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Tropic
Thunder
Unrated Director's Cut |
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| Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Brandon T.
Jackson, Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Nick Nolte, Matthew McConaughey, Tom
Cruise Directed by: Ben Stiller |
Theatrical release: 2008
DVD release: 2008
Released by: DreamWorks Home EntertainmentDolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen |
Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) is a fading
action star looking for respect. Jack Portnoy's (Jack Black) acting career is built
entirely on fart jokes. Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) is an Australian method actor who
goes too deep. The three are starring in a big-budget Vietnam War movie directed by Damien
Cockburn (Steve Coogan), but they're not making things run smoothly. In an effort to
improve the situation, the actors are dumped in the jungle by themselves (so they think)
to capture the "real" experience.
| Even Better in Blu  I pretty much concur with what Josh said
about this film except that my enthusiasm is greater. I’ll give the Blu-ray set a
solid 4.0 for Overall Enjoyment. The film treats the movie within the movie in an
ingenious manner, and the Hollywood in-jokes are very funny. There’s even a
discussion of HD DVD versus Blu-ray, and the discussions on acting between Stiller
and Downey are hysterical in a very classy manner. Even if that doesn’t wash with you
-- and be warned, there are parts of this movie that might, well, will, offend many
-- Tropic Thunder is worth seeing for the performances of Robert Downey, Jr. and
Tom Cruise. Downey plays an Australian Oscar-worthy actor who goes overboard in preparing
for roles. For Tropic Thunder (which is the name of the movie and the movie within
the movie) he has had his skin surgically altered so he will appear to be
African-American. He is so in character that he stays in character even when he
shouldn’t be. It’s a tour de force performance, one that is sure to get the star
an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Also potent is Tom Cruise, bald, overweight,
and hairy, as a studio mogul who does the craziest little victory dance you’ve seen
since the same actor did his famous mime dance with a microphone in Risky Business.
You have to see the new dance to believe it.
The colors of the Blu-ray seem natural, with especially
good skin tone, and the detail is about as good as it gets. I’d sum by saying that
this Blu-ray release is state of the art, and demonstration quality, just a smidgen less
impressive than Hellboy II. The Dolby TrueHD sound is smooth and subtle at times,
powerful and earth-shaking at other points. The surround mix, as Josh pointed out, is
masterfully accomplished.
It is a must-see movie, but perhaps not a must-buy
package for everyone. Better rent it first and then decide. For me, it stood the test of a
second and third viewing well. I picked up a lot more in-jokes the second and third time
around.
. . . Rad Bennett
radb@hometheatersound.com |
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Tropic Thunder is an idea Ben Stiller has been
kicking around for years, and it comes together fairly well. The film juggles comedy,
action, and a movie about moviemaking (always a dicey prospect), and manages to do that
with relative success.
Between the camouflage and the jungle foliage, Tropic
Thunder has a lot of browns and greens to deal with. Of course, no war movie would be
complete without over-the-top explosions, so there are flashes of orange and red, as well.
Rather than simply relying on the jokes to entertain audiences, Stiller has made sure the
film offers a good visual experience, as well -- this definitely doesn't look like
just another comedy. The transfer is solid; there's lots of detail to be seen, but the
colors seem rather muted.
Similarly, the audio presentation is much better than
you might expect. The battles are loud and complex, the soundtrack comes through clearly
and the dialogue-driven scenes have a good balance. Even when we're out in the jungle,
there's a workable ambience. Tropic Thunder is a well-made film, and this is a
well-made disc.
This set offers a wealth of bonus features, beginning with
two commentary tracks: one with the filmmakers, and one with the cast. Though the
filmmakers' track is a bit crowded and serious, the one by Stiller, Black and Downey is
much lighter, yet still provides good insight.
Disc 2 begins with "Before the Thunder," a
five-minute piece about the movie's long genesis, and is followed by "The Hot
LZ" and "Blowing Shit Up," which focus on the opening battle and the film's
many explosions, respectively. "Designing the Thunder" is a seven-minute piece
about set design. "The Cast of Tropic Thunder" is 22 minutes of exactly
what it claims to be.
"Rain of Madness" is a 30-minute mockumentary
that serves as the Hearts of Darkness to Tropic Thunder's Apocalypse Now.
This is about documentarian Jan Jurgen (played by Justin Theroux, one of the writers)
following the making of the fictional film and interviewing the director and actors -- all
in character. And if that wasn't enough, "Dispatches from the Edge of Madness"
seems to be what was cut from the mockumentary.
There are deleted scenes and an alternate ending, a sketch
from the MTV Movie Awards and a feature called "Full Mags," which is more than
half an hour long and shows fully unedited improvisational footage from four scenes.
Finally, "Video Rehearsals" reveals the work that goes into planning camera
setups.
Tropic Thunder might not be an instant classic for
everyone, but it is very good, capably made, and worth a look. |
