The full movie trailer for Tropic Thunder has finally dropped and I’m still not sold. When the photo of Robert Downey Jr. playing a black soldier in the movie about the making of a movie, I garnered a bit of hope. My good, but easily excited, friend Alex at FirstShowing saw some footage at ShoWest, and was trying to convince all of the inhabitants of our 2008 SXSW house that it showed a lot of promise.
But after seeing this trailer, I’m not quite sure I believe his assessment. I trust that Robert Downey Jr will deliver a good performance. I’ve never been dissatisfied with any of his performances to date, and he’s the funniest thing in this new trailer. Ben Stiller and Jack Black have delivered a lot of crap in their time (and this comes from someone who LOVED both Black and Stiller in the beginning to middle of their careers). There isn’t much to distinguish this Stiller comedy from his other recent efforts. I am however looking forward to Get Smart and Pineapple Express. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
“When a group of actors shooting a war movie includes Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), an over-the-top Australian-born method actor who has gone to extremes to get into character, novice thesp Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), gross-out comedy star Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte), the real-life inspiration for the film, pampered action superstar Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) and rap star Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson). DreamWorks Pictures Presents A Red Hour Production A Ben Stiller Film “Tropic Thunder” starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Steve Coogan, Bill Hader and Nick Nolte. The film is directed by Ben Stiller from a screenplay by Ben Stiller & Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen based on a story by Ben Stiller & Justin Theroux. “
You can also watch the movie trailer in High Definition on Yahoo. Tropic Thunder is scheduled to hit theaters on August 15th 2008.
Discuss: What did you think of the Tropic Thunder movie trailer?
March 17th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Agreed, looks very meh. I’ll see it for Downey Jr though.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Not funny…
March 17th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I’m pretty sure a good amount of movies have already used this story. You know the one where the actors think their in a movie but their really not.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Definitely gotta see this one for Downey, Jr. The movie looks good…not necessarily the funniest trailer I’ve ever seen…by a long shot…but the flick looks pretty decent.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
@ dylan
three amigos
March 17th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Dude, it’s a damn trailer. Knocked up trailer sucked, Superbad trailer sucked, 40 Year Old Virgin trailer, SUCKED.
All three of the movies were hilarious. They can’t show any shit because the film is rated R. Movie is going to be sick ;D
March 17th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I disagree with all of you. This seems very good and hilarious. Can’t wait
March 17th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
That was a poorly edited trailer, but there were a couple good moments. I loved the “You people” part at the end.
And, “Just because it’s a theme song, don’t mean it’s not true.”
March 17th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Honestly, I think it looks quite good. And coming from me, that’s a rare thing, considering I despise anything with Ben Stiller.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
dan: I disagree, the trailers for Knocked up, superbad and 40-year old showed a lot more promise than this. Ad each one of the aforementioned movies offered green and red band trailers, both which were funny (yes, the red band versions were funnier…).
March 17th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
sorry peter - this looks fun… then again what would i know i thought juno was painful.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Juno, painful? Tropic Thunder, fun? You’re on crack, right?
March 17th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
action comedy, i’ll rather pay to see this then a boondocks saint sequel. i admit, it was a poor executed trailer.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Yes George, he must be on crack for being human and having an opinion.
Peter, I dunno man. Like I said above, to each his own..but I didn’t really go for the trailers of those three. Superbad MAYBE, because McLovin sold it.
But I’ll hold it to my own, just like I am with Hunter and #1 Wall-E opening.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
What videogame can Stiller’s team blame on this when it fails at the box office?
March 18th, 2008 at 1:07 am
I agree that RDJ looks like the best thing about this movie. Could be that the trailer’s just a dud, though.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:33 am
I don’t know, this looks like it’s got a lot of promise. at this point i think any trailer to feature “deep voiced narrator guy” is a bad one, so lets hold out for a little more info. but I definitely lost some interest when I found out that it was about the guys making a movie instead of actually being about vietnam.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:29 am
The only thing that gets my attention is Robert Downey Jr.
By the way, where are all the women? Guy movie with nothing but guys?
