Hero Inc.

From the first moment I saw this trailer, I knew I would love the movie. I trust a written, directed, and starring movie by Ben Stiller. The supporting cast couldn’t hurt too much either (Robert Downey Jr., Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, etc.).

Tropic Thunder is a movie about a war movie being made. It is basically a lets make fun of all facets of Hollywood and how they make a war movie. Let’s have “full of themselves” actors, “don’t give a crap” producers, “I want to be artistic yet successful” directors, and “stay true to my script or else” writers.

Before the movie even hit the theatres groups were already yelling about a white actor playing the black male lead and the constant jabs the movie makes at the mentally handicapped. Well, all of those cries of disgust had their reasons, but it made me enjoy the movie that much more. My personal philosophy is if you can’t laugh at all groups, including your own, then it isn’t fair. Anyway, Robert Downey Jr. steals the show and you quickly forget you are watching an actor playing an actor playing another person. You just start seeing one messed up actor who can’t leave the roles he pushes himself to become.

Overall, it is the quotes and cameos that keep this movie funny and the visuals that make you believe this could have been a great war movie if it didn’t have all of the problems that most normal movies probably have. I left the theater with a headache from laughing so hard and not being able to breathe at times. I’d say that’s a good movie.

[Rating:4/5]