Weekly Review -- Lights, camera... too much action!

Tropic Thunder (2008) -- There were numerous films satirizing the Hollywood fame machine in recent years, each one meaningful in its own way. We experienced the city's ruthless underbelly through the surreal beauty of David Lynch's Mulholland Dr.; we saw the obsessive side of celebrity in, well, Celebrity, Woody Allen's 1998 oeuvre; and we laughed at the phenomenon of hyped-up idolatry in Andrew Niccol's S1m0ne. One of the best pull-no-punches depictions in recent years, Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder hits all the right notes in terms of hilarity, presenting irony under the guise of a knee-slapper comedy.

A group of actors is shooting what is being billed as the most expensive war film in history. Each of them is forced to deal with the others' temperament, work ethics or lack thereof and, most importantly, methods. The group is comprised of Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), notorious for immersing himself in every role, who stays true to himself by undergoing a pigmentation surgery to play an African-American soldier; Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), hired for star status and blockbuster charisma; Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) who, after a string of moneymaker gag fests, intends to prove himself as a serious actor; hip-hop star Alpa Cino (Brandon T. Jackson), who hopes to expand his empire to cinema; and novice Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), who still plays by the rules and respects the work for work's sake. After the movie bleeds over budget, the director and producer concoct a money-saving, Oscar-guaranteeing scheme that takes the actors to a new location... into a real war zone. From then on, egos start clashing even more than before and secrets are revealed, while potential box office numbers are calculated and personal disasters covered up behind the scenes.

Stiller always does well when satirizing a media-hungry industry (note to readers: if you missed Zoolander, run out and rent it tonight). Along with Justin Theroux, i.e. Iron Man 2 scribe, and Etan Cohen, he crafts a screenplay that skewers many of today's big stars, as well as the ruthless producers and executives attempting to turn every single movie into a golden goose and every single individual into a business venture. Each one of the film's principal characters represents a well-known star; you will know what Stiller is talking about as soon as you see them. The acting is downright perfect. Downey Jr. proves that he can literally play anyone; Stiller is convincingly philosophical as an actor trying to find art to redeem the money he is swimming in; Black is hilarious as a pompous comedian with a secret; Jackson is very good as the egotistical rapper with an image problem; and Baruchel is endearing as the wide-eyed Sandusky. However, the Talent Surprise of the Year award goes to the much-lauded Tom Cruise, who deserves all the accolades he gets, mostly because he loses his too-cool-for-school megastar persona to become his character. Somebody please give this man a chance for another transformation!

The controversy surrounding one of the plot elements also needs to be addressed. Personally, I believe that the entire ruckus was needless, not to mention baseless. The movie makes fun of Hollywood's numerous stereotypical portrayals of the mentally disabled; it does not dehumanize, ridicule or otherwise disrespect these individuals. Finally, the groups that protested must have overlooked the fact that this kind of movie is even shown as a gigantic flop.

Tropic Thunder belongs to that rarest breed of intelligent summer blockbusters. It is a funny, sharp and often crude farce that has a lot to say and successfully makes its point. Imagine that. On second thought, better make Zoolander and Tropic Thunder a double bill.

8/10