Tropic Thunder

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

Movie of the Year

It took some time, but I was really enjoying the movie too much to review it. Several weeks after the fact, and its still awesome. Now, to call it movie of the year may be a bit presumptuous, considering that "Dark Knight" also played this year, but this movie is the one that I will remember most from this year's offerings. Namely because it is both an intelligent satire of Hollywood culture and an extremely funny movie. The Wayans brothers ought to be taking notes. This is how you mock Hollywood!

Now, I won't go much into the technical merits. The cinematography is as conventional as war movies go. The soundtrack is an excellent 60's and 70's montage. But, what truly sets this movie apart is the sheer amount of Hollywood iconography subject to laughs. (First and foremost is Oliver Stone's Platoon and its outstretched soldier...) And, the movie is just so damn quotable to boot! This movie is like our very own version of Monty Python lite.

Just look at these gems:

Kirk Lazarus: I don't read the script. The script reads me.
Kevin Sandusky: What does that even mean?
***
Tugg Speedman: There were times while I was playing Jack where I felt...
[pause]
Tugg Speedman: ...retarded. Like, really retarded.
Kirk Lazarus: Damn!
Tugg Speedman: In a weird way I had to sort of just free myself up to believe that is was ok to be stupid or dumb.
Kirk Lazarus: To be a moron.
Tugg Speedman: Yeah!
Kirk Lazarus: To be moronical.
Tugg Speedman: Exactly, to be a moron.
Kirk Lazarus: An imbecile.
Tugg Speedman: Yeah!
Kirk Lazarus: Like the dumbest mother fucker that ever lived.
Tugg Speedman: [pause] When I was playing the character.
***
Kirk Lazarus: Everybody knows you never go full retard.
Tugg Speedman: What do you mean?
Kirk Lazarus: Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There." Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam." Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed...
***
Alpa Chino: No, I always wanted to. I guess I just never had the courage to ask. It's complicated.
Kirk Lazarus: Nah! It's simple as pie man, you plant your feet on the ground, you look her square in the eyes you say "Hey! baby, you and me's goin' on a date, that's in the story"... What's her name?
Alpa Chino: ...Lance
Kirk Lazarus: You say 'Listen here, Lance'... Lance? What the fuck did I just hear? Lance?
Kevin Sandusky: Did you just say Lance?
Alpa Chino: No! No, I didn't say Lance. I said Nance.
Kevin Sandusky: It sounded a lot like Lance.
Alpa Chino: Dammit, I'm Alpa Chino! 'I Love Tha Pussy', aight? Lay yo ass back down and look at the stars.
***
Kirk Lazarus: I know what dude I am. I'm the dude playin' the dude, disguised as another dude!
***
Alpa Chino: [mocking Kirk] Hell yeah! Ha! That's how we all talk? We all talk like dis, "suh"? Yes suh, ha! Yeah mmm-hmm get some crawfish, and some ribs, ha! Ye-aah. You're Australian! Be Australian! Excuse me, Kangaroo Jack!
[hops away like a kangaroo]
Kirk Lazarus: [confused] I get excited about my foods, man.
***
Kirk Lazarus: Alpa and I are already wearin' Earth Mamma's natural night camo.
Alpa Chino: Cool it, Benson!
***
Tugg Speedman: This is insane. Are you really going to abandon this movie? We're supposed to be a unit!
Kirk Lazarus: Suck my unit.
***
Kevin Sandusky: Tugg. Tugger. You're the last piece of the puzzle buddy. We need you! Your men need you. Are you with us?
Tugg Speedman: [pause] I'm a rooster illusion.
Kevin Sandusky: Fuck it. We'll deal with him later.
***
Tugg Speedman: I killed one, Rick... the thing I love most in the world.
Rick Peck: A hooker. Oh Jesus, you killed a hooker!
Tugg Speedman: No, a panda. I killed a panda...
Rick Peck: Amanda? C'mon dude, that's probably not even her real name...

This movie is going to be immortal. Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black et al. have outdone themselves. They even got Tom Cruise to quit acting and just be Tom Cruise! Insanity for the win!