Directed by: Ben Stiller
Starring: Jack Black, Steve Coogan, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte, Ben Stiller
Rating: R

A scene from Tropic Thunder. (Courtesy photo)

Sometimes people with very good intentions simply miss the joke. That’s the case with the disability advocacy groups asking viewers to boycott Tropic Thunder. There is a character in the film called Simple Jack—a deeply, deeply offensive stereotype of a man with mental disabilities. It’s also satire. Perhaps far too many people will think the joke is on disabled people, but it’s really aimed at the actors and studios who use such characters as award bait. It’s also ridiculous, as is most of Tropic Thunder. It’s ridiculously violent, nonsensical, expensive-looking, and funny. Co-writer/director/star Ben Stiller has made a movie where the discomforting level of danger only makes the humor that much more effective. Tropic Thunder will be too intense for some, too noisily obnoxious for others. But this is an audacious and hilarious mess of a movie.

Tugg Speedman, as portrayed by Stiller, is a waning action star looking to be taken seriously as an actor. Comedy star Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) also seeks credibility. They’ve teamed with five-time Oscar-winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) to tackle the real-life Vietnam War story of Four-Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte). Tugg and Kirk are not seeing eye-to-eye, and it doesn’t help that the Australian Lazarus is playing an African-American soldier. When first-time film director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) starts to lose control of the massive project, Tayback convinces him to take the actors deep into the jungle and shoot guerilla-style. The five-man platoon quickly gets into trouble with nasty locals, but Tugg remains certain it’s all part of the shoot. That’s an okay idea that relies entirely on execution.

Stiller and co-writer Justin Theroux (the scene-stealing actor from Mulholland Drive and The Baxter, among others), have pushed Tropic Thunder well past the standard movie shoot gone awry. By having the flawed actors go to some very dark places, Stiller and Theroux hope to achieve something sublime in their satire. They don’t quite reach it, but they don’t miss by much. The movie is heavily front- and back-loaded, with a very short second act. It makes for an oddly shaped story that ends before it can pull off its ambitious character transformations.

The cast of pros sure helps. Stiller goes all out as Speedman, even though he’s the weak link of the cast. His Kurtzlike metamorphosis is pure Stiller in tone, but demands a better actor to truly pull it off. Jack Black is great as the overweight funny man hefting an equally large drug habit. Some of the movie’s funniest moments involve Portnoy’s unanticipated detox in the jungle. Not surprisingly, Robert Downey Jr. is the best thing in the movie. Though he keeps his tongue in his cheek, his Kirk Lazarus has layers of fascinating inscrutability. It’s Downey Jr’s second iconic performance of the summer (following up Iron Man, for those of you who have been vacationing in the Arctic). Nolte and Coogan are good, though American filmmakers still haven’t quite figured out how best to utilize the British Coogan. Perhaps he’ll hit stride in Hamlet 2, due out Aug. 22. Brandon T. Jackson (Roll Bounce) is good as rap star Alpa Chino, struggling mightily with how very wrong Lazarus’s performance is. Jay Baruchel (Undeclared, Knocked Up) becomes the group’s voice of reason, and gives a very sweet performance as Kevin Sandusky, the one guy who keeps his head.

There’s nothing wrong with being more of a Mamma Mia! person than a Tropic Thunder person. This is the funny Platoon, after all. It’s not easy to effectively mix this kind of danger with broad character humor. But Tropic Thunder has an impressive success rate, and enough surprises to keep us genuinely off balance.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.