Tropic Thunder
“Tropic Thunder (2008) is one of the boldest comedies ever made, featuring a movie-within-a-movie about a group of pampered actors who get dropped into a real jungle war zone. Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. lead a cast that hilariously mocks the self-importance of Hollywood. Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Kirk Lazarus, a Method actor who undergoes a ‘pigmentation’ procedure, was so layered it actually earned him an Oscar nomination. Then there’s Tom Cruise, unrecognizable as the foul-mouthed, dancing studio executive Les Grossman. The film skewers everything from Oscar bait to ‘full retard’ performances, delivering high-octane action alongside some of the sharpest industry satire ever written.”
Tropic Thunder was a daring, explosive parody of Hollywood ego… but the next film takes us to the UK for a ‘romantic comedy with zombies’ that redefined a genre.
