SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: TROPIC THUNDER

"TROPIC THUNDER"
(2008) (Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr.) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	*Mild	Extreme

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Heavy	None	Heavy	Extreme	Extreme

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Heavy	Moderate	Minor	Heavy	Extreme

QUICK TAKE:: Comedy/Action: After being dropped off in country to film a Vietnam War movie, five actors don't realize the armed drug rebels they've encountered aren't part of the production.

PLOT:

Tugg Speedman (BEN STILLER) is a big movie actor whose star is on the decline, what with too many sequels to his "Scorcher" action picks and a failed attempted to play a mentally challenged man in the film "Simple Jack." Jeff Portnoy (JACK BLACK) is the star of a series of gross-out films featuring "The Fatties," but is saddled with a drug addiction.

Alpa Chino (BRANDON T. JACKSON) is a popular hip-hop performer who has a growing product franchise and is expanding his empire into the movie business. And then there's award-winning Australian actor Kirk Lazarus (ROBERT DOWNEY JR.) who's so dedicated to his art that he immerses himself completely in whatever role he's playing, such as surgically changing his skin pigmentation to play an African American.

They're joined by rookie actor Kevin Sandusky (JAY BARUCHEL) on the set of "Tropic Thunder," a big-budget Vietnam war pic about the story of legendary Sgt. Four Leaf Tayback (NICK NOLTE), who's now on the set as an advisor to Damien Cockburn (STEVE COOGAN). He's the director who's in over his head, what with the demanding and/or troubled actors, trigger-happy explosives coordinator Cody (DANNY McBRIDE), and an angry Hollywood mogul, Lee Grossman (TOM CRUISE), and his subordinate studio exec, Rob Slolom (BILL HADER).

Four Leaf realizes what's wrong with the production -- a lack of authenticity -- and thus encourages Damien to place his actors in country so that they can experience something close to the real thing. With Cody providing the explosives and told that there are cameras everywhere to capture their scene acting, the performers go about performing their roles. While Tugg's agent, Rick Peck (MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY), is concerned about his client's lack of a digital video recorder on location, the actors don't realize they've landed in the midst of drug fields of the Flaming Dragons led by the young Tran (BRANDON SOO HOO).

