Tropic Thunder (Blu-ray)

Give any director on the planet $100 million to spend and they will do just that. This is the type of mega budget that would make perhaps half a modern summer blockbuster, or just cover the advertising budget. There are genres that do not require large sums of cash and actually thrive from being poorly funded. Drama and comedy work on a very basic level only requiring interaction between characters and on occasion not even this. Big budget comedies often become overblown and lose their way as the special effects detract from the laughs. This happened with 'Evan Almighty' and '1941'; would the same thing happen to Ben Stiller's 'Tropic Thunder'? On the ...  Read the complete review

Tropic Thunder is what I think, one of the funniest of all of Ben Stiller's movies. Stiller not only acts in it, but also directs and co-produces the film, it also stars other great actors such as Tom Cruise, Steve Coogan, Robert Downey Jnr and Jack Black. ~The Story~ The movie tells the story of 5 'high profile' actors attempting to make a film about a team of US soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War with its making not going according to plan. The scene is cleverly set right at the beginning introducing the actors by showing trailers from their former movies and it quickly becomes evident that Ben Stiller's character, Tugg Speedman, is ...  Read the complete review

Tropic thunder was a film that i had been looking forward to seeing for quite a while, from the trailers it looked a real blast and very funny indeed so from the film I was expecting a real laugh out loud experience, and it does deliver in many ways but it probably wasnt as funny as I was expecting but it is still a very funny movie. The film itself sees a bunch of actors dropped off in a jungle for a movie unaware what they are going through is actually very real indeed. It all does work very well and he cast to this film really does make it work, Ben Stiller as Tugg speedman puts in his usual effective comedy performance as well as Jack Black who plays Jeff ...  Read the complete review

This film is great on DVD but is it worth the extra for the Blu-Ray version? In the film, the crew are preparing to make an action war movie in Southeast Asia, but just as they start they are mistaken for rebels and become involved in a real life war. The film is filled with laughs with a fantastic script that is very entertaining. The actors present the laughs very well and the acting is also good. However, in some parts the film is abit cheap. The film does have some stereotypes but isn't offensive in any way. The film can be watched over and over again without it becoming boring. You may find some more laughs that you missed due ...  Read the complete review

I am in two minds about this film. Whilst it looks very good on blu-ray - especially the explosions and big Apocalypse Now type shots - I don't think this is enough to redeem it for not being as funny as I had hoped. The funniest bit of the film for me was actually not part of the film itself but one of the mock trailers at the beginning of the film for 'Satan's Alley'. Robert Downey Jr is very funny as a method actor who refuses to break character as a blaxploitation style soldier. Ben Stiller is also good as a Rambo inspired hard man. I just found Jack Black a bit annoying and indulgent really and I think the 'coked out guy' character is generally overused and not that ...  Read the complete review