March 18th, 2008 at 6:34 am
not interested. i love downey jr. i like jack black. i hate ben stiller. this movie seems like the only bad choice of late for RDJ. but i would like to be proved wrong.
March 18th, 2008 at 6:53 am
If ever there was movie in need of red band trailer… this is probably it.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Looks WAY better than Pinapple Express (to me).
March 18th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Why? Cuz Seth Rogan sucks. Guy doesn’t even attempt to seem like a different character from movie to movie. He’s exactly the same in everything. Feels like the same movie over and over again. The most I’ve seen him act was in his two minutes of screen time in Donnie Darko. At least there are some real actors doing some acting in Tropic Thunder.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:34 am
This trailer does what any trailer SHOULD do. Give me the basic premise, throw in a couple jokes, and that’s about it. What more do people want out of this trailer? To add in any more would be A) spoiling the better jokes already in the movie so they aren’t funny when they’re first seen, and B) give away too much of the story.
It’s a good trailer. Stop analyzing it like an award-winning film. The premise creates a good opportunity for comedy, the characters seem comical already (due to stereotypes), and who isn’t going to love a movie that mocks actors? I’ll go see it.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:29 am
HAH! Condemned already?!?! Jesus it’s the first trailer and people are already giving the whole movie a “meh” rating.
Whatever, I thikn the trailer did a good job of introducing the film to all audiences.
I really didn’t think the Pineapple Express trailer was that funny, but I’m still looking forward to seeing it. Neither the Get Smart trailer either, and I’m a HUGE fan of the original.
I think this film looks great, and the trailer did it’s job.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Good good trailer in my opinion. What excite’s me most is the last time Stiller directed anything we got Zoolander… so I mean come on. Zoolander was epic. Plus Downey seems like he’s going to shine in his portrayel of a cliched older black man.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:21 am
The trailer doesn’t excite me, but RDJ looks hysterical.
If I see this movie in the theater it will be because
of him.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:02 am
I kinda liked the trailer and will see the film. Downey Jr. had some great jokes (that Jefferson’s one at the end was awesome), the guy going on about Wesley Snipes has promise and this may be the best Ben Stiller I’ve seen in recent years since he’s not ALWAYS trying to go over the top in this film (as evidenced by the tied up kick scene).
Definetly worth a look.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:39 am
It seems to have it’s moments even though the usual they think they’re playing around when they’re not formula is nothing new, so far I think RDJ’s role is worth seeing.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I think it looks like a fun movie. Not a great movie, but fun. I don’t see a problem with that. I like the cast, though yeah, there have been some bombs made by them.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:41 am
there is one reason i will see this movie.
downey jr.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
It’s a G-rated trailer for a R rated flick. I’m sure alot of the better gags were left out for obvious reasons. Like many others, this is the first Stiller flick in a long, long time I’m excited about.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I’ll be there.
This might be RDJ’s funnest role since Wayne Gale in Natural Born Killers.
And I’m glad to see Nolte acting crazy again in a summer comedy.
Trailer is not aces, but it compliments the red band just fine imo.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
george - i blame juno for my crack habit.
March 18th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
The trailer makes me curious about seeing in theater.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I watched the trailer four times and each time I really laughed, I do understand the editing and timing, coming
from comedians, because they play off one another.
I’ve seen every Ben Stiller movie and find him hilarious,
I love the fact Downey is playing two characters and one
in disguise, his amazing really and funny.
More cameo appearances are to follow, I do look forward
to seeing this film, August seems so far away,
guess I have to digest Iron Man first.
March 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
why are we goin the al jolson route in 2008 to me its so dumb that downey jr is playing a black man it makes me ill that hollywood went that route cant we get over the black face imasge once an for all
June 6th, 2008 at 9:19 am
What do Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. ALL HAVE IN COMMON?
Hint: They are blood Brothers with Adam Sandler & Jon Stewart for example.
Give up? They ARE ALL JEWISH…
July 14th, 2008 at 10:28 am
hella funny to read through all the people bitching about this movie 5 months ago, and now nearly every single one of you are on its nuts.