Of course, they think the armed rebels are just part of the film, but are on their own when Damien takes a wrong step. From that point on, it takes a while before they eventually realize their private little movie war has turned into something completely different.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of anyone in the cast and/or over-the-top action-comedies, they just might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: BEN STILLER plays the biggest movie star of the day, but one whose star is waning due to overexposure in one role and a critically panned one playing a mental challenged character in another. He's the last to believe that the drug-growing rebels aren't part of the moviemaking process. He uses strong profanity.
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. plays a method actor who's so immersed in his roles that he surgically alters the pigmentation of his skin for his part of playing a black, Vietnam era soldier, and then never goes out of character even when filming has stopped. He uses strong profanity and smokes.
JACK BLACK plays the miscast, drug-addled actor in the film, best known for appearing in crude, scatological based comedies. He's unhappy to be in country, especially when he runs out of drugs. He uses strong profanity.
NICK NOLTE plays the technical advisor on the film that's based on his book supposedly based on his time in Vietnam. He's the one who suggest the actors need to be immersed in as close to the real situation as possible, uses strong profanity, briefly smokes, and withholds a deception from the others.
STEVE COOGAN plays the director of the film who's in over his head having to deal with all aspects of it. He uses strong profanity and briefly drinks.
JAY BARUCHEL plays the rookie but most centered actor on the set who looks up to his veteran costars, but tries to keep them level-headed when things go awry. He uses some profanity.
DANNY McBRIDE plays the munitions special effects coordinator on the film who's trigger happy with his work and uses strong profanity.
BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; ROBERT DOWNEY JR. plays a method actor who's so immersed in his roles that he surgically alters the pigmentation of his skin for his part of playing a black, Vietnam era soldier, and then never goes out of character even when filming has stopped. He uses strong profanity and smokes.
JACK BLACK plays the miscast, drug-addled actor in the film, best known for appearing in crude, scatological based comedies. He's unhappy to be in country, especially when he runs out of drugs. He uses strong profanity.
NICK NOLTE plays the technical advisor on the film that's based on his book supposedly based on his time in Vietnam. He's the one who suggest the actors need to be immersed in as close to the real situation as possible, uses strong profanity, briefly smokes, and withholds a deception from the others.
STEVE COOGAN plays the director of the film who's in over his head having to deal with all aspects of it. He uses strong profanity and briefly drinks.
JAY BARUCHEL plays the rookie but most centered actor on the set who looks up to his veteran costars, but tries to keep them level-headed when things go awry. He uses some profanity.
DANNY McBRIDE plays the munitions special effects coordinator on the film who's trigger happy with his work and uses strong profanity.
BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; JACK BLACK plays the miscast, drug-addled actor in the film, best known for appearing in crude, scatological based comedies. He's unhappy to be in country, especially when he runs out of drugs. He uses strong profanity.
NICK NOLTE plays the technical advisor on the film that's based on his book supposedly based on his time in Vietnam. He's the one who suggest the actors need to be immersed in as close to the real situation as possible, uses strong profanity, briefly smokes, and withholds a deception from the others.
STEVE COOGAN plays the director of the film who's in over his head having to deal with all aspects of it. He uses strong profanity and briefly drinks.
JAY BARUCHEL plays the rookie but most centered actor on the set who looks up to his veteran costars, but tries to keep them level-headed when things go awry. He uses some profanity.
DANNY McBRIDE plays the munitions special effects coordinator on the film who's trigger happy with his work and uses strong profanity.
BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; NICK NOLTE plays the technical advisor on the film that's based on his book supposedly based on his time in Vietnam. He's the one who suggest the actors need to be immersed in as close to the real situation as possible, uses strong profanity, briefly smokes, and withholds a deception from the others.
STEVE COOGAN plays the director of the film who's in over his head having to deal with all aspects of it. He uses strong profanity and briefly drinks.
JAY BARUCHEL plays the rookie but most centered actor on the set who looks up to his veteran costars, but tries to keep them level-headed when things go awry. He uses some profanity.
DANNY McBRIDE plays the munitions special effects coordinator on the film who's trigger happy with his work and uses strong profanity.
BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; STEVE COOGAN plays the director of the film who's in over his head having to deal with all aspects of it. He uses strong profanity and briefly drinks.
JAY BARUCHEL plays the rookie but most centered actor on the set who looks up to his veteran costars, but tries to keep them level-headed when things go awry. He uses some profanity.
DANNY McBRIDE plays the munitions special effects coordinator on the film who's trigger happy with his work and uses strong profanity.
BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; JAY BARUCHEL plays the rookie but most centered actor on the set who looks up to his veteran costars, but tries to keep them level-headed when things go awry. He uses some profanity.
DANNY McBRIDE plays the munitions special effects coordinator on the film who's trigger happy with his work and uses strong profanity.
BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; DANNY McBRIDE plays the munitions special effects coordinator on the film who's trigger happy with his work and uses strong profanity.
BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; BRANDON T. JACKSON plays a hip-hop entrepreneur cast in the movie. He isn't pleased with Kirk playing a black actor and never dropping out of character even when the cameras aren't rolling, and isn't happy about the predicament in which they find themselves. He uses profanity, does a sexually related commercial that belies his true sexual orientation, and smokes a bit.
BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; BRANDON SOO HOO plays the angry younger leader of the Flaming Dragons who initially believes the actors are DEA agents arriving to take out the rebels' drug operation, but forces Tugg to act out his "Simple Jack" performance for everyone.
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY plays Tugg's agent who's concerned about keeping his client happy.
TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; TOM CRUISE plays a type-A Hollywood mogul who berates everyone around him with anger, foul language and sexual remarks.
BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.; BILL HADER plays his subordinate, a studio executive who must go along with his ways.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 84 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue, song lyrics and gestures are present, as is the sight of some scantly clad women, while archival footage shows a man standing fully nude on his balcony, with his crotch area pixelated. A male character turns out to be gay.

