Several of tracks play much better after you see the film and realize the way the filmmakers managed to work in the song cues such as the aforementioned Jackson “P***y” track which plays over a fake ad preceding the film as well as Enigma’s “Sadness, Pt. 1” which heightens laughs during a Brokeback Mountain meets The Thorn Birds mock movie trailer starring Downey’s character and actor Tobey Maguire. And while the pop-culture images evoked by some of the works including Ja’net Dubois’ “Movin’ On Up,” best known as the theme song to The Jeffersons seems especially out of place, it’s cited in one of many hilarious confrontations between Downey and Jackson and ditto for Steppenwolf’s Easy Rider featured “The Pusher” which subtly underscores the drug withdrawal of junkie actor Jack Black in a series of escalating scenes.
Oddly most of these tracks, like Dan Hill’s power ballad “Sometimes When We Touch,” that serves as a particularly funny ringtone of a supporting character, are barely used in the film. Yet they all make terrific soundtrack fodder, proving more consistently humorous than the film itself. Moreover, it’s a rare but admirable feat when a potential CD buyer and ticket holder are already sent into hysterics not by footage from a trailer but from an especially offbeat soundtrack.
Of course, it helps infinitely when one of the album producers working behind the scenes is the film’s co-writer, director and star Ben Stiller, who knows a thing or two about how to make an audience laugh. And while, given some of the language in the opening and closing tracks — much like the film — the soundtrack is probably best rated R, Stiller definitely serves his purpose in whetting our appetite, engaging our curiosity, and above all, cracking us up as we prepare for some Tropic Thunder.
Article comments
1 - dani
Just list the music credits so we all can get the music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 - Jen
Hi Dani,
Thanks for reading. In the 4th paragraph of the review, there's a link to click for the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack which takes you to the film soundtrack's official MySpace page, offering lots of goodies like sound clips and a track listing. Or you can click here.
Enjoy!
- Jen
3 - Derek Fleek
As you know, I didn't like the movie. However, the soundtrack was great.
4 - Jen
Thanks, Derek. I know-- some of it really cracked me up but I do think you and I were in sync. Film-wise we both preferred Pineapple Express!
5 - ferdinand
what is the name on the intro song in tropic thunder?
6 - Jen
On the soundtrack it's Crystal Method's "Name of the Game" remix. If you mean in the film itself, it would depend on the scene. I could be wrong but I believe one of the first songs we hear in that epic opening with all the explosions is "O Fortuna" which was recently used in those Gatorade "League of Clutch" ads last spring which featured Kevin Garnett but there's quite a few songs that play near the start of the film. Note: it's arriving on DVD in a few weeks so the final credits would be the ultimate resource (I'm reviewing Ben Stiller's 2-Disc Director's Cut soon on my site in the URL line).