Ryan McNeil
Edit: I’ve mentioned before that I felt movies I don’t get to see in a theatre are ones I shouldn’t write a full-out review for. Still, there are a lot of titles I miss catching the first time around that I want to share a thought or two about. These movies are the ones I’ll doubleback to see on DVD.
Funny thing, I had no interest in paying to see TROPIC THUNDER in the theatre, yet so many people I know said good things that I found myself anxious to see it on DVD. While I tried to put any preconceptions aside, and enjoy what all my friends were raving about – seems as though my first instinct was right. TROPIC THUNDER had a laugh or two, but really wasn’t what I’d call a ‘must-see’.
The concept is novel, but I got past it after the second scene. Ben Stiller stopped being funny to me about eight years ago, and Jack Black is losing his funniness in a pretty big hurry. Take those two out of the equation of this film, and what’s left? Not much. Actually that’s a lie – what’s left is Robert Downey Jr, who has the audacity to don blackface and try to play it for laughs. He does it, but only because he’s the sort of actor to hold tight to something so absurd and run with it. Downey is one of the few actors who could pull this off – I promise you if Stiller tried it there would be protests.
I laughed once or twice, but not nearly enough to make me believe that what I was watching was as funny as everyone was trying to make me believe. The movie was a one note joke – a bunch of dummies get lost in the jungle. The film tries to take a shot or two at the absurdity of Hollywood and its personalities, but much like its characters – it fires blanks.
We rented it on Thursday. Started watching it twice and both times we fell asleep.
Yeah, I worried about this one going into it – so I had a few drinks while watching it as a “mood enhancer” – but still as loose as I was – no laughs… Two supporting actor nobs from the Globes – but none for Burn After Reading? I thought Burn was supposed to be really good? I’ve got that one on the top of my Netflix – and I certainly expect more from that than Thunder…
See, now, I really liked this movie. I went in expecting to laugh and I did. I thought that it was Stiller’s best since Zoolander, since he departed so heavily from the standard fare he’s become so famous for and I thought that the Hollywood references, while a little *too* self-referential for the average North American moviegoer were intelligent and hilarious. Yes. I just said intelligent.
Now, TWO Golden Globe noms? That I do disagree with, but I was pleased to see that the AFPA was ranging out a little more to include actors who do work that doesn’t always include the human spirit triumphing over the worst possible circumstances known to mankind.
“What do you mean ‘you people’?”
“What do YOU mean ‘you people’?”
How is that not hilarious?!?