By Josh Richter

Ben Stiller’s latest foray of both writing and directing, “Tropic Thunder” was supposed to be one of the ‘best comedies of 2008. In this reviewer’s opinion, it was anything but.

The movie had an all star cast including the trio of Ben Stiller, Jack Black and most recently known as “Ironman,” Robert Downey Jr. The film had a comical plot of a movie within a movie, which is great in theory. However, somewhere along the lines, the movie fails to deliver on the promise being ‘one of 2008’s best comedies’. Instead, it is controversial and one might say borderline scandalous.

So where did the movie go wrong? As always, the beginning is a good place to start. Before the actual movie begins, the audience is treated to mock trailers of the actors in the movie. These trailers open with action star Tugg Speedman’s (Ben Stiller) latest film, ‘Scorcher VI: Global Meltdown’. This movie is apparently a last ditch effort’ of the series as the plot has basically repeated itself in its five predecessors.

Next up was Jack Black’s character, Jeff Portnoy, who is portrayed as arrogant and one who considers himself ‘god’s gift to comedy.’ His mock trailer is about a movie called ‘The Fatties: Fart 2’. The apparent plot is a family focused off of flatulence. However, the movie trailer seems based off a ’90s comedy starring Eddie Murphy. ‘The Nutty Professor’ sound familiar?

Thirdly, Robert Downey Jr’s character, Kirk Lazarus. is a successful Australian actor who signs on for the Tropic Thunder movie. He is over-zealous, self-absorbed but is a five time Emmy Award winner. Lazarus also undergoes controversial surgery to play the part of an African American.

The main problem, is the supposed character of “Simple Jack.” For those unaware, “Simple Jack” is Stiller’s character who in another movie portrays a mentally disabled man. This comes off completely appalling as a representation of the mentally challenged. In recent interviews, Stiller defends his character as integral to the story, but there seems like there could have been a more sensitive approach.

Personal criticism aside, “Tropic Thunder,” by any stretch of the imagination, is in no way Stiller, Black or Downey’s best. One could say this movie is a skip.

For those looking for a movie hoping to be shocking for the sake of being shocking, look no further, but anyone looking for a comedy with real substance, find a different film.