geeez ... I never thought it was meant to be more than satiracal attempt at cheap humor??? :unsure:

 

I went in to see the actors act nutz like the movies they are usually associated with .... didn't you guys?

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Are you guys serious ???

This movie is great .

It pokes fun at every war movie ever .

The mess up Apoc Now piece with the air strike was funny .

Top marks here .

owen

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Anders Heintz

Definately funny!!

 

How can you not love Robert Dowing Jr portraying a black man? And Tom Cruise was brilliant!

 

Take it for what it is, and not for something you want it to be. Its a movie making fun of them selves and pretty much everything else. Not ment to be historically accurate where people actually get hit...or run out of fuel etc etc.

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Definately funny!!

 

How can you not love Robert Dowing Jr portraying a black man? And Tom Cruise was brilliant!

 

Take it for what it is, and not for something you want it to be. Its a movie making fun of them selves and pretty much everything else. Not ment to be historically accurate where people actually get hit...or run out of fuel etc etc.

 

Tru dat. I usually like Ben Stiller's stuff though -- seen Starsky & Hutch, Zoolander? Same hilarious stupidity. Not designed to be taken seriously thumbsup.gif

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This movie is hilarious. Its a good comedy. Downey Jr in the movie sounds exactly like a friend of mine from NYC and I could not stop laughing everytime he spoke.

The fake trailer with the farting family is great !

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FightenIrish35

[quote name='

The fake trailer with the farting family is great !

 

hahahaha definitly :lol: DICKIE ROBERTS THE CHILD STAR!!!hahaha

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vintageproductions

Wow, I must have watched a different movie then others that have posted here. I saw a movie taking the PI** out of actors, acting in a war MOVIE. There was nothing in this movie at all to even resemble reality. It was just a comedy movie. I agree with Kammo-Man, when they are taking the pi** out of Apocalypse Now ( which you all know is one of my favorite movies, if you have read the tiger stripe thread), and the scene from Platoon with the hands in the air. This was calssic COMEDY not drama. The movie is about actors taking themselves too serious, it could have been set as a Western, Sci Fi flick, etc., but they picked a war movie. I must totally be in the minority as I go see a movie for entertainment, not to take it apart becuase something is "not right with it" like the wrong clutchback post was used on a piece of insignia, or a certain model sock was not worn for that time. Sit back with some popcorn and just relax when you watch movies. Just by seeing the original theatrical trailer for Tropic Thunder, I knew that it was a parody..

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Fine, I'll change it to appalling. This thread (like that movie) is splitting ethical hairs. It shows you what our society is turning into. thumbdown.gif

Andrew

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Personally, I find this movie funny. It gave me some good laughs. Especially when it comes to fake commercials.

 

However, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Some people don't like this movie, some do.

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Hey Andrew is it ok to find Harry Potter revolting ?

owen

kammoman

oohhh no

My mummy just got home , I have to get of the computer and finish my home work for school tomorow .

see you all on the flip side Yo !!!

Only joking to each his own .

It is only a silly movie .

When you get as old and brain dead as me it is the simpler things in life that gives you pleasure .

owen

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I was sorely disappointed in this movie, and I do not recommend it ......

It is a movie about ego bloated actors and weak director making a very bad movie about the Vietnam War.......

 

I had to go back and re-read this ....

 

Vietnam War? It was about a bunch of Actors filming cheap scenes of the Vietnam war in South America for {authenticity} as the storyline goes. They accidently run into some drug running rebels. All in ridiculous {humor} by comedians.

 

Did you see the movie or write a review based on what you read? :blink:

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I had to go back and re-read this ....

 

Vietnam War? It was about a bunch of Actors filming cheap scenes of the Vietnam war in South America for {authenticity} as the storyline goes. They accidently run into some drug running rebels. All in ridiculous {humor} by comedians.

 

Did you see the movie or write a review based on what you read? :blink:

 

 

Ummm.... actually I did just this weekend (courtesy of Netflix). The action scenes were supposed to be in the Golden Triangle of Laos. Other scenes before that were in modern day Vietnam. What movie are you thinking of?

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Anders Heintz

Gil,

 

Out of Curiosity, what were you expecting out of the movie? It was written by Ben Stiller and Jack Black is in it...

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Anders Heintz
Fine, I'll change it to appalling. This thread (like that movie) is splitting ethical hairs. It shows you what our society is turning into.

Andrew

 

How so? What "ethical hairs" are being split? It's a freaking parody...

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For what it's worth, I agree with everyone on here who says "It's a comedy." Appalling, Come on...Offensive, perhaps a little...but again, we can play the "i'm offended" game until every single joke ever written has offended someone and nothing is OK to joke about.

 

It was a stupid movie, yes, but don't take it for more than that...it wasn't a war documentary, it wasn't a war movie, it was a movie about a war movie.

 

And to be honest, I've heard and lived through some war stories that would have you in stitches laughing so hard.

 

Anyhow...lighten up everyone!!

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