Do you want to see ‘Tropic Thunder’?

Tropic Thunder (2008)

tomatometer

All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.1/10
Reviews Counted: 226
Fresh: 187 | Rotten: 39

With biting satire, plenty of subversive humor, and an unforgettable turn by Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder is a triumphant late Summer comedy.

Average Rating: 6.9/10
Critic Reviews: 41
Fresh: 34 | Rotten: 7

With biting satire, plenty of subversive humor, and an unforgettable turn by Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder is a triumphant late Summer comedy.

audience

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 248,395

My Rating

Added to your Facebook Timeline. — undo

Movie Info

Ben Stiller's satirical look at Hollywood, Tropic Thunder concerns the production of an epic Vietnam War film that quickly derails thanks to the giant egos of everyone involved in the production. Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, an action hero trying to segue out of that genre. Jack Black plays Jeff Portnoy, a drug-addicted fat comic also attempting to change his image by taking on such a serious film. They star alongside Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), one of the world's most awarded actors,

R, 1 hr. 46 min.

Comedy

Directed By: Ben Stiller

Written By: Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Etan Cohen

In Theaters: Aug 13, 2008 Wide

On DVD: Nov 18, 2008

Box Office:$110.4M

DreamWorks/Paramount Studios

Tropic Thunder Trailer & Photos

More Photos (93)

Cast

Ben Stiller
Tugg Speedman
Jack Black
Jeff Portnoy
Robert Downey Jr.
Kirk Lazarus
Nick Nolte
Four Leaf Tayback
Steve Coogan
Damien Cockburn
Jay Baruchel
Kevin Sandusky
Danny McBride
Cody
Brandon T. Jackson
Alpa Chino
Bill Hader
Studio Executive Rob Sl...
Brandon Soo Hoo
Tran
Reggie Lee
Byong
Trieu Tran
Tru
Eric Winzenreid
chopper pilot
Matthew McConaughey
Rick Peck
Valerie Azlynn
Damien's assistant
Tom Cruise
Les Grossman
Matt Levin
cameraperson
Amy Stiller
script supervisor
David Pressman
First assistant directo...
Justin Theroux
Jan Jurgen
Dempsey Silva
special effects assista...

Critic Reviews for Tropic Thunder

All Critics (228) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (194) | Rotten (40) | DVD (26)

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

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: CNN.com

| Comments (5)

Tom Charity

CNN.com

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 Source: New Republic

| Comment

Christopher Orr

New Republic

Top Critic

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

August 18, 2008 Comments (5)

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 Source: New Yorker

| Comments (8)

Anthony Lane

New Yorker

Top Critic

Tropic Thunder passes for "daring" in a movie era notably short on risk-taking. In the case of Downey, that daring is earned.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor

| Comment

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

Top Critic

A gleeful, bumptious send-up of big-budget movies, big Hollywood egos.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal

| Comment

Joanne Kaufman

Wall Street Journal

Top Critic

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 Source: East Bay Express

| Comment

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 Source: Digital Spy

| Comment

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 Source: DCist

| Comment

Ian Buckwalter

DCist

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

August 26, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion

| Comments (7)

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 Source: Index.hr

| Comments (7)

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 Source: BET.com

| Comment

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 Source: Boston Phoenix

| Comment

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 Source: Fayetteville Free Weekly

| Comments (13)

Tony Macklin

Fayetteville Free Weekly

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

January 12, 2009 Full Review Source: �berCin�

| Comments (4)

Gregory Weinkauf

�berCin�

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 Source: Entertainment Spectrum

| Comment

Jolene Mendez

Entertainment Spectrum Source: 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 Source: Window to the Movies

| Comment

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 Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comments (2)

Ken Fox

TV Guide's Movie Guide

The action movie has been spoofing itself for years. Half of the time it's no even intentional. Ben Stiller's hilarious and surprisingly intelligent Tropic Thunder takes the genre spoof to a new extreme.

December 8, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Views

| Comment

Ryan Cracknell

Movie Views Source: Movie Views

Tropic Thunder focuses its satire on this Hollywoodization of war, as it depicts the production of a Vietnam genre film that's less "Platoon" than "Platoon Leader" with Michael Dudikoff.

December 6, 2008 Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com

| Comment

Brian Holcomb

CinemaBlend.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Tropic Thunder

View All

This is the normal Ben Stiller fare. Throw in Jack Black and this is what you get. Downey I liked as the black sgt who is australian but really into his role. Other than that it really did seem like another Stiller flick. Same ol same ol.

September 3, 2008

John Manard

Super Reviewer

So Ben Stiller wants to be in a Nam flick, OK sure, shame he missed the boat for that era, and this is why he made this film im guessing? why? well we all know the outfit of the average grunt in Nam films looks cool, the easy, laid back, dont give a shit style with ammo belts and guns hanging of everyone. Just check

August 24, 2008

Phil Hubbard

Super Reviewer

Tropic Thunder Quotes

View All

1. Jeff Portnoy: Your just because I'm skinny.
– Submitted by Evan T (2 months ago)
1. Kirk Lazarus: Im a land farmer, MOTHA FUCKA!
– Submitted by Pablo B (3 months ago)
1. Kirk Lazarus: You went full retard...NEVER go full retard.
– Submitted by Dan M (3 months ago)
1. Kirk Lazarus: Suck my unit!
– Submitted by Sean C (4 months ago)
1. Kirk Lazarus: Man, everybody's gay once in a while.
– Submitted by Villie Emmanuel S (5 months ago)