TROPIC THUNDER - Comedy/Action/War (2008) ***REVIEW***

A group of unsuspecting actors are forced into a real life war in which they must act out the soldiers they are pretending to be, although not all of them think it is just an act.

I really wanted to like this movie, before i saw it i read through articles and most if not all were rather positive, calling it the funniest movie of 2008, intelligent, comedic genius and so on and so forth but it just didn't do it for me. Ok so it was rather funny, has some pretty cool action scenes that would rival any hardcore action flick and a star-studded cast with some awesome surprises! But that was it, it was just ok. Perhaps i was expecting too much based on reviews and other peoples opinions about how good it was. The concept of the movie is rather funny in itself, Ben Stiller is still churning out his usual mix of comedy and acted ignorance and Jack Black could have played a bigger role in the film in my opinion. It was entertaining, plenty of satire, irony and slap stick comedy and was not a waste of time at all, in fact i would recommend this film as it will entertain you and make you laugh, the satire and piss-takes of Hollywood are ok but tend to get old really fast after the first half hour. The film is very ok, don't see how it won so much acclaim, but for me this movie didn't do anything. It starts of good, and doesn't seem to get much better or worse for that matter, a rather mediocre film for whats its worth, especially considering all the hype it has received.

Pros - Some good satire, irony and parodies intertwined with a star-studded cast, explosive action scenes and some pretty good comedy. A surprise appearance from a famous actor, i wont tell but see if you can spot him, took me right until the end until i realised it was actually him! A fairly average movie based on the hype it has, but non the less a fair and safe flick that you will no doubt enjoy either at the cinema or home.

Cons - The bad part about this movie was how mediocre it was, it didn't wow me like i thought it would even though i really tried to like it. The acting from most of the lead cast was just ok also, Ben Stiller is doing the same routine, nothing new here, its getting a bit old for me but fans of Stiller will enjoy his performance. The blend of satire, parody and slap stick just doesn't glue, it tries to be smart and intelligent by mocking the very people that financed and made it but somehow doesn't pull it off. A fairly unbalanced film, but will non the less provide some good laughs and some 'ewww' moments and indeed some 'did he just say retard' moments. A fairly average flick, still entertaining though, just don't expect a piece of brilliance.

3/5 Jandals = Nothing particularly special but still rather entertaining

Watch the trailer for 'Tropic Thunder' Here