Violence consists of comedy and action-based war material, some faked (with very exaggerated, graphically gory/bloody results) and some real where people are killed by various means. Fighting and the striking of others also occur, and some animals are killed (played for comedy).

Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some viewers might not like some of the politically incorrect material used for laughs. Some behavior might be enticing for kids to imitate, characters drink and smoke, and one is noted as being a drug addict (and goes through withdrawal after losing his stash), while Asian rebels are drug farmers. Finally, various bits of crude humor are also present.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that from lightning at night.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Jeff may have a beer and appears intoxicated (or high) while on TV. There's talk about his drug problem with heroin, crack and more.
We see archival footage of Kirk standing nude up on a balcony (his crotch area is pixelated), holding a beer.
People drink at Alpa's party, including women having alcohol poured directly into their mouths from the bottles.
Damien drinks from a bottle.
Jeff repeatedly tries to get some "jelly beans" from a wrapper, but he's really after cocaine or something similar in powder form that blows away in one scene, and is taken away by a bat in another (he later catches and bites into that bat, trying to get the drugs from it).
A song has a lyric about smoking a lot of grass and popping a lot of pills.
Kevin states that the rebel stronghold looks like a heroin plant, and we learn that's a correct assessment. Hearing that, Jeff appears happy.
Before trying to rescue Tugg, Jeff tells the others they must tie him up or he'll do all of the heroin in the rebels' plant. They do and he then pleads for them to let him go.
Jeff grabs Tran, runs off, and says, "Show me where the drugs are." He then goes into a room where he sees an enormous pile of powder. He's interrupted before inhaling any, but does get some on his hands that he then holds over the faces of two rebels, rendering them unconscious (and stating, from experience) how long it will take before they come to).
About watching his co-star's earlier work, Alpa states he "got high to that sh*t."
Rob has champagne and Grossman tells him to go and get drunk.
Rick has a drink.

