[23], Etan Cohen created the role of Kirk Lazarus as a way of lampooning the great lengths that some method actors go to depict a role. [85] Previous R-rated comedies such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad were released in mid-August and performed well at the box office. [132] The Boston Society of Film Critics recognized the cast with its Best Ensemble award. The visual effects supervisor Michael Fink reflected on the exaggerated explosions: "We worked really hard to make the CG crashing helicopter in the hot landing sequence look real. Les is uninterested in rescuing Tugg and is instead delighted at the prospect of a large insurance payout if Tugg dies. [124] As a way of extending the film-within-a-film "universe" into real life, there were at least two online "For Your Consideration" ads touting Downey's character, Kirk Lazarus, for Best Supporting Actor; one of these contains "scenes" from Satan's Alley that were not in the trailer as released in theaters. [19] Dialogue for unscripted portions of the storyboard was developed on set by the actors or was improvised. [51][52] The crew also faced complications in moving the equipment and cast due to the difficult terrain. How many versions of "Tropic Thunder" are there. [49] Many of the sets and the bridge used for one of the final scenes were built in three months. He wants to be considered a serious actor, but his latest serious role as the title character in "Simple Jack" resulted in negative reviews and ridicule. "[33] Stiller previewed the film before the NAACP, and several black journalists reacted positively to the character. [139][140] Timothy Shriver, the chairman of the Special Olympics, stated, "This population struggles too much with the basics to have to struggle against Hollywood. Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding. Tugg initially remains behind, believing Flaming Dragon to be his "family", but runs back screaming, chased by an angry horde. [112], Stacey Snider, the chief executive of DreamWorks, suggested that the film would earn around $30 million in its opening weekend and go on to be as successful as Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, which earned $129 million in the U.S. and Canada and $260 million worldwide. [68], Stiller, Downey, and Black appeared on the seventh-season finale of American Idol in a sketch as The Pips performing with Gladys Knight (via archival footage). [53] The opening war scene was filmed over three weeks and required fifty stuntmen. Following Theroux's work on Tropic Thunder, actor Robert Downey Jr. recommended Theroux as a screenwriter to the film's director, Jon Favreau. Ben was adamant about that, but at the same time he wanted the explosion to be huge. "[39] The photography agency INF, who debuted the image, responded with a statement: "While these pictures were taken without breaking any criminal or civil laws, we've decided to pull them from circulation effective immediately. The actors, knowing their cover has been blown, begin firing, fooling the gang members into surrender. [75] Michael Corcoran, Paramount's president of consumer products, commented on the release: "We're very excited, because it has the potential to live for quite a while, well beyond the film. Co-writer Justin Theroux appears in two brief roles as a UH-1 Huey gunner and the disc jockey from Zoolander (shown in a deleted scene). The actors have guns that fire blanks, along with a map and scene listing that will lead to a helicopter waiting at the end of the route. C $20.81. The film's soundtrack and score debuted on August 5, 2008, before the film's theatrical release. [152] In March 2012, Bacall gave an update on the long-rumored Les Grossman spin-off movie, revealing that the film will attempt to uncover where Grossman's well-documented anger issues originated. Tropic Thunder - Unrated Director's Cut ( 13,900 ) IMDb 7.0 2 h 1 min 2008 18+ Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. lead an ensemble cast in "Tropic Thunder," an action comedy about a group of self-absorbed actors who set out to make the most expensive war film. [144] A DreamWorks spokesman did not directly respond to the criticism, claiming that Tropic Thunder "... is an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses, makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations. Tropic Thunder is the movie within the movie that goes very wrong.Director Ben Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, a very Jean Claude Van Damme-esque character who was typecast as an action hero and is struggling to transition into more dramatic … Almost never get tired of watching this epic movie probably seen it 30 times since release! Written by We're sending a message