Yes there was very strong lanugage throughout, but the movie made me laugh hysterically. The opening is genius, and the plot itself is a little confusing, but if you talk it over with a friend, you're good. RDJ was excellent, and Ben Stiller and Jack Black were great too. NOT....FOR...KIDS. I'd just like to make that clear.
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Tropic Thunder
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Showbiz satire is witty, violent, controversial.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 16–18
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Tropic Thunder
Parents need to know that this hard-R action comedy starring kid favorites Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and (thanks to Iron Man) Robert Downey Jr. is really a satirical send-up of Hollywood culture -- from the stereotypical castes of actors and greedy studio heads to celeb-obsessed TV shows. Much has been made of some of the movie's more controversial sources of humor, including having Downey darken his skin to play an African-American character and a running gag about a mentally challenged man played by Stiller's character. It's all meant to drive home the movie's points about Hollywood, but you may need to explain that to teens. There's also a lot of gory violence (both fake and realistic) -- including a 12-year-old drug lord who's scary and good with weapons -- as well as enough swear words to make Quentin Tarantino blush. Drugs (use and manufacture) are part of a significant subplot, but there are basically no women in the film, so there's only brief mention of sex.
Read our full review by Sandie Angulo Chen
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about satire. Do teens get that everything in the movie is satirizing formulaic Hollywood blockbusters, insecure actors, mindless celebrity gossip shows, etc.? What do they think about Downey playing an African American? Funny? Offensive? How is it different than the now-unacceptable practice of white actors performing in blackface for minstrel shows? And what about the "retard" characterizations? Ask your teens whether they thought it was amusing or off-putting, and see if they can explain their point of view. It will help them see the material critically. How does the movie-within-a-movie allow the filmmakers to poke fun at the film industry?
Our Members Say
See all 35 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Stupid, very funny movie for older teens
- I rate this title on for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
funny only for teens and adults 15 and over
i loved the movie but the truth is that for you familys out there with smaller kids dont let them see the movie 15 and over
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
Hilarious movie, definetely not for young teens e.g 10-13. Great how they made Tom Cruise actually act well in this movie, and I love how they changed Downey Junior into a black guy, I couldn't recognise him! Good film.
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
omg
i loved this movie. it was freakin hilarious!! language was horrible but tom cruise as a fat hairy guy?! wtf?! XD
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
haha
Very funny
- I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
booty sweat
its a good movie
- I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
Hilarious, Graphic Fun!
I love this movie. It's hilarious. The preformances were awesome (especially Downey Jr.; well done; and I would've rated it the best preformance of 2008 if it weren't for Ledger's Joker) and the humor was hysterical! Perants: the violence is surpisingly graphic for a comedy; lots of blood, guts, and people being blown up/apart. A man's head is seen, a character's guts are spilled out, etc. Very funny, very raunchy, and very violent; I loved it!
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
Funny movie~
It was pretty funny; good enough to watch twice. (although it's not as funny the second time) It was full of dark humor, some parts were slightly disturbing. It was a very entertaining movie, I'll probably watch it again, again. It's not something someone under the age of 13 should watch; lots of violence, language, and a young boy selling illegal drugs.
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
The Best!!
I Loved this movie. I saw it on DVD and i watched it over and over!!! Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious!!!
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Mainly just bad foul language but other then that it made me laugh my guts out
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Laugh it up
this is perfect for any theen or tween, i saw it when iwas twelve and it is perfect because they have heard all the referances at school so its totally fine
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
this movie is funny as hell
a very smart idea to put fake trailers in the beginning of the movie. this movie has funny humor and really violent scenes that are funny. this movie is the funniest movie of 2008
- I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
The Funniest movie of 2008
Tropic Thunder is an ironic, witty, satirical, and downright hilarious movie that makes fun of everthing from prima donnas in hollywood, overuse of sequels, and just the movie business itself. This movie is also filled with perfect writing, and it is probably one of the most quotable movies i have ever seen. Every character in this movie is also hilarious from RDJ's performance as Kirk Lazarus who won't drop out of character, Ben Stiller as the actor who just can't stop acting in flops, Jack Black as the slapstick comedy star with drug problems, Brandon T. Jackson as Alpa Chino, who has an energy drink called 'booty sweat' and an energy bar called 'bust a nut", and Jay Baruchel as Kevin Sandusky, he has some funny lines but he doesn't really stand out as a huge, rich character, he just knows a lot about blu-ray vs hd dvd. Anyways, Tropic Thunder is simply hilarious from the main performances and even Danny MCbride, and Tom Cruise are hilarious in their small roles, and you are going to laugh no matter what.
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
F the R rating
This movie is MEANT for kids. Adults don't get or appreciate half the movie.
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
Tropic Thunder has great characters.
Tropic Thunder is one of the best comedies of 2008 because ben stiller has been having a few rough patches in movies and this one was his real spark. A great comedy.
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
An amazing comedy epic!
I'm 14, and a big Ben Stiller fan, this film is an epic! It's funny, witty, and comicly violent! The humor and language are a little mature, but kids hear twice as bad out of friends and parents! The violence is not at all realistic, and there is no nudity, even in the directors cut, which I own.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
This film needs to clean up its act
This is the dirtiest film (outside of Team America World Police) I have ever seen. Is it funny? Sort of. It is Clever? Sometimes. Is it appropriate for anyone under the age of 17? NO! If you can think of a cuss word, in the first ten minutes of the film they probably use it. Is there nudity, yes, Stillers agent flips through a pornographic book while talking to stiller, and quite a few other things. Even I felt dirty after watching it. Personally, this film shouldn't be seen by anyone under the age of 21. A 2 out of 5
- I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
Didn't bother me
I'm 13 and I watched this movie on my last birthday with my dad and my friends. We all laughed at every joke, even the oral sex jokes. I really didn't feel uncomfortable because my dad already knew that I knew about that stuff. I hear bad words all the time, so I didn't mind the profainty one bit. If you honestly think your mature enough, and you understand drugs and sex and such, then its your choice to see this movie.
- I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Clever satire, but some jokes in bad taste.
I am fourteen and I watched this movie...and was extremely uncomfortable. Yes, it was witty, yes, it was funny...but I would have appreciated much more if I had waited a few years. I actually thought that the whole blackface thing was excellent satire on being overly politically correct and how we need to let go of typical black stereotypes, but the "retard" jokes and especially the drug references were way, way over the top. The drugs bothered me even more due to Ben Stiller's friend Owen Wilson struggles with addiction. The language was awful - the movie wouldn't have suffered for having a few less F-bombs, etc. Oral sex references were embarrassing (I watched this with my dad). And, to go back to the whole "retard" thing...it wasn't quite as bad as people made it out to be, and some aspects of the joke were clever satire, but it could have been done in a way that was less derogatory and more of an entertaining spoof on the portrayal of mental disabilities in the media. All in all, a good movie; but definitely don't bring the kids.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 67% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
| 67% | of parents say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking |
| 50% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
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