Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

Swallow the Gravy
By
Michael C. Riedlinger
Editor-In-Chief

            Low expectations can really be wonderful. I can walk into any Ben Stiller film and expect absolutely nothing, but if the movie makes me giggle, it has managed something I didn’t expect from it. Now, if I walk into a Ben Stiller film, say Tropic Thunder and cannot stop laughing from the first second on... Well, that is the makings of a classic my friends.

            Let me define classic comedy here for you, because my definition may be different from yours. I’m talking about Blazing Saddles, Stripes, Airplane!, and that type of comedy, the kind of parody piece that is utterly ridiculous, but has heart and a brain. Ben Stiller’s comedy normally pisses me off, makes me want to wretch that he’s got a stellar career, but I swear to you, Tropic Thunder is on par with these classics!

            The movie actually catches your attention right away, showing commercials and trailers for each of the main characters’ projects. This sets the stage, lets us know who these characters are without wasting time before getting to the plot, and gets you tittering before the film actually opens. From there we are plunged right into the heat of a battle sequence. It is spectacularly bad, overacted to the hilt and there is no question why these guys are catching heat from Hollywood execs about running behind schedule. The ego struggle between Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) and Tugg Speedman (Stiller) is immediately evident, but it doesn’t overtake the entire movie. No, Tom Cruise does that as producer Les Grossman.

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            From the second he comes on the screen he steals the show. He sets a new bar for comedic genius, and I for one will be pulling for him to get an Oscar for this role. Sure, it’s not likely to happen, and I still think the guy is battier than all get out, but he nails this one hard. When faced with pissing him off any more, fictional film director Damien Cockburn (Steeve Coogan) listens to the advice of their on-set crazy army vet, Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte) and drops the actors in the jungle to shoot the film guerilla style. If that were all this film had going for it, I’d have no problem telling folks to avoid it, but this is just the beginning of comedy gold. Everything that can go wrong, does. A drug cartel starts hunting the actors, chubby comedian Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) loses his heroin stash, and Tugg Speedman’s agent (Matthew McConaughey) goes ape shit over a Tivo clause.

            I honestly cannot pick a favorite character or scene from the movie yet. As these guys tromp through the jungle making asses of themselves and pissing off the Flaming Dragons, they discuss the state of Hollywood today and reveal quite a bit about why we keep seeing crap come out of Tinseltown. This movie never beats us over the head with it’s condemnation because we already know much of the dirtier side to the movie business, but it is refreshing that Stiller and company allow us to laugh at it with them. We have too many bad parody films coming at us these days, and to see a smart, funny send up of Hollywoodisms is more than refreshing, it is a real treat. Ignore the complaints about Downey in black face, the film condemns that itself. Even Jack Black’s character is tempered, never quite going overboard even when he is in the throes of heroin withdrawal. Hell, I’ll even say it again, Tom Cruise is a comedy god after this, and if you’re like me, you’ll be quoting his lines the most after you leave the theater. Go see this movie, and if you don’t like it, take some advice from Les Grossman: take a step back, and go fuck your face!

Final Verdict (out of 5):