He Blew up! | Tropic Thunder | First Time Watching | Movie Reaction

Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. lead an ensemble cast in 'Tropic Thunder,' 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.
Actors: Robert Downey, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel
Director: Ben Stiller
Genres: Comedy, Action & adventure
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#reaction #firsttimewatching

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Don't forget to check out my 2nd channel: www.youtube.com/@awesomeshows #breakingbad, #thegoodplace

[@King-Omega-]

Robert Downey Jr. didn't play a black guy. He played a white australian actor who was playing a black guy. Big difference! 😄

[@aeronitz]

Yes. The real travesty is that they went with Robert Downy Jr. Surely they could have found an actual Australian.

[@King-Omega-]

@@aeronitz Agreed. Taking a perfectly good role away from an Australian actor really isn't cool, I'm surprised there wasn't more controversy about it honestly.

[@pablosonic892]

They couldn't find a real poppy farmer. Taking all the jobs away from big poppy.

[@ralphwiggum6385]

He's a dude, playin' a dude, disguised as another dude!

[@nickhewes6860]

@@aeronitz THAT'S what got you? RDJ is easily a bigger box office draw than ANY actor from Australia and it's not even a close contest.

[@philmakris8507]

Robert Downey Jr is black bc it's a spoof of prentitiuos "method" actors and the trope of the tokenish stereotyped black soldier in Vietnam movies.

[@jrepka01]

And of how Hollywood executives are willing to cast a white actor with star power in an ethnic role.

[@ajschroetlin2196]

In the end, The Pecker takes the jet and the money and uses it to go save the crew. A fantastic hidden element.

[@snowdog_studios]

Something, despite seeing this multiple times, I didn't catch until a reactor pointed out!

[@LordVolkov]

"I don't know what it's called... I just know the sound it makes when it LIES!!!" Danny McBride crushes every scene. Always a highlight of any movie he's in.

[@joecoffey4199]

I need some people who speak American goddammit.

[@dabegmister]

It was pretty awesome seeing you recognize all these actors. You have come a long way my friend

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Right!!! I got like 5 people right on this one.

[@WolfHreda]

The tropes/stereotypes of each character: - Kirk Lazarus: The overly self-serious method actor who never considers the impact of their actions on others. - Tugg Speedman: The big-time action star trying to go "legit" with drama/serious roles. - Jeff Portnoy: The comedy actor from the cheap, raunchy comedies who's insecure about his place in Hollywood. - Alpa Chino: The hip-hop crossover kid, teying to break into movies off his music fame. - Kevin Sandusky: The new kid on set, still a professional who hasn't been swayed and corrupted by years of money and success into becoming the gigantic pains in the ass his co-stars are. Only time will tell for poor Kevin.

[@frogofbrass382]

For your own enjoyment, I recommend watching the DVD commentary featuring Stiller, Black, and RDJ. RDJ does stay in character for the DVD commentary and it is glorious.

[@MajaZaguan]

Ben Stiller comes from the family of actors, he made fun of "extreme method acting", when actors stay in their role during the whole filming. Some famous stars do it, like Daniel Day Lewis or Heath Ledger. It's also called the Stanislaski method acting, Lee Strasberg was one of its first representatives in the USA. He founded a famous movie school and also starred as Hyman Roth in "The Godfather II".

[@lillbunnyhop]

You might also remember Ben Stiller from Happy Gilmore. He worked in the old people’s home and was rude as hell😂

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Oh yeah he was in that a little bit

[@iKvetch558]

Oh boy...James' sides are gonna be HURTING after this one...he is gonna laugh SO hard! 😂

[@Redlife666]

For 400 years.......that word.......

[@Jaden_The_Celestial]

Also the guns the actors were using were still props. They all had blanks in them. That’s why they didn’t straight up shoot the bad guys. They were hoping the blanks would be enough to scare the drug-makers.