that this hate speech is no longer acceptable. [112] David Ansen of Newsweek placed it eighth and Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly included the film in the tenth position. "[92] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score from reviews by mainstream critics, gave a film score of 71 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [5][28] It was Cruise's idea to give the character large hands and dance to "Low". I think there are elements of satire, but I don't think it should be categorized just as that. David Ansen of Newsweek approved of the trailers, writing "Tropic Thunder is the funniest movie of the summer—so funny, in fact, that you start laughing before the film itself has begun. Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. [8] After Cruise vacated the role of Rick Peck, Owen Wilson was cast to play the part. Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks released the film in the US on August 13, 2008. [70], Between April 2008 and the film's commercial release in August 2008, the film had over 250 promotional screenings. "[99], The faux trailers before the film also received mixed reviews. [35] In November 2007, images of Cruise wearing a bald headpiece and a fatsuit appeared on Inside Edition, as well as on the Internet. [138] Disability advocates urged people not to see the film, claiming it is demeaning to individuals with mental disabilities and would encourage bullying. "[71] The film's advertising was altered, but none of the scenes in the film were edited as a result of the opposition. To portray his character, Cruise used a, "It's so funny to me that the role is a guy who is an Oscar-seeking moron. I feel the tone of the movie is its own thing. True Hollywood Story aired about the making of Tropic Thunder. The IMDb staff came together to round up their favorite crime movies, shows, and documentaries. Behind schedule and over budget, Cockburn is ordered by a studio executive to get filming back on track, or risk its cancellation. "[17] Co-star Brandon T. Jackson stated: "When I first read the script, I was like: What? [131] Both Downey and Cruise received nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor. DreamWorks' Director's Cut Blu-ray of Tropic Thunder can't be faulted for presentation. Studios consider the third week of August to be a weaker performing period than earlier in the summer because of students returning to school. Originally saw "Tropic Thunder" in theaters, that was fun! But it was a big dramatic moment and it looks really cool ... and feels kind of real. "[102], Downey, Stiller, Black and Cruise were repeatedly singled out for praise by numerous critics, claiming that they "stole the show", were "... off-the-charts hilarious ...", and would bring viewers "... the fondest memories of [their] work. "[101] Robert Wilonsky of The Village Voice was critical, saying that the trailers' comedy "... resides in the land of the obvious, easy chuckle. [115], Tropic Thunder opened in 3,319 theaters and, for its first five days of American and Canadian release, earned $36,845,588. A process server and his marijuana dealer wind up on the run from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after he witnesses his dealer's boss murder a competitor while trying to serve papers on him. "[35] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film a positive review, writing "There are some wildly funny scenes, a few leaden ones and others that are scattershot, with humorous satire undercut by over-the-top grisliness. [56], Six companies working on different scenes and elements created 500 shots of visual effects in the film. Stiller's idea for the film originated while playing a minor role in Empire of the Sun, and he later enlisted Theroux and Cohen to help complete the script. In its North American opening weekend, the film earned $26 million and retained the number one position for the first three weekends of release. A website for Simple Jack, a faux film exhibited within the film, was removed by DreamWorks on August 4, due to protests from disability advocates. "[141], Disability advocates and others who previewed the film reported that the offensive treatment of individuals with mental disabilities was woven throughout the film's plot. Danny McBride Making ‘Trouble’: Rough House Pictures Partners With Spire Animation Studios To Develop Animated Feature, Biggest Golden Globe-Nominated Transformations Over the Years, Top 10 Reasons Why We Still Love Tom Cruise, The 25 Best War Movies of the 21st Century, Fictional Book in Movies & TV That We Wish We Could Read (16.4.14- Librarian Day). Free shipping. [17][24] Downey was approached by Stiller about the part while on vacation in