Opening

87% Star Trek Into Darkness May 16
22% Erased May 17
90% Frances Ha May 17
44% The English Teacher May 17
42% Black Rock May 17
77% Pieta May 17
—— Populaire May 17
21% 33 Postcards May 17

Top Box Office

78% Iron Man 3 $72.5M
50% The Great Gatsby $50.1M
47% Pain & Gain $5.0M
37% Peeples $4.6M
77% 42 $4.6M
56% Oblivion $4.1M
69% The Croods $3.6M
98% Mud $2.5M
8% The Big Wedding $2.5M
60% Oz the Great and Powerful $1.1M

Coming Soon

—— The Hangover Part III May 23
79% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
—— Epic May 24
94% Before Midnight May 24

Tropic Thunder (2008)

tomatometer

83

Average Rating: 7.1/10
Reviews Counted: 229
Fresh: 189 | Rotten: 40

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

78

Average Rating: 6.8/10
Critic Reviews: 46
Fresh: 36 | Rotten: 10

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

audience

69

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

My Rating

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,

Comedy

Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Etan Cohen

Nov 18, 2008

$110.4M

DreamWorks/Paramount Studios - Official Site External Icon

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Cast

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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 Source: CNN.com | Comments (5)
CNN.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

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

October 18, 2008
Miami Herald
Top Critic IconTop 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 Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop 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: The New Republic
The New Republic
Top Critic IconTop Critic

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

August 18, 2008 | Comments (6)
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic IconTop 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)
New Yorker
Top Critic IconTop 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 Source: TheShiznit.co.uk
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 Source: Lyles' Movie Files
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 Source: East Bay Express
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
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

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

August 26, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion | Comments (8)
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 (8)

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
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
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 (16)
Fayetteville Free Weekly

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

January 12, 2009 Full Review Source: ÜberCiné | Comments (5)
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 Source: Entertainment Spectrum
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
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)
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Audience Reviews for Tropic Thunder

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
jmanard52

Super Reviewer

A group of jumped up actors are making a big-budget movie. The actors end up in the real jungle in Vietnam where they are kidnapped for ransom. Great cast. Tom Cruise steals the show with his dodgy dance moves and makeup. The ads before the movie are hilarious.
August 23, 2008
thmtsang
Candy Rose

Super Reviewer

    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)

Discussion Forum

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Latest News on Tropic Thunder

May 15, 2012:
Tom Cruise and Robert Downey, Jr. Rumored for El Presidente
The "Tropic Thunder" duo may reunite for Jay Roach's action comedy.

February 22, 2012:
Screenwriter Michael Bacall Talks Les Grossman Movie
He says it's "a pretty heartfelt story."

June 10, 2010:
Paramount Announces Les Grossman Project
Paramount has announced plans to give Les Grossman, the profane, portly movie exec played by Tom...

Foreign Titles

  • Tonnerre sous les Tropiques (FR)
  • Tropic Thunder, una guerra muy perra (ES)
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