[@philmakris8507]

Congratulations James, most reactors don' figure out it's Tom Cruise until 3/4 of the way thru the movie.

[@michaelhandy9758]

Our dude James has really come a long way.

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

It was pretty obvious based on the voice.

[@reggieedmond9770]

So this movie was very clever about it's approach and what it's was trying to accomplish. No one had a problem with RDJ's role in this movie because they were making fun of their own industry and the ridiculous lengths that some actors will go to for a role. Only in our new more sensitive climate that ppl have tried to find a problem with this movie. RDJ was nominated for an Oscar as well for this role....great movie glad you enjoyed it. Just in case the comment section is curious I'm black.

[@EricAKATheBelgianGuy]

James, a lot of the movie (Robert Downey Jr.'s character especially) is making fun of what is called "method" acting, a technique where the actor is supposed to "become" the character, not just physically but psychologically as well. When you get to "Lincoln," the actor who played Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) is known for being a complete "method" actor. He would stay in character as Lincoln even when he was off-set, in terms of voice, body mannerisms, etc.

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Weird, does it work?

[@EricAKATheBelgianGuy]

@@AwesomeUSMovies It depends on the actor. I don't do it, because I think it takes too much out of you, but I know some who do.

[@krissiep1317]

I heard he went really drastic with “my left foot.” Like he had to be carried around off set even though he was able-bodied.

[@EricAKATheBelgianGuy]

@@krissiep1317 I believe you are correct on this. I know I'm the exception, but I've never been a fan of Daniel Day-Lewis.

[@nicamarie946]

Yes, that was Lance Bass of the boy and NSYNC. This is actually the other Ben Stiller movie he appears in. (Zoolander being the other). And it's most likely because Lance worked with Ben Stiller's dad Jerry in On the Line. ( The only movie Lance has ever starred in).

[@EricAKATheBelgianGuy]

Trivia for Tropic Thunder: - Released in 2008; directed by Ben Stiller; written by Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, and Etan Cohen. - Tropic Thunder received one Oscar nomination, with Robert Downey Jr. being nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He didn't win the category, with Heath Ledger winning for The Dark Knight (one that is definitely worth watching, imo). Downey and Tom Cruise received Golden Globe nominations in the same category. - Made $195.7 million against a budget of $92 million, which obviously was good news for both Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks, the studios that released it. - Brandon Soo Hoo's character Tran (the 12-year-old guerilla leader) was likely inspired by twin brothers in Myanmar who led a guerilla movement called God's Army during the 1990s and 2000s, and both were around the same age, drawing national attention. As of 2020, both brothers had alcohol issues and couldn't find work. - Ben Stiller came up with much of the idea during the filming of the 1987 Steven Spielberg film "Empire of the Sun," where he played a small part. - While there was an official script, not all parts of the story were completed, and actors were allowed improvise for those scenes. - Originally, Ben Stiller was supposed to play Rick Peck (Matthew McConaughey's character) and Keanu Reeves was going to play his character, Tugg Speedman. - Tom Cruise and Owen Wilson (from Marley & Me) were also originally in line to play Rick Peck. Cruise and Stiller came up with Les Grossman on their own, and it was Cruise's idea to give him large hands and have him dance at the end. Wilson was line up for the role, but dropped out due to mental health issues. - Tom Cruise's publicity team wanted to keep his role a surprise, and so they reportedly sued the news show "Inside Edition" for leaking photos of him in the Les Grossman costume. - Filming was done in Kaua'i in Hawaii, because Ben Stiller had a home there, and because the landscape was very similar to Vietnam. - A fake documentary called "Rain of Madness" was released in 2008, a few months before the movie. It was a parody of the real-life documentary "Hearts of Darkness," which talked about the on-set issues of filming the 1979 film "Apocalypse Now."

[@Greybeardmedic]

Apocalypse Now is a must watch, although it is a dark movie set in Vietnam. In fact it is based off of the novel: Heart of Darkness which takes place in Africa.