Hawaii. "[146] Thomas Simpson of SoundtrackNet called it "...a mixture of fun, seriousness, rock n' roll and great scoring. The Tropic Thunder 2 Disc Director's Cut is a pleasingly large but mixed bag of goodies. [27] The initial script was written for Downey's character to be Irish, but was altered after Downey stated he could improvise better as an Australian (he had previously played a similar outlandish Australian character in the film Natural Born Killers). And they'll be laughing too hard to take offense. [130] The Broadcast Film Critics Association nominated Downey for Best Supporting Actor and awarded Tropic Thunder Best Comedy Movie at the BFCA's Critics' Choice Awards. Irony is synonymous with pretty much everything that is going on. [4] The film was released on home video on January 26, 2009 in the United Kingdom. The gang discovers he is the star of their favorite film, the box-office bomb Simple Jack, and force him to reenact it several times a day, leading him to become brainwashed. In video games, a themed scavenger hunt was incorporated into Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and Stiller allowed his likeness to be used in the online Facebook application game based on the film. The project is months behind schedule. Tropic Thunder - Director's Cut Comedy Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. lead an ensemble cast in “Tropic Thunder,” an action comedy about a group of self-absorbed actors who set out to make the most expensive war film. From the spoof adverts and film trailers at the start of this film you know what you're letting yourself in for and the film continues in much the same vein. [145], Tropic Thunder's score and soundtrack were released on August 5, 2008, the week before the film's theatrical release. Comedian Jeff Portnoy is best known for his leading roles in sophomoric comedies, and may be less well known for his rampant drug use. "[109] Kurt Loder of MTV contrasted the opposition to the lines with Downey character portrayal of an African American, "The scene in which the derisive Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) nails Lazarus' recitation of black-uplift homilies as nothing more than the lyrics to the Jeffersons theme is funny; but the one in which Lazarus quietly explains to Speedman that his Simple Jack character failed because he made the mistake of going 'full retard'—rather than softening his character with cuteness in the manner of Forrest Gump—is so on-the-nose accurate, it takes your breath away. [55], A trailer for the film was released in April 2008. Vietnam veteran ‘Four Leaf’ Tayback’s memoir, Tropic Thunder, is being made into a film, but Director Damien Cockburn can’t control the cast of prima donnas. Description. Blackface? Kirk impersonates a farmer towing a "captured" Jeff on the back of a water buffalo, distracting the armed guards so Alpa and Kevin can infiltrate and find the prisoners, but a combination of broken Mandarin Chinese and inconsistencies in his story sets off the gang's boss. [68] The Dark Knight had been the number one film at the box office for the four weeks prior to the release of Tropic Thunder. Downey shown with his character Kirk Lazarus, himself in character as Lincoln Osiris. "[32] Stiller commented on Downey's portrayal of a white actor playing a black man: "When people see the movie – in the context of the film, he's playing a method actor who's gone to great lengths to play a black guy. and that Stiller responded, "Yeah, I know – isn't it great? In mid-July 2008, a faux trailer for the mockumentary Rain of Madness was released. [89] In rentals, it placed first on the Home Media Magazine's video rental chart. The role required that Cruise don a fatsuit, large prosthetic hands, and a bald cap. "[143] Co-writer Etan Cohen echoed Stiller's rationale: "Some people have taken this as making fun of handicapped people, but we're really trying to make fun of the actors who use this material as fodder for acclaim. "[107], Several critics commented on the controversy over lines in the film talking about the mentally disabled. [91] By September 2009, 2,963,000 DVD units have been sold, gathering revenue of $49,870,248. William Ruhlmann of allmusic gave the score a positive review, stating it is "...an affectionate and knowing satire of the history of Hollywood action movie music, penned by an insider. Years of conflict with marriages, jumping on couches, and squabbles with the studio making his Mission Impossible movies put him in a bad light. [125] On January 22, 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Downey for Best Supporting Actor. Tom Cruise needed to repair his image in 2007. Four Leaf is revealed to have hands; he confesses to Underwood that he