Tropic Thunder (2008)

All Critics (231) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (196) | Rotten (41) | DVD (26)

Though some of the caricatures wear thin, some of the acting rises to a high level.

October 18, 2008 Full Review | Comments (5)

Tom Charity

CNN.com

Top Critic

Cruise and particularly Downey are something to behold: They give this Thunder its lightning.

October 18, 2008

Rene Rodriguez

Miami Herald

Top Critic

But its better moments of self-referential snark, such as an ace cameo from Tom Cruise as an obnoxious studio exec, have the feel of a superior end-of-term revue.

September 19, 2008 Full Review

Ben Walters

Time Out

Top Critic

For years now, onscreen and off, [Tom] Cruise has seemed like a bottle of barely contained crazy; now we know what happens when the cork comes out.

September 18, 2008 Full Review

Christopher Orr

The New Republic

Top Critic

Some of it is very funny, some of it is too broad.

August 18, 2008 | Comments (6)

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

After the dazzle of the early scenes, something droops and flags in Tropic Thunder.

August 18, 2008 Full Review | Comments (8)

Anthony Lane

New Yorker

Top Critic

Tropic Thunder is an easy film to enjoy. It appeals to the basest levels of humour without patronising its audience, while pricking the pomposity of the movie industry without going too 'meta' - this is far from self-fellation.

October 14, 2012 Full Review

Ali Gray

TheShiznit.co.uk

perfectly parodies the 'kill everything in sight and then blow it up for good measure' summer movie mentality.

August 10, 2012 Full Review

Jeffrey Lyles

Lyles' Movie Files

Comes down to exactly the same type of heroic finale they're supposed to be parodying in the first place. You bettah off renting Rescue Dawn.

August 15, 2011 Full Review

Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

A clever structure, glorious ensemble cast and above all conviction ensure that laughter will be rippling like thunder inside the cinema.

July 14, 2011 Full Review

Ben Rawson-Jones

Digital Spy

There are a lot of sacred entertainment industry cows being sent to the slaughter, and Stiller & co. skewer every stereotype with vicious glee.

June 12, 2010 Full Review

Ian Buckwalter

DCist

Not a third as "dark" or "ferocious" as it believes it is

August 26, 2009 Full Review | Comments (8)

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

bilo je te%u0161ko izbje%u0107i jo%u0161 jednu tre%u0161nju holivudske gore koja je rodila mi%u0161a

July 15, 2009 Full Review | Comments (8)

Dragan Antulov

Index.hr

Sure, there are some moments when the plot falls right down a gun barrel, the comedy is too over the top and the jokes are downright gross. Still, in comparison to the other slapstick comedies this year, this movie-within-a-movie strikes above the rest.

July 7, 2009 Full Review

Clay Cane

BET.com

Sounds predictable and academic, but what's unexpected is how deftly Stiller manages to explore these issues and allude to war films from The Bridge on the River Kwai to Platoon to Rambo while still recognizing the value of a well-placed fart joke.

April 23, 2009 Full Review

Peter Keough

Boston Phoenix

Tropic Thunder is one humongous vanity project for Ben Stiller. His initials aren't BS for nothing. If you can't get enough of bouncing Ben, Tropic Thunder is the movie for you. Ben Stiller acted in, co-wrote, produced, and directed Tropi

February 1, 2009 Full Review | Comments (16)

Tony Macklin

Fayetteville Free Weekly

Is this a comedy -- or a cry for help?

January 12, 2009 Full Review | Comments (5)

Gregory Weinkauf

ÜberCiné

Tropic Thunder turns out to be a very funny film with an immensely talented cast that will be the topic of any water cooler conversation.

January 4, 2009 Full Review

Jolene Mendez

Entertainment Spectrum

Stiller's parody of Hollywood opportunism and insecurities is fairly lacerating, but perhaps could've been more so had not the whole thing been played so broadly.

December 31, 2008 Full Review

Jeffrey Chen

Window to the Movies

Cruise is downright scary. It's the creepiest -- and most entertaining -- performance since his unforgettable appearance in that Scientology video.

December 21, 2008 Full Review | Comments (2)

Ken Fox

TV Guide's Movie Guide

• 1. Les Grossman: Shut the fuck up & let me do my job!
  – Submitted by Matthew D (2 months ago)
• 1. Kirk Lazarus: Me? I know who I am. I'm a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude.
  2. Kevin Sandusky: What?
  3. Kirk Lazarus: You a dude that don't know what dude he is!
  4. Tugg Speedman: Or are you a dude who has no idea what dude he is and claims to know what dude he is?
  – Submitted by Swayamdeep S (2 months ago)
• 1. Tugg Speedman: [to Kirk] Hold my hand Brother...
  2. Kirk Lazarus: [holds really dodgy looking sleeve without hands that Ben happens to be wearing]
  – Submitted by jade D (4 months ago)
• 1. Tugg Speedman: Wake up Hop-Hop!
  – Submitted by Dylan P (4 months ago)
• 1. Kirk Lazarus: Man, I don't drop character 'till I done the DVD commentary.
  – Submitted by Jillian L (4 months ago)
• 1. Alpa Chino: But they're trained soldiers.
  2. Kirk Lazarus: Yes. But we are trained actors.
  – Submitted by Jillian L (4 months ago)

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