Tropic Thunder: A Storm is Coming

There are many films that ponder the making of movies within their own stories. As the idea nearly exploded off the screen in the recognizable finale of “Blazing Saddles,” film-making within film-making has always been a go to gag or intriguing idea for the best comedic storytellers. In the upcoming action comedy, “Tropic Thunder,” actor turned writer, Justin Theroux, takes this one-of-a-kind idea to new heights.

“Tropic Thunder” looks to have the makings of a cross between Francis Ford Coppola’s epic “Apocalypse Now” and the spoof talents of the most classic Mel Brooks’ films. Starring a notably diverse cast, “Tropic Thunder” tells the story of a misfit cast of actors filming what should be an epic war adventure. However, when the director’s patience with the ego centric actors runs tiresomely thin, the idea to drop them in the middle of an actual war-zone to film the lifelike consequences becomes much more desired and pleasing.

Filling the main roles of the ego-actors are some of our own Hollywood’s brightest and best comedians. Many will recognize Ben Stiller exuding his bad boy attitude for the role of the typical action star. Joining him is Robert Downey Jr, who is hot off the heels of success and acclaim he gathered for his starring role in this year’s “Iron Man.” As an award winning rising star who seems to be letting the success get to his head, Downey’s character in “Tropic Thunder” undergoes a controversial procedure to change his skin color for the film’s make-believe movie. Finally, the often charming funny-man Jack Black plays an unpredictable comedian, whose antics often cause a stir with the media. With such a diverse group of actors playing an increasingly diverse group of characters  there’s no telling where “Tropic Thunder” will take us.

For many spoof films, creating these over-the-top stereotypes is the entire aim of the desired joke. For “Tropic Thunder,” this stereotyping is only half the battle. The trick that Theroux must master is getting all of his stereotypical actor personas to reach new level of hilarity. We already seen how the likes of Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Downey Jr. react within the confines of their own stories, but what happens when their character personas faced with impending danger in “Tropic Thunder?” If Theroux’s theory works, he could possibly be ushering in a new generation of comedies that successfully marries the seriousness of classic Hollywood with the struggling humor that begs to be appreciated in films today.

“Tropic Thunder” opens in theaters on Wednesday, August 13th