A pairing of movies I find pretty funny but weren’t going to make a list of 25. Tropic Thunder I haven’t seen since the theater. Spaceballs I rewatched in preparation because I hadn’t watched it since the 90’s. Some of the bits hold up really well, but the whole doesn’t exactly equal the parts. My big takeaway is how funny Moranis was. Outshining even Candy for me. Won’t be the last time I talk about him being funnier than a bigger star in this list.
I remember when Tropic Thunder first came out, I really didn't want to see it. I don't like war movies, comedies rarely make me laugh, I can't stand Jack Black, and I don't like Ben Stiller either. So a comedy war movie starring Jack Black and Ben Stiller was not at all appealing, but my mom wanted to see it and she was paying so I went - and I laughed my ass off. Jack Black is still unfunny and absolutely the weak link but everybody else had me rolling. I rewatched it for the 2000s countdown and, while I don't think it made the cut for that ballot, there was no way it was missing out on this one. I had it at #7.
I loved Spaceballs when I was little and had I made a ballot back then I might have voted for it, but not now.
My Ballot:
7. Tropic Thunder (#58)
23. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (#79)
25. Knick Knack (One Pointer)
Trivia: Ben Stiller said nearly all aspects of the Les Grossman character were developed by Tom Cruise, including the dancing and look of the makeup/ Still er said that in addition to the extra hair on his chest and arms, and the more obvious makeup on his face and head, he chose to use oversized prosthetic hands.
Seen both, voted for neither. Both are reasonably amusing, although neither are personal favourites. I have Spaceballs on blu ray and Tropic Thunder on digital.
I haven't seen Tropic Thunderbut I'm a fan of Jack Black and I like Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. too, so the film should be right up my comedy alley
Space Balls...seen it, it was OK but not my style of comedy, not enough Will Ferrill in it!
Tropic Thunder was a lot of fun when it came out, and has maintained it's reputation fairly well I think. Right from those opening trailers of those films within films, which must have thrown many a person surreptitiously recording it from within cinemas. Anyway, huge cast - possibly the best use of Tom Cruise in a movie ever, Steve Coogan as the stuffy director was great and the three leads balance it out well. I could do without Robert Downey Jr's attempts at an Australian accent. Very well written overall - and I'd pay to see a whole version of Simple Jack, which was obviously a dig at Sean Penn and I am Sam. I've seen this about as many times as I need to by now, but watching it multiple times is admitting to it's comedic goods, which deliver. Not near my ballot though.
Spaceballs I really didn't see coming. Above The Producers? Really? You know, Spaceballs was created when Mel Brooks was on his way down - and although it's not complete doo-doo, some of it's humour definitely misses the mark. I was never a big fan of it, but I'm comforted to know that Mel has a few movies on the way, and that this unexpected entry will only boost the number of times he appears on this countdown - so I consider it a bonus one for him. If a Mel Brooks film shows up that was post this, then you'll see me type some things.
Seen 32/44
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No votes. Tropic Thunder was fine at first, but watching the extended DVD version (which never seems like a good idea for comedies if you ask me) soured me on it enough that I've never felt the need to go back to it. Spaceballs is a fine comedy that doesn't have an extended cut and has therefore managed to stay fine.
Not seen either Tropic Thunder or Spaceballs - mostly because the timing has never been right for them but one has a little bit of a (Jack) Black mark against it as far as I'm concerned and I'm rather hit or miss on Mr. Brooks. One day (or more likely days) I'll probably get round to both though.
I'm just going to copy what I said about Tropic Thunder when it didn't make the 2000s Countdown: This is a film that got funnier each time I watched it. Friends and I still quote lines from it all the time as well. It's a fun parody, and a solid action film outside of that.
As for Spaceballs, it's never been a favourite but friends of mine love it. For some reason I think about that "combing the desert" gag more often than you'd expect haha. I don't have anything worthwhile to add about the other reveals, as the only one I've seen is Fast Times, and I didn't care for it.
Seen: 29/44
My List: 3 04. Evil Dead II (1987) - #93 14. Clerks (1994) - #64 21. Tropic Thunder (2008) - #58
I enjoy Spaceballs, but there are multiple Brooks movies I'd rank above it. I hope some of them appear higher in the countdown, but one of them has not.
Tropic Thunder is pretty hit or miss, but some of its more memorable barbs are pretty spot on ("Simple Jack" has become a term for insensitive portrayals of developmental disabilities), so it's probably persisted more than a lot of other movies from the era with similar comedic sensibilities. And RDJ gives one of his last great peformances.
Spaceballs is as good of parody comedy as it gets, and I’m thrilled to see it so high on the list. It’s not the Mel Brooks movie I selected for my list, but it’s non stop entertainment.
I’ve started Tropic Thunder a few times, but never really get very far. Not because I dislike it, just haven’t had the attention span or interest to get deep. Maybe I’ll try again today and come back with my thoughts
OK, I watched the unrated, added-scenes Tropic Thunder, and although it probably didn't add that much, a few scenes seemed to push the envelope of violence for an R-rated movie. I want to say that I thought the movie was at least 20 minutes too long, but somehow that overkill and repetition of war movie spoofs and unnecessary scenes of silliness and political commentary didn't seem to make me want to drop the rating anymore. Robert Downey, Jr. started off with all guns blazing, and he mostly added something pertinent throughout the entire two hours. I think that Stiller and Jack Black contributed less, but they weren't really all that weak, just a bit superfluous. Tom Cruise was terrific for all his scenes, especially the ones where he concluded and/or proved that he was talking to morons. I got the idea that Nick Nolte may have benefitted from the added footage more than anybody else because there were a few things in there which certainly surprised me about his character. Overall, although the film is a bit obvious, it does make up for it in its equal amount of outrageousness and just the fact that there's a lot of war present in the world right now.
One time while watching Pineapple Express, I started thinking it and Tropic Thunder are basically two sides of the same coin. Big studio comedy/action thrillers with idiot characters and some big laughs. Now, obviously they're not the same movie, but I bet most viewers could come up with dozens of reasons about how similar they are and how they probably appeal to the same audience. The other thing I started to think about during these films were that a few of the scenes just started dragging for me partway through. Now, I wasn't sure if it was because of the writing or the direction, but at the time I'd always found director Green's work to be ponderous and pretentious. In fact, when I heard that he was directing a zany stoner comedy, I had a hard time grasping the concept, but I think he did a fine job. All of Apatow's comedies seem to be a bit overlong and Tropic Thunder was definitely overlong, so these completely pointless perspectives still seem to support my idea that the two films deserve the same rating.
Spaceballs is amusing but a big drop-off at the time for Mel Brooks. He throws everything Star Wars in he can think of so something has to work but not as much as it should.
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