A lot of talk is going around about the cameo appearance by Tom Cruise, most of it being positive. Here I go again, being in the minority. The Tom Cruise dance scenes have got to be the worst moments filmed in 2008. I'm not joking. The theater was silent while an overweight, obnoxious, and hairless Tom Cruise was frolicking around to hip-hop moronically. Not too many people in the theater I was attending thought that this was funny. These dance scenes were rather irratating.
This film is a huge disappointment. It just might be the most disappointing film of the year. There is some talent here and there (Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in particular), but the true moments of the film strive for false laughs. It is just too hard to shake off the offensiveness of Tropic Thunder and the film ends up requiring an effort to enjoy. The laughs here feel more strained than ever and don't have any real bite.
If your really curious about Robert Downey Jr.'s performance, see it on DVD. He is just about all Tropic Thunder has going for it. The tone is very similar to Zoolander, which is a let-down. This is a messy and insanely offensive comedy that generates nothing but controversy and stiff, lifeless laughs. 
Article comments
1 - Jacob C
"Mentally ill"? That, in itself, is arguably more offensive than anything spoken in the movie.
What you might have overlooked is the context of the discussion about mentally challenged conducted by the film's characters. It's not that people who happen to have disabilities are funny - it's that these actors are so insensitive that they will exploit such disabilities to boost their careers.
A similar argument would be saying that Downey's character is offensive to African-Americans. In the context of the film, the humor comes from just how willing the character is to exploit stereotypes - and how willing the film studio was to do the same.
I'm not saying there is anything invalid about your dislike for the movie. Comedies are probably one of the most subjective genres. I just wanted to try and view your criticisms from another perspective.
2 - Derek Fleek
Jacob,
Thanks for the comment. I understand exactly what your saying. I just feel that Ben Stiller could've shown more affection and consideration for those with mental disabilities by using synonyms for the R-word. I noticed that he use synonyms for the N-word, such as "black" and "African American", so why didn't he do the same to avoid confusion. It was a bad move on his part.
3 - Sherry
How are "black" or "African-American" synonyms for the "N-word?"
Those words are not interchangeable, and they were not a substitution. I don't there is anything in the movie that suggests the characters wanted to actually use the "N-word," but didn't just to be politically correct.
The movie was showing the charactes' ingornance and that they had blurred the lines between acting and reality. They were supposed to be portrayed as insenstive toward mentally challenged people.
4 - Jen
First, "suppose" should be "supposed" in paragraph 1. And unfortunately, Jacob's right-- that was the wrong word choice-- there's quite a difference between "mentally ill" and "mentally challenged." I agree with his opinion on the way the humor was used to ridicule the actors rather than those with disabilities but do agree with you as well that it should've been handled better (mostly in the latter half with Stiller's unfunny forced Simple Jack reenactment). But enough about that...it was enjoyable to read your thoughts.
However, Downey's best career performance? What about Chaplin, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, or even Two Girls and a Guy where his performance was better than the film? I also loved him in Wonder Boys although in that film he really let Tobey Maguire shine. Thought it was cool to see them reunited-- complete with the homoerotic tension from Boys-- as another Hollywood in-joke, picking up where that movie left off at the beginning of Tropic even though like you, I felt it was uneven as a film and preferred Pineapple Express considerably. I know, as a film geek, I was completely shocked to dig Express over Thunder.
5 - Derek Fleek
Jen,
Thanks for the comment. I'll try to change "mentally ill" to "mentally challenged" to avoid confusion and fix that mistake in the first paragraph. I have deep respect for those mentally challenged (my father's sister was) and was deeply offended by "Simple Jack". Was this really suppose to be funny and did people actually think this was a funny moment in the film?
6 - Derek Fleek
By the way Jen, He (Robert Downey Jr.) was undeniably good in Chaplin and the others as well, but I thought he was great here. Audacious move by Downey Jr., taking on the role of an Australian actor who undergoes surgery to become African American. The spoof on Hollywood was spot on, I just didn't like the movie one bit.
7 - Kevin Gustafson
I guess we disagree on this picture. I thought it was almost as funny as Pineapple Express. It's story tracked better too. The Hollywood in-jokes are hilarious, especially the director as God. In the movie, the producer as the bigger god watching with his webcam. The scene where he orders the director punched is a scream.
Normal moviegoers can find laughs too. "I'm a lead farmer!" is the films best catchphrase. Yeah Tropic Thunder is gross and offensive, but the jokes are funny unlike Step Brothers which was just gross and offensive.
I'm sorry that stereotyping hurt your view of the movie. I thought the plot explained it decently. Your point is still valid.
8 - Derek Fleek
Kevin,
I am glad you enjoyed the movie. Being fond of mentally disabled people might be part of the reason for my disliking of the film. Thanks for reading.
9 - Derek Fleek
My father's sister was disabled so it hit home in a bad manner.
10 - Jordan Richardson
One of my best friends is mentally disabled as well. Needless to say, he thought the film was hilarious from start to finish. I think the point of the joke was excellent and it doesn't disparage mentally handicapped people at all. Rather it pokes fun at the notion of exploitation for box office receipts and follows the theme of the film's characters in that they'll do anything for that brass ring.
Really loved Tropic Thunder. Best movie of the summer.
11 - El Bicho
"the heroine-addicted Jeff Portnoy"
I believe he was addicted to drugs not female leads.
"the fact that it aggressively puts down the mentally challenged "
You completely missed the point if that what you took away.
"I just feel that Ben Stiller could've shown more affection and consideration for those with mental disabilities by using synonyms for the R-word."
Showing once again that you didn't understand what was happening in the film. If those characters spoke PC, it would be completely incongruous to the scene.
Tom Cruise had a role in the film that was quite larger than a cameo.
12 - Jordan Richardson
To just build on that for a moment, the Simple Jack gag really made me think of films like My Left Foot or Sling Blade in which these highly pretentious (doubtlessly gifted) performers take on these roles.
The fact that Ben Stiller remained so insensitive to mental illness despite playing the role and the fact that all of the performers were such made Tropic Thunder an impeccable Hollywood satire. The joke really isn't related to those who are mentally handicapped at all, but rather to those who fail to understand it.
13 - Kevin Gustafson
I'd like to add that mental illness is part of the larger message of the movie that Hollywood encourages people to dehumanize others,including themselves, to feel better or make money.
Heroine/heroin, I don't know why I didn't see that even the second time through. Good catch. But really, that comment where you mentioned you had a relative that made you read the movie differently, should've been included in the review. It's good to allow the audience to see where you're coming from. Roger Ebert is always talking about going to church as a kid in his reviews.
I'd also like to mention how amazing it is that I've rekindled an old review with new comments.