[@alexhaas9653]

That's a great movie. Thanks for the reaction. Besides Robert Downey, it's definitely Tom Cruise that steals every scene he's in. Many scenes pay homage to other movies. Platoon for example. And the way Stiller flies through the air after the bridge explosion is the same way Tom Cruise does in Mission Impossible III.

[@alexhaas9653]

@yt45204 Cheers! Thanks for this thoughtful and insightful reply to my comment which was in fact correct. Homage - a kind of reference to layman's person. But thanks for taking the time.

[@alexhaas9653]

@yt45204 Credit where credit is due. Sincere apologies, my friend. Truly. You caught me on a bad day. And me - a great Monty Python fan since the 80s (thanks to my Dad to introduce me to them) - not seeing the connection, even though I just watched it (again) a few weeks ago. Well, that shows what a bad day I have. May I offer, as a sign of peace some Larks' tongues. Wren's livers. Chaffinch brains. Jaguars' earlobes. Wolf's nipple chips? After that you and I could both join The People's Front of Judea. I won't delete my original reply though. I deserve people seeing my overreaction I'd say...

[@alexhaas9653]

@yt45204 True. Oh, the irony!

[@josephclay7315]

Shoutout to Brandon for the excellent choice in films! And thanks for a great video, sir!

[@brandonmoser8424]

Thank you 😂

[@vincegamer]

This movie is what started me watching movie reviewers on KZbin. I wanted to know if black audiences were offended by it. They were not. They all seemed to get the joke. There are a lot of tributes in this to apocalypse now, which you probably haven't seen. But you might have read the Conrad novel, heart of darkness, on which Apocalypse now is based.

[@tracyoliver6648]

The ridiculous over-the-top acting of everyone, especially the RDJ performance, makes watching reactions to this movie one of my favorite.

[@christined6321]

Not a fan of spoof movies, but my kids convinced me to watch when it first was released and I LMAO!!! I think Robert Downey Jr was my favorite character because he was so wrong for that! 😂😂😂😂 But overall a great parody of Hollywood.

[@freeportkid]

Some people already said it but RDJ’s character isn’t racist because he’s not playing a black guy. He’s playing an Australian actor who is playing a black guy. The whole point is making fun of method actors going overboard and black face.

[@TmcUnitedMex]

One of the best comedies, ever made.

[@michaelshelton8802]

Oh my God, I never caught the Kung Fu. Panda bit connecting to the panda in this that is hilarious😂😂

[@EricAKATheBelgianGuy]

This is one that doesn't get recommended a lot, but "Mystery Men" is a fun movie with Ben Stiller in it.

[@bg_4208]

In theaters people were so confused at the beginning 😂 people were complaining to the staff because there were too many trailers 😂

[@JoeCensored]

The actors weren't shooting anyone because their guns only had blanks, no real bullets.

[@aleatharhea]

I asked Alexa if there are pandas in Vietnam. She said no. She also very helpfully added that a panda's planet is "the world."

[@dontmakeabigdealoutofit]

haha this made me laugh

[@EduardoOliveira94_]

They don’t produce comedies like this anymore! I miss this kind of movies nowadays.

[@classictowers668]

There's 2 movies where Danny McBride's character was in charge of a pyrotechnics thing and in both movies the character blows the fireworks too early because of a midunderstood signal. The other movie is Hot Rod.

[@stevenrogers8601]

THANK YOU FOR PULLING THE TRIGGER AND MAKING HIM FINALLY WATCHING THIS!!! 😂❤❤❤❤

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

I forwarded on your comment to him.

[@Jaden_The_Celestial]

For reassurance, most black people didn’t really take offense to this movie mainly because it wasn’t actually Robert Downey Jr. playing as a black man. It was his character who was doing black-face. Not to mention how the in-story characters (not the actual irl actors) were clearly uncomfortable about it. It was a funny way to show how wrong it would be in the real world.

