Tropic Thunder (2008): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Tropic Thunder is a 2008 action comedy starring Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller. It runs 1 hour 47 minutes and earned $195.7 million worldwide on a $92 million budget. It won 2 awards from 7 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Critics gave it 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and 71 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10. Stream it on Hulu and Kanopy, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 47m (107 min)
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- Budget
- $92M
- After the credits
- Yes Extra scene during or after the credits
What Is Tropic Thunder About?
The premise of Tropic Thunder without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A pampered actor, Tugg Speedman, joins a Vietnam War movie shoot alongside acclaimed method actor Kirk Lazarus and comedic performer Jeff Portnoy. When a disastrous event strands them in a dangerous jungle, the cast members must confront their egos and work together to survive. The experience blurs the lines between acting and reality, resulting in a chaotic and action-packed adventure.
Tropic Thunder Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- film within a film
- parody
- vietnam
- wilhelm scream
- helicopter crash
- fake trailer
- blackface
- satire comedy
- gay black man
- jungle
- rescue
- drug lord
+38 more Show fewer
- film director
- drug addiction
- comic violence
- spoof
- written and directed by cast member
- death by landmine
- hidden camera
- satire
- white male pretending to be black
- vietnam war veteran
- original story
- all star cast
- fictional academy awards ceremony
- reference to star trek
- reference to crocodile dundee
- gagged
- golden triangle
- hands tied behind back
- child smokes a cigarette
- cigarette smoking
- dreamworks
- male protagonist
- military spoof
- landmine
- military
- soldier
- dance party ending
- crude humor comedy
- fictional war
- stolen valor
- jungle adventure
- parody comedy
- showbiz comedy
- reference to steve mcqueen
- team action
- high concept comedy
- stand alone movie without sequel
- gay
Where to Watch Tropic Thunder
Stream it on Hulu and Kanopy, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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Kanopy 
Paramount Plus Essential 
Paramount Plus Premium 
Paramount+ Amazon Channel 
Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel 
YouTube Free 
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Tropic Thunder Cast
Jack Black leads the cast, with Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller.
Tropic Thunder Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Tropic Thunder 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and 71 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
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IMDb 7.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 82% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 71%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 71 Metascore
User score 7.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 67% User score
See on TMDB
Tropic Thunder Plot Summary
What happens in Tropic Thunder from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Hook-handed Vietnam veteran Staff Sergeant John “Four Leaf” Tayback’s memoir, Tropic Thunder, is in the process of being adapted into a film. The cast, consisting of fading action star Tugg Speedman, newcomer Kevin Sandusky, five-time Academy Award-winning actor Kirk Lazarus, rapper Alpa Chino, and drug-addicted comedian Jeff Portnoy, is a mix of talent and ego, creating chaos for inexperienced director Damien Cockburn. Tugg, once a beloved action hero, is now struggling with a tarnished reputation after his controversial role in Simple Jack and hopes that taking on the character of Four Leaf Tayback will rejuvenate his career.
Full summary
The whole story of Tropic Thunder, scene by scene
Tropic Thunder Box Office & Budget
Tropic Thunder grossed $195.7 million worldwide on a $92 million budget, 2.1 times what it cost. $110.5 million came from the US and Canada and $85.2 million (44%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$195.7M
2.1× its budget
- US & Canada
- $110.5M
- International
- $85.2M
- Budget
- $92M
Tropic Thunder Awards & Nominations
Tropic Thunder won 2 awards from 7 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Critics' Choice 2009, with 1 win from 2 nominations.
2 wins7 nominations6 ceremonies
-
Critics' Choice 2009 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Comedy Movie
- Nominated Best Supporting Actor – Robert Downey Jr.
-
Artios Awards 2009 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Big Budget Feature - Comedy
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Actor Awards (SAG) 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Robert Downey Jr.
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BAFTA 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Robert Downey Jr.
Show all 6 ceremonies Show fewer ceremonies
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Golden Globes 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr.
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Oscars 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Actor in a Supporting Role – Robert Downey Jr.
Tropic Thunder Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Tropic Thunder.
How Well Do You Know Tropic Thunder?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of Alpa Chino's hit single?
Cars in Tropic Thunder
4 cars on screen, including the AM General M-35 and the Dodge M-37.
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AM General M-35 Minor role -
Dodge M-37 Background role -
Ford M151 A2 'MUTT' Background role -
1982 Suzuki SJ410 Background role
Tropic Thunder Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “Tropic Thunder - Hol Dir die volle Dröhnung!” and “Furtuna tropicala”.
- Also known as
-
- Tropic Thunder - Hol Dir die volle Dröhnung!
- Furtuna tropicala
- Trovão Tropical Versão de Cinema
- Trópusi Vihar
- Tropic Thunder: ¡Una guerra muy perra!
- Tonnerre sous les tropiques
- Tropik Fırtına
- Солдаты неудачи
- Tempestade Tropical
- 热带惊雷
- ¡una guerra muy perra!
- Tropická búrka
+22 more Show fewer
- Jaja w tropikach
- Тропическа буря
- Tropická bouře
- Τροπική Καταιγίδα
- トロピック・サンダー／史上最低の作戦
- 트로픽 썬더
- רעם טרופי
- Furtuna tropicală
- Trovão Tropical
- Грім у тропіках
- Tropu Negaiss
- 開麥拉驚魂
- Una guerra de película
- ดาราประจัญบาน ท.ทหารจำเป็น
- Tropski vihar
- Tropska oluja
- Griaustinis tropikuose
- Troopiline kõu
- Tropska grmljavina
- Omadsizlar jamoasi
- Sấm Nhiệt Đới
- 雷霆喪星
Seen Tropic Thunder?
Movies Like Tropic Thunder
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Tropic Thunder: Rain of Madness, Three Kings and Thunder in Paradise.
Tropic Thunder FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Tropic Thunder, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Tropic Thunder?
Tropic Thunder runs 1 hour 47 minutes (107 minutes).
When was Tropic Thunder released?
Tropic Thunder was released on August 13, 2008.
Who is in the cast of Tropic Thunder?
Tropic Thunder stars Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller.
Where can I watch Tropic Thunder?
In the US, Tropic Thunder is streaming on Hulu, Kanopy and Paramount Plus Essential and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Tropic Thunder make at the box office?
Tropic Thunder grossed $195.7 million worldwide ($110.5 million domestic, $85.2 million international) on a budget of $92 million.
How is Tropic Thunder rated?
Tropic Thunder has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, 71 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.
What awards did Tropic Thunder win?
Tropic Thunder won 2 awards from 7 nominations, including Best Comedy Movie at the Critics' Choice 2009.
Does Tropic Thunder have a post-credit scene?
Yes. Tropic Thunder has an extra scene during or after the credits, so it is worth staying seated.
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