actually served in the Coast Guard, has never left the United States, and that he wrote his "memoir" as a tribute. Is there a scene at the end of the credits? Is Tropic Thunder controversial? [57] CIS Visual Effects Group assisted with the Scorcher VI faux trailer and twenty additional shots for the home media release. The screening was on behalf of the United Service Organizations and included the actors heading to the screening by helicopter and Humvees. [138] After representatives for the groups attended the private screening and were offended by its content, the groups picketed outside the film's premiere. It was weird on the set because he would keep going with the character. [62][63] The explosion was made up of twelve individual explosions and resulted in a mushroom cloud that reached 350 feet (110 m) in the air. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys. (The week we inaugurate Obama? The film had an extensive marketing promotion, including faux websites for the three main characters and their fictional films, airing a fictional television special, and selling the energy drink advertised in the film, "Booty Sweat". Taken to their base, Tugg believes it is a POW camp from the script. [84] The August 13 release date was also the opening weekends for the animated family film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the horror film Mirrors. The blackface make-up for Robert Downey Jr. is exceedingly well done. Six Los Angeles celebrities are stuck in James Franco's house after a series of devastating events just destroyed the city. For his role, Caucasian Australian Lazarus even went through a controversial surgical skin dying procedure so that he could convincingly play a black man. It's not easy to make a good movie about the movie industry, and a parody about movies is even trickier. From the spoof adverts and film trailers at the start of this film you know what you're letting yourself in for and the film continues in much the same vein. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys. After filming was completed, it was deemed the largest production filmed on the island to date, and contributed more than $60 million to the local economy. Based on the memoirs of a vet named Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte), director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) stages a big Vietnam War-based drama. Tropic Thunder (2008) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Vietnam veteran ‘Four Leaf’ Tayback’s memoir, Tropic Thunder, is being made into a film, but Director Damien Cockburn can’t control the cast of prima donnas. Following his suicide attempt in August 2007, Wilson dropped out of the film and was replaced by Matthew McConaughey. It is a parody of many famous war films, specifically those based on the Vietnam War. On June 9, 2010, it was announced that a spin-off film would be developed centering on Grossman. "[66] The trailer received the "Best Comedy Trailer" award at the 9th annual Golden Trailer Awards. On location in southeast Vietnam, they are the stars of "Tropic Thunder", based on Vietnam war veteran 'Four Leaf' Tayback's memoirs of his rescue during the war, that rescue which was considered a near suicide mission for the assigned army force and resulted in him losing both hands. [122], In October 2008, Paramount chose to put end-of-year award push funds behind Tropic Thunder, and began advertising for Downey to receive a nomination by the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. [38] They approached various sites that were hosting the image and quickly had it removed. ", believing Flaming Dragon to be his "family", San Sebastián International Film Festival, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Tropic Thunder: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Tropic Thunder: Original Motion Picture Score, "In 'Tropic Thunder,' Ben Stiller toughs it out with Jack Black, Downey Jr. and Cruise", "Detroit native works with Stiller, Downey Jr. in 'Tropic Thunder, "Kevin Hart Won't Play A Gay Role Because 'Of What People Are Going To Think, "Stiller pushes boundaries with war-film farce", "Hollywood, an easy target for "Tropic Thunder" jokes", "War Games: It was jungle fever of a different kind for, "Spoof Within a Movie Within a Movie Within ...", "Costar Praises Robert Downey Jr. for Race-Bending Role", "Exclusive: Stiller Talks Tropic Thunder", "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: Series 16: Episode 1", "Tom Cruise, in Bit Role, Nips Studio's Top Gun", "Revealed: More Details on Tom Cruise's Cameo in Tropic Thunder", "Tom Cruise 'Tropic Thunder' Photo Spoils Surprise", "Tropic Thunder: Making of a War Movie Satire", "Behind The Scenes with John