[@Jaden_The_Celestial]

@yt45204 Same, but I’m not gonna say “All black people”. But the same with you, every black person and celebrity I’ve seen react or talk about the film never said they were offended. They all found it hilarious.

[@willlockler9433]

If you come back and watch this again in a few years after watching more films, a lot of the references will click and it will be even funnier. Love this film.

[@CanadaDan]

I find it very funny that the reactors that find RDJ's character racist or offensive tend to be anything but black. Lot of black reactors laugh their asses off at RDJ's role n his dialogue, they're not offended at all. This is an epic movie, RDJ and Rom Cruise's characters were my favorites, hilarious

[@dontmakeabigdealoutofit]

I've been watching you for a couple of years now and I love your content so much! but as someone who is neuro divergent on the spectrum and takes things very literally, I often wonder why your channel is only US movies. Is that just like, the title you chose and its not literal like I'm taking it or do you really only watch American made movies? If so, have you ever considered watching something international? Have you seen anything from the UK or Europe? I can't remember if you have. Pardon my ignorance if you have already watched foreign movies on here somewhere and I missed it, but what about something like Train to Busan which is a newer South Korean zombie movie? It is SUCH a good, heartfelt movie and you wouldn't expect it from a horror film. a lotttt of channels react to it here on YT. I'm just wondering anyway, thank you for your content! 🧡💛

[@darkmaer]

The last great comedy before something got up everybody’s butts in super sensitive and now comedy is dead at least as far as movies we still got a couple stand-up comedians that are still giving the finger to everybody. Thank goodness.

[@leloyoung1190]

Ive seen this a million times but just noticed RDJ makes split second eye contact with the camera after saying "i know but i dont have to tell you" when being confronted about why hes still in character 😂😂😂 such a subtle detail

[@melchiorvonsternberg844]

This film makes so many allusions to Vietnam war films that it almost passes for satire. At least in my opinion as an European. And you know... Europeans are extreme satirists... And in my opinion, the kind of killin' the panda, reminds me on scene in the first Pradator movie, killin' a pig at night with a dagger...

[@LunaticKD1991]

🤣 Talladega Nights and this movie are my favorite comedies.

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Check out my Talladega reaction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXJm2qCic-frqs

[@joshfacio9379]

I love when rdj'characters giving his for 400 years then transitions into the jeffersons tv theme, lol.

[@Comrade.Question]

Cool to hear you are a fan of Tenacious D - their movie Pick of Destiny is pretty funny!

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Added to my list, thanks for the suggestion.

[@russellward4624]

They go so far into Vietnam they end up in Myanmar, which is why theyre speaking Mandarin and not Vietnamese and also explains the panda.

[@karenlackner192]

Great movie! This is a classic now !!!! Great reaction! This movie would never be allowed to make today ! It’s hilarious 😂 And you have come a long way in recognizing the actors and knowing their names 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@SonOfMuta]

14:15 They explained it in the movie. RDJ was playing a white, Australian named Kirk Lazarus. The character in Tropic Thunder was black so Kirk had a pigment altering surgey to play the role because he's a method actor. Kirk doesn't break character until the director's commentary... during the director's commentary RDJ was in character as Kirk until the end.

[@_toph_]

when ben stiller asked tom cruise to be in the movie, all tom said was "i want fat hands and i wanna dance." 😂😂😂

[@filipohman7277]

Awesome Movie and Work Bro, Thanks / Kiitos 👍👍👍👍👍😀 Terveisin/ Greetings from Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮🇺🇸🇫🇮🇺🇸🇫🇮🇺🇸

[@flybriur]

Yes, ads are actually taken out for actors who are considered for Oscars. And awards are very much a "political" (not government political) situation in Hollywood.

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

That's crazy to me

[@kathrynroat9139]

TT joined my top 3 after the first view! Amazing film!!! ❤

[@SmokinDroFrayser]

Will you ever start the MCU?