BLOOD/GORE: We see a movie trailer for Jeff's latest pic about "The Fatties" where he plays various family members who all loudly fart repeatedly.
We see what initially looks like real war footage, but then turns out to be the making of Damien's war pic. In it, helicopters fire missiles and machine guns, hitting people and blowing others aside, while one soldier is shot through the helmet and an exaggerated geyser of blood squirts out, covering Jeff's face. An enemy soldier then uses his bayonet on an American, gutting him, with exaggerated results of a full open belly wound and the man holding his bloody entrails, etc. Tugg's character is then shot many times (with some blood coming out), and Kirk then tends to a bloody Tugg whose hands are mangled, bloody messes that no longer look like hands.
About being suspended from a helicopter during filming, Jeff complains that the harness "is riding up my crack."
About the movie's pyrotechnics, a comment is made about a large number of pounds of "sh*t your pants," while another comment is made that mother nature just "pissed" her pantsuit.
We see archival footage of Jeff with a bruised face.
Following an order from Grossman over the phone, a set worker punches Damien in the face, bloodying his nose.
Grossman makes a comment about something being "so far up your sh*t-hole."
A person turns and steps on a land mine, followed by a meaty and bloody explosion. Tugg then picks up the severed head, thinking it's a fake movie prop, going so far as to tasting the blood, shaking the head to get more of that out of the bottom (and licking his tongue near that), parading it around on the end of his gun, and then kicking it like a soccer ball. The others realize it's real, and one apparently vomits.
Cody has a disfigured ear from an earlier unseen accident with his pyrotechnics.
There's a comment about farting in a bathtub.
Kevin urinates in the jungle (we don't see anything), with Kirk joining him, but faking it so he can talk to him in private. Tugg then does the same thing, but pops a can of liquid to simulate urinating.
Jeff grabs a bat that previously took off with his drugs. He bites into it, and we see blood on his mouth.
Jeff states, "I gotta take a f*cking 12-pound sh*t."
We see some blood on Tugg after he attacks and kills a panda by mistake. We then see him dressed like some sort of jungle warrior wearing the panda head on his head, and he may eat one of the eyeballs (or something similarly round).
Going through withdrawal, Jeff says he needs to drink water so that he has something to throw up (but others stop him from drinking foul standing water).
Jeff bends down behind a large rock to vomit, and we see some of that on his lip when he goes upright again.
To play Simple Jack for his captors, Tugg is forced to put another man's full dentures into his own mouth.
Jeff farts.
During a battle with the rebels, Tugg, Kirk and Kevin's faces are bloody to varying degrees.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Some viewers might not like violence against animals (a panda and bear are killed - see "Violence") played for comedy.
We see a movie trailer for Kirk's latest pic, "Satan's Alley," where he and Tobey Maguire play monks who exchange longing looks and such toward each other, with a comment about Kirk's character questioning his God (some viewers might not like that mix of religion and homosexuality).
Tran and the other rebels grow and process drugs, and also take various members of the cast and crew hostage.
Some viewers may take offense to repeated uses of the term "retard" and "retarded" regarding Tugg's earlier work playing a stuttering, mentally challenged young man in a movie called "Simple Jack." Later, and about his role as Simple Jack, Tugg says he watched a lot of "retarded" people and the "retarded" stuff they did, saying he then actually felt "retarded" himself. Kirk then explains what with wrong with Tugg's performance, telling him, "You never go full retard." He then gives examples of past movie characters that had some sort of gift or ability that kept them from being a "full retard" and that's why those portraying them won awards for their work, compared to others, like Tugg, who "went full retard."
About a photo of him and his adopted son, Rick dejectedly tells another person (who's looking to adopt) "I'm stuck with mine."
Grossman is demeaning to most everyone, berating them with anger, profanity and more.
Some viewers might not like when Damien exclaims to his actors in country that the helicopter is God and that he is Jesus Christ, his son (referring to the pecking order of the movie set).
Spoiler Alert: It turns out Four Leaf is sporting fake arm hooks and made up the Vietnam story that appeared in his book.
Some viewers might take offense to the repeated material of Kirk having undergone pigment darkening to play a black man in the movie. He also stays in character when the camera isn't shooting, doing a stereotypical impersonation of a black soldier in a Vietnam era movie.
When Rick mistakenly thinks Tugg has killed a hooker (when they talk on the phone), he hurriedly tells his client what to get to cover up the act.
Alpa (who's black) refers to Kirk (who's a white Australian, but playing black) as a "Koala-hugging nigger."
Tran hits Tugg in the crotch with the butt of his gun and then does so again. When Tugg doesn't recreate his Simple Jack character the way Tran wants it, the latter yells, "More stupid!"
The Flaming Dragons try to blackmail Grossman and Rick for millions of dollars while holding Tugg hostage.
Grossman and Rob bribe Rick with a jet and lots of money to forget about Tugg being held hostage, knowing they could make more money from his death than the movie he's making.
Grossman repeatedly tells Rob, "A nut-less monkey could do your job."

