Every once in a while, I have to admit that I really, really love this job.
Sure, it has its ups and downs and yeah, when I have to review a movie so terrible that I just want to turn it off I feel like I die a little inside, but even still, once in a while, I hit pure gold in film form - moments like that make everything better.
This week I bring you my review of "Tropic Thunder," written, directed and starring Ben Stiller and hitting the shelves in DVD form today.
Before I saw this movie, I wasn't really sure that I believed someone could die, literally fall over dead right there, from laughing too hard.
OK, so I might be over-exaggerating slightly, but there is still something to be said here when half of the audience leaves the theater clutching their stomachs and their sides in pain from giggles, chortles and guffaws (laughing . . .) aplenty.
Using some interesting originality "Tropic Thunder" begins with "spoof" commercials and trailers introducing each of the main characters in the film.
Hip-Hop icon Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) displays some rather raunchy yet hilarious dancing and singing skills in a commercial for an energy drink, "Booty Sweat."
Tugg Speedman (Stiller) is "the man" when it comes to action movies. His trailer features the sixth installment of his action-movie series, "Scorcher." Jeff Portnoy (Black) stars in his trailer as several different members of a "large" family. Comedy is Portnoy's forte.
The final trailer features Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr.), a five-time Oscar winning actor from Australia known for his dramatic acting and character preparation practices.
The latest buzz around the white actor is the skin pigmentation surgery he underwent to look like a black man for his role in "Tropic Thunder."
Together, the four come together to make "Tropic Thunder," the heroic tale of Vietnam veteran John "Four Leaf" Tayback (Nick Nolte) and his war story.
We quickly see, however, that the film is on its last legs and coming very close to failing altogether. Tayback has an idea to save the film, however, which happens to involve dropping the actors into a real war environment to make it as real as possible.
Sounds logical to me.
After following through with the idea, Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), the film's director, drops the actors into the jungle - no script or screenplay.
Not a problem for our four heroes except, and here's the kicker, they don't know they are in any real danger. Armed with blanks and dummy grenades, they stumble into the depths of the jungle.
The film continues as the actors slowly start to realize they are no longer acting and there is no set. It's kill or be killed now, and they have to fight for their lives to survive the jungle and the angry natives, one hilarious scene at a time.
The film is chock-full of cameos - at least 16 that I counted - ranging from Tobey Maguire to Tyra Banks.
It certainly has no trouble finding the big-name actors either, sporting Tom Cruise in a supporting role (and a fat-suit) that will simply blow you away.
You'll be hard-pressed to find Cruise in any other role that involves him dropping the "f-bomb" in nearly every line he delivers.
On that topic, it's important to note that this comedy is not for the light-hearted. It's full of foul language, racial and ethnic slurs and what seems to be a bottomless pit of raunchy dialogue.
Clearly a satire of the movie-making industry, Stiller pulls it off with great talent and an eye for what makes people laugh. The acting by Black, Downey Jr., Jackson and the entire remainder of the cast is spot-on as well.
Downey Jr.'s portrayal of a black man is simply amazing down to the smallest detail.
In fact, the only way to really tell it is Downey Jr. is his eyes.
The film took a lot of flack from critics and stirred a good deal of controversy regarding Downey Jr.'s role in the film. But not to worry, the stabs at race, gender, sexual orientation and just about anything else that might be deemed offensive by society today all wraps up with a nice moral by the end.
"Tropic Thunder" takes plenty of risks and mixes them with enough witty remarks to make this one a comedy classic in my book.
If you like where modern comedy is going, and my what a fun road that is, then this certainly isn't one you want to pass up.
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