Tropic Thunder is a spoof movie with some big names and even bigger cameos. It has its moments but they could have cut all the funniest parts in a 2 minute trailer and I would have been fine with watching that, instead. The movie got huge hype and I’m falling short of digesting it all. This is a Ben Stiller vehicle which could already grind on some quite hard. Add Jack Black to the mix and you are getting border line toxic for me. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually liked Jack Black in this, and I have never liked a thing he did on the screen. He was on my short list of “I won’t see that because they are in it” actors. Julia Roberts still tops that list.

How many times can you see Stiller do that pucker face bit? Man, I’m done with it. If you saw Zoolander (or any of his movies) you know it well. This movie felt like an idea that came up at dinner one night and got green lit the next day with a star studded cast ready to go. They looked like they had fun but I’m not sure that it all translated to the audience. By far, Robert Downey, Jr. was the best part of the movie. That guy is a true A-lister and just amazes me with his talent, time and time again. I’m glad he turned it around.

The much talked about cameos were interesting. Matthew McConaughey was cheesy and seemed to try way too hard as Stiller’s character’s agent. He needs to find Kate Hudson and get back in a chick flick where he belongs. His mugging on screen is tired. Tom Cruise, some say is almost unrecognizable as the “Studio Head”. I disagree. He looks like a hairy Tom Cruise with a bald head. His character reminded me a lot of his character in Magnolia. The audience where I was (sold out theater) was not receptive to him, at all. During the ending credits, no one was laughing in a scene that I guarantee they expected to be funny.

The best part of the movie, besides Downey, is the fake trailers at the start of the movie. That is some funny stuff and they set the bar for laughs high. The laughs were not very often from there, it was just a small shower…not Tropic Thunder.

Rated R | 107 minutes | My Rating 2.5 out of 5

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