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling or suspenseful to those with low tolerance levels for such material, but most is played as exaggerated action-comedy.
Huddled under cover while alone at night in the jungle by himself, Tugg hears sounds approaching him from the darkness. He then readies himself and springs into action, repeatedly stabbing the attacking creature (seen in a disorienting fashion where we can't really tell what happens). He then realizes to his horror that he's killed a panda.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Handguns/Rifles/Machine guns/Missiles/Explosives/Knives/Flamethrower: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.
We see a movie trailer for Tugg's latest pic where he holds one and then two large guns.
Rebels hold guns on Four Leaf and Cody.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "You cherry f*ck," "Cover me, you limp-d*ck f*ckers," "Holy f*ck," "Dumb f*ck," "What the f*ck /is going on here/are you guys talking about?" "F*ck you," "F*ck-faces," "Really f*cking hard," "Shut the f*ck up," "You limey f*ck," "Cootch-less m*therf*cker," "F*cking nothing," "F*cking bullsh*t," "I gotta take a f*cking 12-pound sh*t," "Are you f*cking kidding me?" "Just f*cking with you," "F*ck that," "Look, f*ck-stick," "F*ck your own face," "I will f*ck you up," "Go f*ck yourself," "Whatever the f*ck," "Like the f*cking 4th of July," "I'm a lead farmer, m*therf*cker," "Let's get the f*ck out of here," "Who in crikey f*ck?" "We're gonna f*cking die," "Holy sh*t," "Chicken-sh*t," "Dip-sh*t," "200 pounds of sh*t your pants," "You sh*t the money bed," "Deep sh*t," "So far up your sh*t-hole..." "You must put those boys in the sh*t," "This is bullsh*t," "Blow some sh*t up," "Horse-sh*t," "Some great sh*t," "You're in a world of hurt, dumb-sh*t," "Sh*tty," "Piece of sh*t," "Sh*t-load," "That sh*t ain't funny," "Chicken George sh*t," "Fake sh*t," "That sh*t blew me away," "I got high to that sh*t," "I like da p*ssy," "Blue balls," "Booty sweat," "It's the p*cker," "Lily-d*ck," "Big-ass t*tties," "Bust a nut," "Suck my unit," "Suck on that unit," "I'm just like a little boy playing with his d*ck when he's nervous," "D*ck-cheese," "Big d*ck," "Your mother was a cantankerous whore," "I was really hoping I'd get laid," "Dice" (testicles), "D*ck-head," "A nut-less monkey could do your job," "Bastard," "Ain't nuthin' but a thing," "Retarded," "It was like pistol-whipping a blind kid," "You mo-mo-mo-make me happy" (said as a stutter), "Pansy-ass actor," "Save your breath, maggots," "I'm head to toe legit," "Crawling up Satan's bottom," "The chopper is God, and I'm Jesus Christ, His son," "Hell yeah," "I watched a lot of retarded people," "Moron," "Laughing your ass off," "You never go full retard," "You went full retard, man," "Turd," "Take a piss," "Where the hell are we?" "Chill," "What do you mean, 'You people?'" "Excuse me, Kangaroo Jack," "You're the Milli Vanilli of patriots," "Screw Tivo," "Hot damn," "Koala-hugging nigger" (said by a black man to a white man playing a black man), "Shut up, now," "More stupid!" "Are you insane?" "Dumb ass," "Hell no," "Screw up" and "My ass!"
The action and stunts might be enticing for some kids to imitate.
Tugg, Tran (with a big one on his chest) and various miscellaneous characters have various tattoos.
We see archival footage of Kirk standing nude up on a balcony (his crotch area is pixelated), holding a beer and giving "the finger" to the camera.
People drink at Alpa's party, including women having alcohol poured directly into their mouths from the bottles.
Tugg and his captor repeatedly spit on each other.
Grossman grabs his clothed crotch while taunting someone. He then does some dancing while imitating spanking a bent over woman's butt in front of his crotch.
Grossman does some exaggerated solo dancing.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A heavy amount of ominous and suspenseful music (some of it played with comedic undertones) occurs in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): We see a commercial for Alpa's latest product, "Booty Sweat," where he dances around with some scantly clad women (who shake their butts) while repeatedly singing that he likes "Da p*ssy."
A song has a lyric about smoking a lot of grass and popping a lot of pills.
A song has repeated uses of the "f" word used with mother as well as the "s" word.
Some other songs had lyrics that we couldn't fully hear and/or understand, thus presenting the possibility of them potentially containing something objectionable.

