Tropic Thunder was released on August 13, 2008. And while many fans of the comedic war movie argue that it’s Ben Stiller’s best work, others on social media have a problem with some of the film’s most controversial themes.
However, Stiller, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film, says he’s still proud of it. And he refuses to apologize for the work that was done on it.
Ben Stiller is a legend in Hollywood, famous for starring in and directing many iconic movies
And despite the controversial material included in Tropic Thunder (2008), Stiller says he still stands by the film
Tropic Thunder tells the story of actors hired to star in a film about the Vietnam War
Tropic Thunder / DreamWorks Pictures
But they unexpectedly find themselves in life-threatening situations in the middle of the jungle
Tropical Thunder / DreamWorks Pictures
Nowadays, it’s incredibly common for modern audiences to watch a film from several decades ago and realize that it didn’t age particularly well. It may include jokes that are considered extremely offensive today or “humor” that was actually just hate crimes. But as Ben Stiller pointed out on X, this movie was controversial from the get-go.
If you’ve never seen Tropic Thunder, it tells the story of several actors who travel to Vietnam to film a war movie. As the film falls behind schedule, a studio exec warns that the project will be canceled if they don’t turn things around.
So the director decides to take a big swing and drop the stars into a real Southeast Asian jungle in an effort to infuse realism into the film. What they don’t know, however, is that they’ve entered an extremely dangerous gang-controlled territory.
The actors embark on a terrifying (yet hilarious) journey to survive and eventually make their way home. The movie is a classic, often regarded as one of Ben Stiller’s best works.
The film has been criticized by some audiences for its controversial content and offensive jokes
Tropic Thunder / DreamWorks Pictures
However, the film certainly isn’t for all audiences. One of the most controversial aspects of the script is the fact that Robert Downey Jr.’s character portrays a Black man in full blackface.
The point of his character was to make fun of the ridiculous measures that actors will take to attempt to win an award. But of course, most people do not find blackface to be funny in any context.
“The spirit that [Ben] Stiller directed and cast and shot Tropic Thunder in was, essentially, as a railing against all of these tropes that are not right and [that] had been perpetuated for too long,” Downey Jr. said in an interview.
He was even nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Kirk Lazarus. The actor’s explanation of the role was not sufficient for all audiences, though.
Tropic Thunder / DreamWorks Pictures
The stars defended the film, saying it was meant to mock Hollywood culture, not audiences
Tropic Thunder / DreamWorks Pictures
Another aspect of the film that has been widely criticized by audiences is the mocking of people with disabilities. Upon the film’s release in 2008, various media outlets even called for boycotts of the movie.
There was a nationwide “Rally for Respect” organized by disability groups to call out the film for its use of slurs against people with intellectual disabilities.
In Tropic Thunder, Stiller’s character attempts to win an Oscar by starring in a film called Simple Jack, which tells the story of a man with intellectual disabilities. Of course, this is used as a punchline many times in the film, which some viewers took offense to.
Despite the controversy, Stiller has had an extremely successful career and embodied many iconic roles that audiences still love today
Night at the Museum / 20th Century Fox
Zoolander / Paramount Pictures
The film’s stars say that the movie intended to poke fun at Hollywood culture, not individual people. The fact that actors would happily take on offensive roles is supposed to be seen as absurd. And it’s been done plenty of times in real life. Though most of those performances were criticized by audiences as well.
Stiller even admitted on X in 2018 that he apologized to “the great people and work of” the Special Olympics when the film first came out. “It was always meant to make fun of actors trying to do anything to win awards,” he explained.
But audiences have the right to be offended by controversial content in films, especially today, when “cancel culture” and taking complaints to social media is the norm.
We would love to hear your thoughts on Tropic Thunder in the comments below, pandas. Are you a fan of the comedy film? Or do you refuse to watch it due to the content and language it features? Then, if you’re interested in reading another article from Bored Panda discussing similar themes, look no further than right here.
Stiller admits that it would be harder to make Tropic Thunder today, but he believes that filmmakers should be willing to take risks
The majority of viewers agree that Tropic Thunder is an iconic film that still holds up nearly 20 years later
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