Toll on Tropic Thunder", "John Toll, ASC Treks Through the Hawaiian Jungle for Tropic Thunder", "Tropic Thunder: Shooting the Battle Scenes", "Tropic Thunder's Visual Effects Play Up The Laughs", "Explosive laughter: In the combat spoof 'Tropic Thunder,' director Ben Stiller makes sure war is hell, especially on the actors", "Trailer Treasures & Trash: A Sneak Peek at the hottest trailers", "Nationwide 'Thunder' Boycott in the Works", "Tropic Thunder's Perfect Storm of Cross-Promotion", "Computer games move into guerrilla marketing", "Trailer Blazer: 'Tropic Thunder' mockumentary 'Rain of Madness, "DreamWorks Offers 'Tropic Thunder' Featurette on iTunes", "Protesters find no humor in 'Tropic Thunder, "It's a matter of timing; Studios are clinging to weekends that have worked for them before", "New DVD releases include Tropic Thunder", "Reviews: 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, "Tropic Thunder fights for laughs, but dies trying", "Celebrating Robert Downey Jr.'s blackface at the Oscars? [5][42] Filming for the Los Angeles and interior scenes occurred on sets at Universal Studios in Hollywood. `Tropic Thunder' was directed by, co-written by and starred Ben Stiller and makes for a fairly amusing couple of hours viewing. "[105] Sara Vilkomerson said Cruise did "... an astonishingly funny and surprising supporting performance. With Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Kahn. Kirk, Alpa, Jeff, and Kevin discover Flaming Dragon's heroin factory. The website for Simple Jack was withdrawn on August 4 amid several groups' concerns over its portrayal of intellectual disability. [72] On August 8, 2008, a special 30-minute fictional E! The actor was asked about the heavily criticised role during an … [50] The island's erratic weather hampered filming with rain and lighting issues. [34] Stiller intended to keep Cruise's role a secret until the film's release. Staff Sgt. "The Cast of Tropic Thunder" featurette (22:10) "Make-Up Test With Tom Cruise" featurette (1:36) with introduction by director Ben Stiller and editor Greg Hayden (1:12) "MTV Movie Awards - Tropic Thunder" featurette (4:06) "'Full Mags' improv footage" featurette (11:14), with introduction by director Ben Stiller and editor Greg Hayden (0:52) Special features include an unrated director's cut of the film which is 12 minutes longer than the theatrical release, audio commentaries (including one featuring Stiller, Downey, and Black, with Downey providing his commentary as Lincoln Osiris, a nod to a joke in the film that Lazarus never breaks character until he completes the DVD commentary), several featurettes, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and the Rain of Madness mockumentary. All hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time. [127], With the onset of the annual Hollywood film award season at the end of 2008, Tropic Thunder began receiving nominations and awards starting with a win for "Hollywood Comedy of the Year Award" at the 12th annual Hollywood Film Festival on October 27, 2008. [114] In a list compiled prior to the summer's film releases, Entertainment Weekly predicted that the film would be the tenth highest-grossing film of the summer at the American box office with $142.6 million. [123] In a November 2008 issue by Entertainment Weekly, Downey's film role was considered one of the three contenders for Best Supporting Actor. Various actors and celebrities portray themselves, including Tobey Maguire, Tyra Banks, Maria Menounos, Martin Lawrence, The Mooney Suzuki, Jason Bateman, Lance Bass, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alicia Silverstone, Christine Taylor, Mini Anden, Anthony Ruivivar, Rachel Avery, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sean Penn, and Jon Voight. [47][48] Much of the filming took place on private land as well as conservation status designated areas. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. [21][22] Theroux pointed out that since viewers had an increased awareness of the inner workings of Hollywood due to celebrity websites and Hollywood news sources, the script was easier to write. Robert Downey Jr has reflected on his blackface role in Ben Stiller's 2008 comedy movie Tropic Thunder. C $28.79 + C $26.90 shipping. Five time Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus is a serious method actor, who immerses himself in whatever the role. Huggo. The website's critical consensus reads, "With biting satire, plenty of subversive humor, and an unforgettable turn by Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder is a triumphant late summer comedy. Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry. Seller 99.4% positive. 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