Tropic Thunder

Still really behind, so since I still haven't finished my Facebook album, I'm gonna go ahead and write about Tropic Thunder, which Candace and I saw with J+R during our Greenville visit.

To start, it should been said that I had high hopes for this movie, largely due to the premise and Robert Downey, Jr.'s crazy part as an Australian actor in blackface for his role in the movie inside the film. Plus, the trailers looked good, so although I'm not a huge Ben Stiller fan, I was pretty pumped.

That said, the movie was simultaneously both a letdown and a fun experience. As it turns out, although Downey Jr. was good, the really standout part was the fairly unexpected comedically-extreme violence and profanity (with emphasis on a particular cameo). The worst part of the film though is that it frequently starts to ramble and is a bit too long for its own good, leaving you essentially just suffering through the story waiting for another great funny bit. Also, Ben Stiller is fairly annoying here, essentially being nothing more than Zoolander in an action role, which doesn't really work.

All told, I'm glad I saw this movie, as it left a strong impression despite its shortcomings. If you're at all interested in seeing it, go for it, but just don't get your hopes up too much.