Mar 18 2008'Tropic Thunder' Trailer Assaults You with RDJ's Blackness
You may think Ben Stiller is an A-list comedy star who's taken more than his share of execrable roles, and is as guilty as Will Ferrell of expecting us to continually enjoy the same tired schtick. But he's totally not. As this trailer to Tropic Thunder demonstrates, Stiller considers his wacky comedy persona to be perched well above the world of overly-serious actors, action stars, rapper-turned-actors, and his fellow wacky comics, giving him the freedom to lambast them with hammy, painfully obvious satire.
At least the trailer alleviates any concerns about the questionable taste of Robert Downey Jr. playing a white man playing a black man. It's not derogatory, just really tiring after only two-and-a-half minutes.
Reader Comments
1. sam - March 18, 2008 2:23 PM
naw. i still say that's Don Cheadle.
2. Quiznos - March 18, 2008 2:24 PM
RDJ plays a black man better than the actual black actor in the movie.
3. PB&J - March 18, 2008 2:44 PM
This feels like one step above Larry the Cable Guy's Delta Farce or at least The Three Amigos.
4. CBJ - March 18, 2008 3:08 PM
I'm sorry but I love RDJ and I don't take offense at his role. We all know it's a white guy pretending to play a black guy. It's not like they actually wanted us to think he was a black actor in the role. Comedy? Yeah i'll watch and laugh for sure.
Unlike Ms. Angelina in one of her films playing a supposed mixed woman when every inch of Angie is white?
5. Jonathan - March 18, 2008 3:12 PM
Ben Stiller is proof positive that talent skips a generation....hopefully his kids will be as funny as Jerry. RDJ on the other hand, talent abounding. He plays a more convincing black man than Barack Obama.
6. proteon - March 18, 2008 5:41 PM
Blah blah blah.
Looks better than I thought it would.
7. Lisa - March 18, 2008 7:54 PM
I don't know, Sam, I still see Tim Meadows.
8. 420 - March 18, 2008 9:21 PM
In regards to what I can tell from the trailer... I think RDJ did a fantastic job!
9. Lisa - March 18, 2008 11:04 PM
Why call it a controversy? Eddie Murphy did this plenty of times throughout his career and nobody gave notice then. Talk about double standard.
10. Adam Hyland - March 19, 2008 1:36 PM
This isn't that bad at all. It will probably be funny. I mean, part of humor is making us feel tense abut things then breaking that tension. That's why so much of humor has to do with race, religion and sex.
11. Fallen - March 19, 2008 5:09 PM
This looks funny to me. Then again, I don't hate every movie that comes out. How uncool it that?
12. Subway - March 19, 2008 8:46 PM
RDJ playing a black man can't be any worse than C. Thomas Howell playing a black man in Soul Man.
13. SlowMonkey - March 20, 2008 8:23 AM
Hell yes and yes and yes. Not only is it marvelous to watch, it is on track to improve race relations in epic proportions.
14. john rambo - March 26, 2008 2:36 AM
RDj acting is amazing, if the whole movie lives up to this standard - he should win an Oscar