[@reservoirdude92]

As long as he stops at Endgame 😂

[@michaelhandy9758]

@@reservoirdude92 or at least doesn't get overloaded with phony outrage. Things take a bit of a reset after Endgame almost to a new phase 1. Frankly a lot of people just needed to take a break after Endgame, and Marvel probably should have recognized that.

[@joseherrera8489]

@@michaelhandy9758 Also, a lot of these "fans" are people that binged during the pandemic and didn't watch from the start. Its only been 3 years and people are complaining about Phase 4 not going anywhere (its actually set up A LOT but some of it has to be changed because of the actor that played Kang ruining it). The Infinity Saga took over 10 years to complete.

[@chrisbryz1652]

Meet the parents

[@SmokinDroFrayser]

And The Fockers

[@donsnover2585]

This was a really fun movie and so Ludacris if you want another ridiculous movie about making a movie check out Bowfinger(1999)

[@cromo7956]

Booty sweat and bust-a-nut were real promotional products that you could buy at the gas stations .

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

That funny

[@jrepka01]

At the time of its release there was little comment or controversy about RDJ playing the role in blackface, because the character was a blond white guy in black face. It wouldn't have worked if they had cast a black actor to play Kirk Lazarus. On the other hand, they took a lot of criticism at the time over the scene where Downey and Stiller were discussing Simple Jack because of their use of the un-PC word "Retard."

[@mikewhite6138]

This is Robert Downey Jr's best performance. Oppenheimer was good this is better.

[@danielkillian1222]

48 hrs. Nick with Eddie Murphy.

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Added to my list, thanks for the suggestion.

[@michaelhandy9758]

@@AwesomeUSMovies Raise you, Bowfinger with Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin. Not a blockbuster major film but a real treat of a comedy, great premise.

[@marilynn7799]

One of my favorite movies, so glad you enjoyed it. This is the kind of movie you don't take seriously and just laugh.

[@bredincummings4381]

If you thought it was confusing at the start. Imagine being in the theater and seeing normal movie trailers before the fake ones! You were watching the movie without even knowing you were watching the movie!

[@MitchClement-il6iq]

James should watched apocalypse now and platoon before this classic comedy parody lol.

[@secondghost]

I see you pinched your fingernail, hope its healing well.

[@DAMIENDMILLS]

My name isn't used a lot in movies, but the few times it was, it was used for characters that were the spawn of the Devil and an British director who steps on a mine and blows up.

[@Dalehenrickson]

It wasn’t racist. It was funny and most of Robert downy Jr encouraged him to do it.

[@ScarlettM]

Thank you, Brandon!

[@brandonmoser8424]

You're welcome 😂

[@brianvernon249]

There is only one woman in this entire movie and she has the best line - when Maria Ma-ma-makes fun of him.

[@danielbrooks5585]

Bill Hader was one of the cops from Superbad

[@pablosonic892]

'Oh. I know him. Ben something.'

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

I remembers after a few minutes

[@goldieschooch8512]

This was such a crazy movie ✌🏻☀️

[@30noir]

What the hell? You cut out the funniest bits? Is this woke editing? Worst reaction of this on youtube.

[@anonomas6126]

Disagree with you on all points.

[@donjackson5522]

More Nick Nolte! 48 Hours & North Dallas Forty.

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

Added to my list, thanks for the suggestion.

[@ralphwiggum6385]

23:06 well you definitely should then!!

[@stevenrogers8601]

This movie is GENIUS!!!!!!! Just absolutely amazing in my opinion 😂❤ and my favorite person in this movie is Tom Cruse

[@JacobDennisHarris8586]

Paused at the beginning of this Reaction, I ENJOY THIS MOVIE! WHEN THE DIRECTOR! LOL!!! About to watch what you think!

