Let's Go with a Comedy

Well I finally went and saw a bunch of movies. I actually saw movies over a three or four week period. So if I don't remember some of the details, it is because it has been a while since I saw the particular movie that I am talking about. I am tired of reviewing all these serious movies that play on Encore or HBO, So I rented a few. Actually I rented one and borrowed two from the public library. Yeah, that is what it has come down to. I borrow movies from the library. But this being San Francisco, a big City with rich people who endow the public institutions with decent arrrays of money, some of the more recent movies are acquired on DVD for the lending library. Anyway, I borrowed, "Walk Hard." And then rented, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." And finally I borrowed, "Tropic Thunder." Until I read the review given by my cohort, I had intended to rent, "Pineapple Express." I still may. After all isn't the point of all this to compare notes and discuss movies in common.

Because my memory and impression of the most recently seen movie is freshest, I will begin with that movie. I never intended to see, "Tropic Thunder.' When I saw the previews in theaters, it looked stupid. The premise was retarded. More on the use of that descriptive word later. I do not like Ben Stiller. He has done one redeemable movie, "There's Something About Mary." That movie was genius. Other than that, all other comedies he has done are crap! Horrible crap! Various people that I respect have told me that, "Zoolander," is great stuff, but they are mistaken. That movie is crap. Not as horrendous crap as most of what Stiller has done, but still. Ben Stiller, much like Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Will Farrell, had a promising start in films and then pissed it all away mailing in insipid performances in staid, unfunny comedies. Will Farrell and Ben Stiller especially have simply fallen into the rut of doing the same movie over and over again. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn may not do the same movie, but they haven't portrayed anything but the same character over and over again. "Tropic Thunder," also stars Jack Black, yet another star who had potential and then pissed away his promise by portraying nothing but the same insipid character repeatedly.

So on story and stars alone this looked like a lame excuse for spending studio money. But then the movie also stars Robert Downey Jr. in blackface. Hello. Okay, Robert Downey, showed promise early in his career, pissed it away (he separates himself from the beforementioned crowd by pissing it away on drugs [but doesn't piss it away in a manner that is different from how so many hollywood stars piss away their careers]), and then resurrects his career by pulling himself together and scoring a summer blockbuster hit. I have always liked Downey, Jr. I followed his career in my (and his) youth. Just before he reappeared on everyone's radar by doing, "Ironman" (great movie, I may review it later), he appeared with Val Kilmar in "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang." It was in that movie that you could tell that he had impecable comedic timing and the ability to bond with a fellow actor to create chemistry on the screen.

The story of "Tropic Thunder," is that these three star actors, played by Stiller, Black, and Downey Jr., begin shooting a Vietnam War movie with an inexperienced director. Each of these actors are a parody archtype of a typical hollywood star. Stiller is a parody of the aging action star, Shwartznegger, Stallone, Willis. His latest movie is a post-apocalyptic shoot-em-up version VI or so. Just before putting out the 6th version of that franchise he had tried to get serious and acted as a retarded farmboy who saves the day and wins the hearts of his entire community.

Stiller acting as an actor who portrayed a retard is what caused all the protests against "Tropic Thunder," this summer. Mentally handicapped people and their proponents were incensed at the insensitivity of the portrayal and the cheap laughs it engendered. For my part I think that 'retard' has been an epithet that has been used for comedic purposes long before "Tropic Thunder." Protesting this movie alone seems to be a disengenious publicity stunt.

Back to the movie. Black is the portly dumb-comedy comedian. I guess that he is a parody of himself. Downey Jr. is Russell Crow. Serious, Oscar-winning, Australian. There are two more, no name, actors who round out the primary cast. Brandon Jackson who portrays Alpa Chino, a rapper who is breaking into acting after already being a successful rapper and entrepeneur, (Booty Sweat energy drink and Bust-a-Nut candy bar). And Jay Baruchel as Kevin Sandusky, the requisite bland good white guy who through his naivite resolves all of this movies conflicts.

A few other important actors in the film are Nick Nolte as the ex-Vietnam vet who wrote the book that the movie screenplay is based on, Tom Cruise as the a-hole hollywood producer producing the film, Matthew McConaughey as Stiller's agent and Danny McBride as a pyrotechnics advisor for the film. Warren in this blog's previous post spoke of his disappointment with McBride. The disappointing career of Danny McBride continues. Mr. McBride is just mailing it in here. He isn't given much to do and he just barely does it. Now I really will have to see "Pinapple Express," just to compare notes.

Okay so the plot is the three prima donna actors screw around and screw up the movie. The hapless director can't control them. The grizzled Vietnam vet, Nolte, suggests taking the prima donnas into the wild Vietnam jungle to scare them into being more serious about their craft and to bond with one another. The director, pyrotechnics guy and Vet have planted cameras around the jungle to capture the true emotions of the prima donna actors as they complete the script. The helicopter drops the actors and director in the jungle. The director steps on a land mine and is blown to hell. The retarded (yeah, I'm using that term, bitches) Stiller thinks that it is all part of the plan and he continues to follow the script. Danny McBride and Nolte land elsewhere to watch the drama enfold and are captured by Vietnamese druglords in the area. Stiller, Black, Downey Jr., Jackson, and Baruchel slog through the jungle, get on each other's nerves, display attitudes with one another, and eventually the conflict of the film emerges. The band of actors encounter the druglord's compound with McBride and Nolte in it. And they eventually free the two captured guys. The movie gets made. The actors all realize how petty they have been. Tom Cruise, the producer, cashes in on a successful movie and does a memorable dance through the closing credits.

I couldn't hope to capture the brilliance of this movie. I started this review expressing my trepidation at seeing this film, but I must say this. It is hillarious. Parody has found its apex for the 2008 movie-going season. Downey Jr. was very impressive. Stiller played a parody of himself to some degree, but with conviction and very funny. Black pulled off his limited role with his limited skills. The writing was good and the pacing was good. As you would expect, there are some crude, cheap laughs, (aforementioned retard jokes and the like). But I was pleasantly surprised. It made me laugh and I needed to laugh.

Matthew