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Author Topic: Tropic Thunder (2008) Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 08-13-2008 01:49 AM                     This is a good, not great, action comedy to end all action comedies, or something like that. Of all the satirical genre/spoof movies of late, this is, however, the best by far. Most of the jokes are pretty formulaic, and the plot is as predictable as you could want, but the acting and the acting acting are both quite comical. Robert Downey Jr. shows that he can do comedy well enough, and the sheer lunacy of his character really works for me. I hate Tom Cruise, but he plays a good jackass, if he is indeed acting. None of the other actors really stand out, but their performances are mostly good as well. Potential Spoilers: It appears that there was some last minute editing done, as some scenes from the trailers and TV spots are missing or modified. Notably, in the "fake trailer" for Ben Stiller's character, the little things by his sides are human babies instead of pandas. Is this the work of the panda lobby in Hollywood? Also, I don't think the scene where Stiller kicks the Vietnamese/whatever guy in the chest and offers to do another take was in the movie. /spoilers PLUS, this marks the third print from Deluxe that I've had soundtrack problems with since Get Smart, in which the audio level drops, sometimes to almost imperceptible levels, when running in SRD. I did not witness is from booth to have a look at the processor while it was going on, but previously, there has been no drop from Format 10 SRD, and no unusually high error rate. It happened three separate times during the 5th reel, and nowhere else. My assistant manager said she would try to get a replacement reel ordered, but I am not happy that Deluxe is sucking so badly and so consistently.  |  IP: Logged Carey Barber Expert Film Handler Posts: 143 From: Newport News, VA, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 08-13-2008 09:56 AM                     I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Ben Stiller's movies are hit and miss...with a lot more misses, but I actually laughed pretty hard through this one. The comedy is crude, dark, and very politically incorrect. Robert Downey Jr. was definitely the highlight for me. Grade: B  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-13-2008 10:27 AM                     They probably just shot a lot of material and it'll probably end up on the Directors Cut DVD. If you look at the trailer for Anchorman, almost half the material in it wasn't in the theatrical version.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 08-13-2008 11:01 AM                     This movie dosn't take it self seriously at all and that is whats so great about it. This movie will be quoted by many for months to come. I thought Jack Black was the week spot in this one. RDJ made the movie for me as well and the cameos were great. "I'm a lead farmer...mother fucker" 4/5  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 08-13-2008 05:46 PM                     We had a trailer checker come in and check the trailers to both prints. She listed the bogus ads and trailers on reel 1 of the movie. "I thought those trailers were a bit odd..."  |  IP: Logged Ross Oba Expert Film Handler Posts: 181 From: Kailua Kona, HI Registered: Oct 2005 posted 08-13-2008 07:42 PM                     Deluxe should be renamed to Desuxe. I hate that most studios have their films printed with Deluxe. Universal and WB are the only studios to consistently use Technicolor. Disney used to use TES but switched to Deluxe earlier this year. I've had the occasional Paramount release using Technicolor but that was Kung Fu Panda and nothing else since. For some odd reason, I've had worse luck with Paramount films printed by Deluxe than say Sony or Disney. Iron Man, Indy 4, and now Tropic Thunder all had failing SRD soundtracks. What's worse is the replacement reels we received for Iron Man were still failing (although not enough to revert to analog). As for the movie, I've seen the first 15 minutes and thought it was pretty humorous. I'll catch the rest of it the next time I work.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 08-13-2008 08:52 PM                     What you guys are hearing is the new Deluxe audio cap code. Do a search for it. This is their moronic way of combating piracy, while in essence showing favoritism to the dts format, since it doesn't affect dts. It REQUIRES a top notch SR analog system, perfectly calibrated, or the failures to analog are godawful. As far as the movie goes, I have to say I liked it. I am not a Ben Stiller fan in general, but this movie worked and was stupidly entertaining with an amazing amount of cameos. Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious.  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 08-14-2008 10:05 AM                     Tropic Thunder is politically incorrect, crude, profane, outrageous....and very funny! At one point, I was laughing so hard I managed to get a piece of my free popcorn stuck in my throat. Most appropriately, I washed it down with a can of "Booty Sweat". (My theater had a free case of the stuff for employees)  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 08-14-2008 12:23 PM                        I definitely want to try one of those.  |  IP: Logged Don Anderson Master Film Handler Posts: 312 From: West Bend, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-17-2008 10:42 AM                     Laughed my ass off! Jack Black and Ben Stiller were a riot! Those coming attraction trailers were funny as hell! Lots of cameos throughout the film. Its not a movie that I would see over and over, but I would rent the dvd just to see the added features and outtakes. Wow, two movies that I can say that I actually enjoyed this month....Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express. Too bad the print of Tropic Thunder was ruined by platter scratches at our local theatre. It didn't even make it through the weekend without being damaged. Amateurs.  |  IP: Logged Louis Belloisy Expert Film Handler Posts: 120 From: morris, ct usa Registered: Jun 2006 posted 08-17-2008 11:34 AM                        Well, I dont agree with you guys. Its rude, vulgar and offensive. We have had several protests in our area on this piece of Jack Black should not be allowed in front of a camera. Once in a while a good one comes along. This is not it. Louis  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 08-17-2008 02:05 PM                        It was alright... every scene with Tom reminded me of Austin Powers. Robert was great, loved his character and lines. I had high expectations for this one... wasn't as funny as Pineapple Express or Step Brothers. But I did enjoy some the camera work, felt crisp and pretty. Bust A Nut Bar sounds pretty tasty I might add. out of 5  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 08-17-2008 06:14 PM                     To expound on Louis' comment: this is an R rated comedy. While the MPAA may be blowing it out their ass with the "one fuck" rule as I like to call it, this movie deserves its R rating. If you are easily offended, make informed decisions, unlike many of my customers, and don't see it. If you sit through the movie and complain afterward about how offensive it was to theater employees, they should, as politely as possible, tell you to blow it out your ass and know what you are going to see. I am not saying anything about your experience or view on it, Louis, because everything you said is true (except about Jack Black, although he was the weakest performance here), but that is precisely the point of the movie. Maybe it's just the depravity of the kids these days, but this movie is growing on me more and more, although we do have the ushers close the doors immediately at the start time, and keep them closed until the credits are completely done rolling.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-17-2008 08:27 PM                        Saw today at Cinemark 17 in Springfield, #12 in 35mm. Looked and sounded very good. However as usual there, the digital preshow had a screen illumination level very very close to 0 fl. Well as others have said, this is profane, outrageous, etc. and earns its R rating. I kind of liked it, some funny stuff here even though some scenes fall kind of flat. Jack Black is the weakest link but so is his character. I give it 2.75 out of 5 stars. Not for everyone, but it sort of worked for me. So Cinemark has this rule about cutting off the green bands on all trailers. Yet they left the green bands on the faux trailers. Isn't that a contradiction? Shouldn't those have been removed too? I mean Cinemark regulars are never supposed to see green bands. Did Cinemark have to send out a memo telling theaters to leave them on? I jest.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-17-2008 08:41 PM                     I wonder if they'll remove the green bands for the Australian release (I highly doubt it) or better yet have an MA tag on the front of each one?  |  IP: Logged

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