[@jamesdamiano8894]

I love this movie mainly because it’s so politically incorrect. You must watch Rambo at least the first one , you’ll love it. They’re all worth watching but the first one is is really good. Also check out Nick Nolte in 48 Hours with Eddie Murphy. On a side note this may be Tom Cruise’s best role. He was hilarious.

[@nolanhenshallentertainment]

James, you cracked me UP in this reaction video, mate haha. Such a fun watch!

[@jamesdamiano8894]

P.S. James you really should also watch Jack Black in “School Of Rock”. You’ll have a lot of fun with that one. As far as the offensive elements go, that was the whole point.

[@oneluffy2.0]

Awesome movie 😂😂

[@richiebush7672]

Pick of Destiny,,

[@johnsonwilliam1023]

How about 30 million

[@celiashen5490]

Back in the day, early 90s, Ben Stiller had a small tv show. He trolled Tom Cruise a few times in the show.

[@chrisj2546]

im a roster illusion

[@tibos79]

What a tool

[@Kamenari37]

I remember seeing this in theaters when it first dropped. Thought it was great, but it didn't exactly land with a bang in terms of the public reception of it. It performed rather average but has since garnered a cult following. A lot of criticism has been lobbied at it for its use of blackface regarding RDJ's character but Stiller has stood by the portrayal. One could say that the portrayal in the film was a commentary on some of the absurd practices within Hollywood and so it fits. There are quite a few movie references and star cameos peppered throughout the film. The kid who portrayed Tug Speedman's agent's son is a relative of Ben Stiller. The assistant to Tom Cruise's character is Bill Hader, who is absolutely hysterical. He started out on Saturday Night Live and has since moved on to be a writer for South Park while starring in many films and t.v. bits. Some other noteworthy things to see him in are movies such as Superbad, and the more recent "It" films.

[@Lynn7015hb]

I saw it when it came out. Don't remember much criticism for RDJ at all. Most ppl "got it." The criticism was for Stiller's portrayal of a mentally ill person & the repeated use of the word retarded.

[@darthmillennial2671]

The guns they have are props that only fire blanks

[@entertainmentlife430]

This movie is SO MUCH FUN!

[@pricemoore2022]

Awesome reaction of my favorite movie!!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@AwesomeUSMovies]

So glad you enjoyed

[@pleutron]

the robert downy jr playing a black guy was a purposeful racist bit part. if someone is seriously offended by it and not get the comedy in what that was, then there is no help for them

[@colosine]

I miss when comedy was allowed to be offensive

[@joseherrera8489]

It still is. What you want is bigotry with the fake disclaimer that its supposed to be a joke to excuse it.

[@colosine]

@joseherrera8489 yeah, offensive, when comedians go non offensive they bomb and get forgotten because life is rough and sometimes you have to laugh at the rough stuff to get through it

[@philmakris8507]

One of the few Tom Cruise roles I actually like. Let's just face the truth here ppl Tom Cruise has played the exact same character in every other movie he has ever made. TC sucks.

[@King-Omega-]

I'm not the biggest Tom Cruise fan, but he definitely hasn't played the exact same character in every movie he's made. For example watch Collateral and then watch The Last Samurai, they're not even close to the same. And TC plays a pretty badass bad guy in Collateral, even though he's usually the good guy it really works. Not to mention he does all his own stunts, so he's no loser in that dept.

[@isabelsilva62023]

@philmakris8507 "The Color of Money", "Rain Man", "Born on the 4th of July", "A Few Good Men", Interview with the Vampire", "The Firm", "Magnolia" and "Eyes Wide Shut" always the same character?... Tom had a brilliant career before the Mission Impossible movies you know...

[@michaelhandy9758]

@@isabelsilva62023 there are valid things to criticize Tom for but acting ability isn't one of them.

[@michaelthompson8755]

@@isabelsilva62023 Exactly !!

[@isabelsilva62023]

@@michaelhandy9758 Quite so, Tom has an amazing range and it takes talent to be able not to be "invisible" when in one of your first movies there is "only" Paul Newman there...