PROFANITY: Considering that so much of the material comes in short spurts and overlaps other categories, not to mention some muddled or quickly spoken dialogue, the following should be considered a bare minimum.
At least 84 "f" words (17 used with "mother"), 51 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("laid"), 17 using male genitals ("c*ck," "d*ck," "p*cker," "pr*ck," "unit"), 14 using female ones ("p*ssy," "poontang," "cootch"), 4 for breasts (variations of "t*t"), 23 asses (2 used with "hole"), 17 hells, 5 damns, 2 S.O.B.s, 10 uses of "G-damn," 4 each of "Jesus" and "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "Christ," "God," "Jesus Christ," "Oh God," "Oh Jesus" and "Oh Lord."

SEX/NUDITY: Considering that so much of the material comes in short spurts and overlaps other categories, not to mention some muddled or quickly spoken dialogue, the following should be considered a bare minimum.
We see a commercial for Alpa's latest product, "Booty Sweat," where he dances around with some scantly clad women (who shake their butts) while repeatedly singing that he likes "Da p*ssy."
Using sexual metaphors about letting lose with the movie pyrotechnics, Cody comments on "blue balls" and letting them squirt, etc.
A TV host shows a lot of cleavage.
We see archival footage of Kirk standing nude up on a balcony (his crotch area is pixelated), holding a beer and giving "the finger" to the camera.
We see bikini clad women at Alpa's party.
Four Leaf makes some sort of hooker analogy to Damien.
There's a sexual comment about "poontang" and "cootch."
There's a comment about "bust a nut."
Kevin urinates in the jungle (we don't see anything), with Kirk joining him, but faking it so he can talk to him in private. When he's done, he pats Kevin on the clothed butt. Tugg then does the same thing, but pops a can of liquid to simulate urinating, and then similarly pats Kevin on the clothed butt when he's done and walks off.
As a taunt, one man tells another "Suck my unit," followed by the return taunt of "Suck on that unit."
As they walk through the woods, Kevin talks about various competing video formats and that porn always ends up determining which prevails.
Grossman makes some comment about "t*ts" and then tells the rebels on the phone to take a step forward, turn around and "f*ck your own face."
About being in danger, Kirk says he's just like a little boy playing with his "d*ck" when he's nervous.
Jeff briefly mentions doing a soft-core porn cable movie and uses the term "t*tty" while describing it.
We briefly see a buxom, cleavage-revealing woman on the cover of Maxim that Grossman is reading.
Grossman grabs his clothed crotch while taunting someone. He then does some dancing while imitating spanking a bent over woman's butt in front of his crotch. He then comments about a "big d*ck" and Rob mentions it swinging past your knees (all in regards to giving Rick a jet in exchange for not worrying about rescuing Tugg).
Kevin states that he was really hoping to "get laid" after the movie came out. While talking about women and such, Alpa then lets it slip that while he has many women around, his heart longs for Lance. The others are shocked and Alpa tries to cover his tracks, saying he "loves da p*ssy," but he's asked about wanting to dangle his dice (testicles) on Lance's forehead, and Kirk says that everyone is gay at one point or another. We later see Alpa with his gay lover at an awards ceremony.
Before trying to rescue Tugg, Jeff tells the others they must tie him up or he'll do all of the heroin in the rebels' plant. We then see Jeff tied to a tree shirtless, but he then begs for them to let him go, including saying he'll suck one's "d*ck" and then uses various sexual comments about what else he'd do, including that he'd fondle the scrotum/testicles, stroke the shaft and "swallow the gravy."
We see Jeff in just his shorts.
We see miscellaneous cleavage.
We briefly see Jeff dancing near a scantly clad pole dancer.

SMOKING: Kirk smokes a number of times as does Tran, while Grossman (cigar), Four Leaf (cigar) and Alpa each smoke at least once, and some miscellaneous characters also smoke.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: About a photo of him and his adopted son, Rick dejectedly tells another person (who's looking to adopt) "I'm stuck with mine."

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: The movie related subjects parodied in the film.
The Vietnam War.
Drug addiction.
The politically incorrect material in the film.
As they walk through the woods, Kevin talks about various competing video formats and that porn always ends up determining which prevails.

