Tropic Thunder

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Tropic Thunder

R

Released Aug 13, 2008

1h 47m

Comedy

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

249 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), pampered action superstar, sets out for Southeast Asia to take part in the biggest, most-expensive war movie produced, but soon after filming begins, he and his co-stars, Oscar-winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), comic Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) and the rest of the crew, must become real soldiers when fighting breaks out in that part of the jungle.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

The bulk of this movie, alas, comes down to weak sketches held together by ridiculous action, vast explosions and more or less everything else it should be parodying.

Jan 27, 2018

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Glenn Kenny

MUBI

Given the incoherence of its satirical aspirations (the film does end with a suggestion that everyone involved still loves this business we call show), and finally too scattershot to really make it as parody, Tropic Thunder is best appreciated as a goof.

Dec 13, 2017

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Tom Charity

CNN.com

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

Oct 18, 2008

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Gleefully un-PC, Tropic is still one of the most hilarious Hollywood comedies of the 21st Century.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 16, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Rude and crude, Tropic Thunder displays minimal mercy toward its targets.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 15, 2023

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Tropic Thunder certainly has flaws but at the end of the day, it is an over-the-top satire that shows everything that's wrong with Hollywood.

Aug 13, 2021

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Cammy S

Robert Downey Jr, single handedly could have made this a comedy super hit. But stiller, cruise and mcconaghy make it a cult hit that should never go off the radar. Genius.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/02/25

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Kyle C

Tropic Thunder is way better than it has any right to be. The production values rival those of serious modern action films, and the rockstar cast—especially Robert Downey Jr.—drives this satirical jungle romp with hilarity and just enough sincerity. The movie-inside-a-movie-inside-a-movie (…inside a movie?) setup adds a clever layer of self-awareness that helps the film get away with some arguably offensive choices. The comedic timing is razor-sharp, a testament to how seasoned the filmmakers are at crafting comedies. At the end of the day, it’s good, stupid fun.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/01/25

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Corey J

This movie is hilarious. It's so felt-aware and it's spoofing Hollywood itself. The cast is loaded with stars and all of them hit their mark.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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Aye E

How does this have such a low score? It's a comedy masterpiece, satire at its best. Maybe people don't understand the context of Hollywood and common popular movies in the 80s & 90s that this parodies? The performances were perfect, the writing, the execution, everything. On my top 10 all time favorites for sure.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/25

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John S.

Phenomenal. Should have won more awards

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/14/25

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James C

I laughed about 1.5 times (the scene with the directors head for the 1 and a couple of tiny ones elsewhere, eg Simple Jack!). It doesn't play with the conceit at all - surely, a bunch of war in thr jungle things happen and each character reacts as they would? - but it just Ambleside along with scene after scene of 'was there a joke there?!' and Jack Black doing the same routine in each and making it the only film with him in where I didn't laugh at him. RDJ is excellent but still not funny, like you can see he is acting fantastically for what they want from him but it'd not a funny character/idea. It just seems to not go all in on it's own hook and comes out an unfunny, dull mess. I am perplexed how this got good reviews!

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/10/25

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Ben Stiller

Director

Ben Stiller

Tugg Speedman

Jack Black

Jeff Portnoy

Robert Downey Jr.

Kirk Lazarus

Nick Nolte

Four Leaf Tayback

Steve Coogan

Damien Cockburn

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - I'm Not Gay

2:12

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - Simple Jack

0:46

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - I Killed a Panda

1:43

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - Rick Peck, Hollywood Agent

1:46

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - Epic Explosion

2:13

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - Most Dramatic War Movie

2:13

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - Never Go Full Retard

2:13

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - Tugg Speedman, Action Hero

1:10

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - You're My Really Cool Brother

2:13

Tropic Thunder: Official Clip - What Do You Mean, You People?

1:09

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Synopsis

Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), pampered action superstar, sets out for Southeast Asia to take part in the biggest, most-expensive war movie produced, but soon after filming begins, he and his co-stars, Oscar-winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), comic Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) and the rest of the crew, must become real soldiers when fighting breaks out in that part of the jungle.

Director: Ben Stiller
Producer: Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld, Eric McLeod
Screenwriter: Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Etan Cohen
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: DreamWorks SKG, Red Hour Films
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Drug Material|Sexual References|Violent Content)
Genre: Comedy, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 29, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $110.4M
Runtime: 1h 47m

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