‘Tropic Thunder’ fails to deliver

Cert 15

Comedy/Action

Inept British director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) watches in horror as his big-budget war movie, penned by Vietnam vet John ‘Four Leaf’ Tayback (Nick Nolte), spirals out of control.

With obnoxious producer Les Grossman (Tom Cruise) on his back, Damien takes extreme action. He strands his pampered stars — Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Jeff Portnoy (Joe Black), Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr), Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel) and rapper Alpa Chino (Brandon T Jackson) — in the jungle, hoping to capture the raw fear as they battle the elements for real.

Unfortunately, the actors stumble into the domain of a bona fide drug lord (Hoo). Life imitates art imitates life as the cast takes on a well-armed militia with only prop weapons and method acting to save them.

Stiller’s latest directorial offering unites some of Hollywood’s finest comic talents in a slam-bang satire of war epics including Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket.

Tropic Thunder promises so much but fails to deliver.

Star Rating: 2/5.