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Tropic Thunder (2008)

R | | Action, Comedy | 13 August 2008 (USA)
Tropic Thunder Poster
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2:30 | Trailer

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Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Director:

Writers:

(screenplay), (screenplay) | 3 more credits »

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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577 ( 167)
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 43 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Snooty Waiter - Fatties Trailer
... Kirk Lazarus
... Platoon Sergeant Shot in Head - Hot LZ
... Jeff Portnoy - Hot LZ
... Kevin Sandusky - Hot LZ
... Alpa Chino - Hot LZ
... Tugg Speedman - Hot LZ
... Chopper Pilot - Hot LZ
... Damien Cockburn - Vietnam Crew
... Damien's Assistant - Vietnam Crew
... Cameraperson - Vietnam Crew
... First Assistant Director - Vietnam Crew
... Script Supervisor - Vietnam Crew
... Cody - Vietnam Crew
Dempsey Silva ... Special Effects Assistant - Vietnam Crew
See full cast »
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Storyline

Action movie star Tugg Speedman is on the downslide of his professional career. He wants to be considered a serious actor, but his latest serious role as the title character in "Simple Jack" resulted in negative reviews and ridicule. Comedian Jeff Portnoy is best known for his leading roles in sophomoric comedies, and may be less well known for his rampant drug use. Five time Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus is a serious method actor, who immerses himself in whatever the role. On location in southeast Vietnam, they are the stars of "Tropic Thunder", based on Vietnam war veteran 'Four Leaf' Tayback's memoirs of his rescue during the war, that rescue which was considered a near suicide mission for the assigned army force and resulted in him losing both hands. For his role, Caucasian Australian Lazarus even went through a controversial surgical skin dying procedure so that he could convincingly play a black man. Production is not going well since rookie director Damien Cockburn is unable to ... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

parody | vietnam | film director | spoof | written and directed by cast member | See All (154) »

Taglines:

The movie they think they're making... isn't a movie anymore. See more »

Genres:

Action | Comedy

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks / Paramount [France] | DreamWorks [United States] |  »

Country:

| |

Language:

|

Release Date:

13 August 2008 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Una guerra de película  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Budget:

$92,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,812,796, 17 August 2008, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$110,515,313

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$188,072,649
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (unrated director's cut)

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

In the "never go full retard" scene, Kirk cites Peter Sellers performance in Being There (1979) as a good example of how to avoid missing out on an Oscar by going "full retard", as opposed to Sean Penn in I Am Sam (2001). In reality, Sellers was only nominated for Being There (1979), just like Penn for I Am Sam (2001). See more »

Goofs

During the opening scene, the helicopters are seen from the side and are initially "slicks", and empty. No troops inside, no rocket pods or machine guns mounted at the doors. After diving down and seen from the rear, the Huey's now have rocket pods mounted on the skids and machine guns hanging out of the doors. Further scenes show door gunners and some troops now inside. See more »

Quotes

Kevin Sandusky: Now, if you recall that whole hullabaloo where Hollywood was split into schisms, some studios backing Blu-ray disc, others backing HD DVD. People thought it would come down to pixel rate or refresh rate, and they're pretty much the same. What it came down to was a combination between gamers and porn. Now, whichever format porno backs is usually the one that becomes the uh most successful. But, you know, Sony, every PlayStation 3 has a Blu-ray in it.
Kirk Lazarus: You talkin' to me this whole time?
Kevin Sandusky: I was ...
[...]
See more »

Crazy Credits

Tom Cruise (as Les) dances and the end credits start. Scenes from the movie are mixed in. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Drive-In Horrorshow (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

War
Performed by Edwin Starr
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many versions of "Tropic Thunder" are there?
Q: What songs are in the trailer?
Q: What is the "irony" surrounding this movie?
See more »

User Reviews

 
Sharp Satire
14 August 2008 | by – See all my reviews

'Tropic Thunder' is the sharpest, nastiest, and most honest parody of Hollywood since Altman's 'The Player'.

If Doweny Jr. in black face, the script's use of "retard", or the politically incorrect humor offends you, you're missing the point.

Only Russel Crowe, Robin Williams, and Harvey Weinstein should take offense. The parodies of their personalities, their films, and their business tactics are downright cruel. (But, so, so true, and so brilliant.) I must credit every actor -- particularly Downey Jr. and Cruise -- for their performances, and for making their characters more than stereotypes for cheap laughs.

The more you know about Hollywood, the more you will appreciate the film. If not, just go and laugh at the genre. It takes balls to leave in a scene discussing how Blue-Ray conquered HD-DVD (and expect anyone to fine it funny). But it is funny.

To utterly relish the insanity, brush up on 'Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'.

They got it so right. So, so, so right.
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