Tropic Thunder
****
After the disastrous PR exercise better known as jumping on the couch, Tom Cruise's Golden Globe-nominated comeback in Tropic Thunder was nothing short of genius.
Though as much noticed for his hero roles as his off-screen shenanigans, Cruise is at his best when in character-acting mode and his Less Grossman has to be seen to be believed.
He's been voted one of the world's most beautiful people as well as the sexiest, but when it comes to Grossman, Cruise probably drew on his reputation as one of the most powerful celebrities in Hollywood (Forbes twice crowned him as such, so clearly it is so).
In the Ben Stiller-directed satire Cruise plays a balding, foul-mouthed, egotistical studio executive who has the final say about not only what happens in the Rain of Madness movie, but also the lives of practically everyone involved in the project.
Tropic Thunder lampoons Hollywood's obsession with war movies, stars' self-obsession and Tinseltown's eagerness to make a quick buck overriding all other considerations. Delicious irony, since he's played a soldier six times and has negiotated some of the most lucrative movie deals in history.
The film plays out like a film within a film as five oblivious actors stumble around a South East Asian jungle.
It features hilarious cameos from Tobey Maguire to Matthew McConnaughey's hair, but Cruise's five minutes steals the show and his dancing is even scarier than that of the Ally McBeal baby. Apparently, he came up with the idea during a screen testing of his make-up.
This role confirmed that Cruise is a good actor who is more than just his perfect hair and off-screen gaffes and he is probably hoping to take the comeback further with his role as a true-life high- ranking German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler in Valkyrie (opens tomorrow).
Features: These bring home that fourth star.
- Full mags: Raw footage.
- MTV Movie Awards: Who would win in a fight between Iron Man and Po from Kung Fu Panda?
- The trailer for Rain of Madness.
- Tom's make-up test.
- The Hot Liz: Steals all the best bits from war movies to actually create a movie within a movie.
- Blowing Sh*t Up: Things can be funny and blow up, too.
- Cast commentary.