VIOLENCE: We see what initially looks like real war footage, but then turns out to be the making of Damien's war pic. In it, helicopters fire missiles and machine guns, hitting people and blowing others aside, while one soldier is shot through the helmet and an exaggerated geyser of blood squirts out, covering Jeff's face. An enemy soldier then uses his bayonet on an American, gutting him, with exaggerated results of a full open belly wound and the man holding his bloody entrails, etc. Tugg's character is then shot many times (with some blood coming out), and Kirk runs to his aide, all while a chopper crashes and explodes near him, while a grenade is deflected away and hits a chopper, causing Jeff to dangle from that. Kirk then tends to a bloody Tugg whose hands are mangled, bloody messes that no longer look like hands. After they stop acting, movie jets then drop bombs nearby, causing a huge explosion.
We see archival footage of Kirk hitting someone on camera.
Following an order from Grossman over the phone, a set worker punches Damien in the face, bloodying his nose.
Damien repeatedly slaps Jeff.
Damien stomps on his actors' cell phones to prevent such outside technology from interfering with their period acting.
A person turns and steps on a land mine, followed by a meaty and bloody explosion. Tugg then picks up the severed head, thinking it's a fake movie prop, going so far as to tasting the blood, shaking the head to get more of that out of the bottom (and licking his tongue near that), parading it around on the end of his gun, and then kicking it like a soccer ball.
Armed rebels approach the unaware actors and eventually fire real machine guns at them, which at least Tugg thinks is fake and just part of the movie production. He throws a fake grenade back at them, just as Cody remotely sets off pre-staged explosives, resulting in a huge explosion.
Jeff grabs a bat that previously took off with his drugs. He bites into it, and we see blood on his mouth.
Huddled under cover while alone at night in the jungle by himself, Tugg hears sounds approaching him from the darkness. He then readies himself and springs into action, repeatedly stabbing the attacking creature (seen in a disorienting fashion where we can't really tell what happens). He then realizes to his horror that he's killed a panda.
A rebel grabs Tugg around the neck and renders him unconscious.
Kirk slaps Alpa and then catches the return punch in his palm.
Rebels have Tugg strung up and repeatedly dunk him completely underwater, feet first (he thinks it's part of the film's production and keeps yelling for the scene to stop filming).
Tran puts out his smoke on Tugg's chest, burning it. He then repeatedly whacks Tugg with a rod until he realizes who he is.
Tran hits Tugg in the crotch with the butt of his gun and then does so again.
Alpa slaps Kirk (returning the same from before).
Tran delivers a kidney punch to Tugg.
After being untied, Jeff falls off an ox to the ground, hard.
The actors fire their fake guns at the rebels, fooling them into surrendering (and the actors then briefly manhandle some of them to the ground).
Tran repeatedly kicks and hits Jeff, including in the crotch. Jeff then charges and grabs Tran, with them hitting and then crashing through the floor, landing hard on the floor below that, leaving Tran unconscious.
A real machine gun is fired at Alpa who takes cover, followed by Cody setting off a huge explosion that blows up a small building or two. With more armed support arriving for the rebels, Four Leaf fires a flamethrower at them to allow the actors to escape.
As the actors try to escape in a truck, it's riddled with machine gun fire, followed by Tran firing a rocket into it. The rest jump out, but Kevin is still driving when it hits and explodes, destroying the truck and wounding Kevin as well as some of the others (Jeff complains about his butt.
We hear machine gun fire from the other side of a bridge and then see Tugg running across it, with a little boy hanging on and repeatedly stabbing him in his back. Tugg then flings the boy off and into the water below (the boy is later seen okay). Cody then blows the bridge, with Tugg running as the explosions get closer and eventually sending him flying through the air (some of the rebels are presumably killed). More bad guys fire machine guns at the escaping chopper, with Tran then shooting a missile that's deflected away at the last second (the explosion rocks the chopper, but doesn't down it).

Reviewed August 5, 2008 / Posted August 13, 2008

Other new and recent reviews include:

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.