One of the best comedies of the 2000s has a new streaming home, as rumors about a spinoff continue to swirl. A lot has been said about how true comedy movies have become a dying breed in Hollywood these days, so it’s always enjoyable to revisit a cult classic from back when the genre was more prevalent.
The 2000s were a time when studios took more risks on comedy movies, allotting them bigger budgets without the need for another genre being thrown into the mix. This resulted in some beloved comedy classics that simply try to make their audiences laugh. Fortunately, one of the funniest movies from this era has hit a new streaming platform.
Tropic Thunder Has Landed On Peacock
Ben Stiller’s Star-Studded Comedy Is Just As Funny As Ever
As of July 1, Tropic Thunder is streaming on Peacock. This gives fans a chance to revisit one of the funniest movies from the 2000s, with an all-star comedy cast on top form. Tropic Thunder made $195.7 million at the box office in 2008, and it has since developed a cult following.
Tropic Thunder‘s cast includes Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr., but there are also hilarious comedy stars in minor roles, like Bill Hader, Steve Coogan and Danny McBride. The most surprising performance comes from Tom Cruise, however, who gets a rare chance to flex his comedy muscles.
There have been plenty of rumors about a Tropic Thunder spinoff focusing on Cruise’s foul-mouthed studio executive Les Grossman, with Cruise himself seemingly keen on reprising his most unexpected role. Now that his Mission: Impossible days seem to have concluded, a Les Grossman movie isn’t out of the question.
Why You Should Watch Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder Blends Different Kinds Of Comedy
Tropic Thunder works on multiple levels. At its heart, it’s a Hollywood satire about how pampered actors conspire with out-of-touch studio executives and directors to make movies about serious subjects they know nothing about. It’s a hilarious send-up of the war genre, in which the actors merely do impressions of other war movies, rather than drawing from any relevant experience.
Tropic Thunder also has a rich vein of physical comedy running throughout it. From the extreme pyrotechnics to the slapstick chaos of the fight scenes, Tropic Thunder indulges in some broad, cartoonish humor that suits its fish-out-of-water premise perfectly.
Tropic Thunder‘s big swings all connect, but there are still smaller moments peppered throughout the movie that are just as funny. The script allows the cast to do what they do best, whether this means Ben Stiller playing an effete phony or Jack Black throwing his body around and showcasing his specific brand of comedic rage.
17 years on, Tropic Thunder has aged well. Even the misguided furor over Robert Downey Jr.’s use of blackface has died down, as more people now understand the real meaning behind it. Tropic Thunder was ahead of the curve back then, and it’s still refreshingly original in many ways.