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SummaryTropic Thunder is an action comedy about a group of self-absorbed actors who set out to make the most expensive war film. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys. (Paramount Pictures)

Tropic Thunder

Metascore
Generally Favorable
71
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
71
77% Positive
30 Reviews
23% Mixed
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
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100
San Francisco Chronicle
The movie is laugh-until-your-stomach-hurts hilarious.
88
Chicago Sun-Times
When it's all over, you'll probably have the fondest memories of Robert Downey Jr.'s work. It's been a good year for him, this one coming after "Iron Man." He's back, big time.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
79% Positive
355 Ratings
17% Mixed
75 Ratings
4% Negative
18 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Jan 21, 2026
10
famfacat
The rhythmic machinery of a cinematic self-immolation: A 5.0-star sensational surge of meta-rebellion.2008(5.0)I watched "Tropic Thunder" in the theater in 2008, and it delivered a visceral revelation that stands as a definitive 5.0-star pillar of high-tension satire in my archive. This experience **** the fourth wall of the stagnant Hollywood war epic by infusing Robert Downey Jr.’s raw, method-acting madness and Tom Cruise’s sensational distortion into a rhythmic energy that felt 100% chewy and sophisticated. The narrative rhythm was far from stagnant; instead, it offered a rhythmic journey through the pathetic narcissism of actors and the raw human distrust of a real war zone, leaving me in a state of absolute hororong as the fake trailer for "Satan’s Alley" set the tone for a sensational manifesto of absurdity. Seeing the vivid, explosive practical effects and the raw, unapologetic subversion of industry tropes provided an emotional payoff that felt both authentic and sensational, proving that a blockbuster could be a vivid act of storytelling rebellion. The 95% preservation of my memory is dominated by the rhythmic, raw brilliance of Les Grossman’s dance and the vivid but pathetic desperation of Tugg Speedman, creating a permanent, sensational scar of intellectual awe on my soul. Unlike the stagnant 3.0-star drift of "Meet the Parents" or the pathetic execution of "Get Smart," this encounter possessed a rebellious soul that turned a pathetic movie set into a sensational masterpiece of meta-commentary. It stands in my 2008 record as a powerful 5.0-star testament to the raw power of fearless comedy—a high-tension encounter with the vivid rhythm of the "full ****" that remains one of the most chewy artifacts of my cinematic journey.
Mar 5, 2023
10
italoipo
i miss such movies. just brainless **** forced woke agenda. just pure fun.
75
Christian Science Monitor
Biting as it tries to be, Tropic Thunder is mostly toothless. Its targets – Hollywood vanity, Hollywood tantrums – are easy hits.
70
Los Angeles Times
There is genuine humor and palpable satiric intent underneath the waves of unnerving bad taste and political incorrectness.
60
Chicago Reader
Never lives up to the hilarity of the opening, partly because the large-scale production smothers the gags but mostly because those gags are so easy to smother.
50
Village Voice
That's the thing about satire: It doesn't play past its expiration date. And everything about Tropic Thunder already feels antiquated.
See All 39 Critic Reviews
Jun 21, 2022
10
SuperbaDMIke
This Movie is **** hilarious and Robert Downey Jr's performance is **** great too in this controversial film. But **** them it's really **** good. Sorry for the profanity.
Jan 7, 2024
6
MATM
I cannot believe the cast they pulled together for this movie, but even with all of this A-List comedy star power, I still only got a handful of laughs out of this movie. It isn't bad, I just wanted it to be so much better.
Sep 7, 2022
6
liamexe
Tropic Thunder was undoubtedly created by a marketing team, that much is clear. It is a substantial Ben Stiller cartoon car. As is customary when Ben Stiller's name is permitted on the director's chair, this one is superior to the majority. I still believe that it would be funnier to simply switch on the camera and watch Ben Stiller interact with his mother or have sex. This movie must have been expensive to produce.
Mar 31, 2012
2
csw12
What a pile of crap. The movie had a bunch of stupid actors playing stupid roles. Robert Downey Jr. looked like an idiot being a black man and the comedy was dreadful. Ridilcouisly stupid.
Mar 31, 2012
1
Trev29
My mind can not even warp around just how stupid this Hollywood trash was. I wish I didn't have to suffer through this unfunny, horribly un-entertaining film. I maybe laughed once at this stupid sh**
See All 448 User Reviews
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  • DreamWorks Pictures
  • Red Hour Films
  • Goldcrest Pictures
  • Internationale Filmproduktion Stella-del-Sud Second
Aug 13, 2008
1 h 47 m
R
The movie they think they're making... isn't a movie anymore.
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Schmoes Awards
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
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