This is SHAMEFUL and a disgrace! Why dont you talk about the fact that the only role a black person can get, from all the movies and show, are for reality tv? Because we don’t talk about this treatment in hollywood does not mean you can ignore it. Please answer that.

Enough about that, and on to the movie. I’m Black and I saw Tropic Thunder (TT) at a screening on July 9. The movie as a whole is a funny satire of the Hollywood culture and the movie making process. (A bit like “Lost in La Mancha” with Johnny Depp from 2002).

Now, for Robert Downey Jr.’s (RDJ) performance as a Black sergeant: I didn’t find it offensive, and he pulled it off by walking a very fine line between being overly empathetic with Black men and simply attempting to mimic/copy their “perceived” mannerisms.

I’m female, and I know a lot of Brothers, so to see a white guy try to earnestly mimic what they perceive as the “essence” of what a Black man is, is comical and an interesting sociological study in and of itself.

RDJ seems to boil that essence down to the tone and cadence of his voice, and into the dialogue his character speaks. He drops his voice an octave, speaks in a staccato style, and spouts a lot of African American proverbs (old sayings). RDJ isn’t terrible, I wasn’t offended, but I would shudder to think of less-talented white actors trying this. Also, the younger Black soldier played by Brandon T. Jackson keeps RDJ’s character in check, so that he doesn’t wander over into what could easily be an Al Jolson-style minstrel performance (which one could argue Tom Cruse’s portrayal of a studio exec fond of rap music, does).

I wouldn’t even dream (Like the poster Ben @10:59am did) of thinking RDJ deserves any Oscar recognition for this performance. But with less loftier praise, was RDJ funny? To me, yes, but every Black person (and White person) has different tastes, so see the movie and judge for yourself. If you don’t want to spend money on what you perceive as RDJ in blackface, then don’t (I would say get the movie on bootleg, but I don’t think that people would get that I’m only joking).

To the poster who says “get over it” and that he’s anti-Political Correctness I’ll only say this: once you’ve spent a lifetime walking in a Black man’s shoes, then and only then will you have license to make that absurd statement.

Tell you what is racist – That you (or anyone) comment about something you have yet to see. That you make an assumption based on advertising is just as lame. Sorry man, I feel strongly about this.

And I have seen TT. It’s certainly the funniest film I have EVER seen. Downey is beyond brilliant. Stiller’s direction is as stellar as any top notch director working today. He is at the top of his game.

I can’t think of a cinematic comparison to TT. It’s a smart funny movie. The opening war sequence is as breathtakingly rich visually as Apocalypse Now. The dialogue will be quoted as much as Spinal Tap. (if you’re a Tap fan) You know how everyone quotes Nicholson saying “You Can’t Handle The Truth?” TT has dozens of these lines.

I know – I sound like an exec, or someone who will make money from TT. Nope. I’m just passionate about this film and hate to see it get a bad rap before it’s seen. And especially a bad racist rap.

See the movie. If you still call it ‘crazy’ racist – that’s your right. I don’t think you will. I think you’ll be laughing too hard.

peace

Because J.J. Abrams is finally going to succeed in doing what some of us hoped the 3 B’s: Brannon/Braga/Berman would finally do:

KILLING THE FRANCHISE!!!!!

Paramount are whoremasters, plain and simple. They never understood what made Star Trek great, they are content with any old piece of feces with the name STAR TREK on it because they know “X” number of basement-dwelling mouthbreathers are going to show up and fork over money and more merch money.

J.J. Abrams and Zack (”‘Visionary’ 300 Director about to cause Alan Moore to commit Hara-Kiri”) Snyder should have a baby together and name it Hacky McHackerson.

Can we clone the Nolan brothers, please?

However, the geeks and creeps run the business. As a result, Comic-Con, with its fringe crazies, are now determining the future of cinema. Sad! Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis….where are you?