Trivia for
Tropic Thunder (2008) More at IMDbPro »

• The poster for "The Fatties" behind Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) in the trailer features the names of a few of the film's actual crew members: costume designer Marlene Stewart, editor Greg Hayden, director of photography John Toll, and screenwriter Justin Theroux. In addition, the poster contains the DreamWorks Pictures logo, the Dolby Stereo logo, and a fictional composite of several MPAA ratings (reading "PG - Parental Guidance - under 11 requires accompanying parent or guardian").
  
  
• The title is a play on "Tropic Lightning", the nickname of the 25th Infantry Division which has seen action in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Southwest Asia and Iraq (amongst others). The Division is notable for being the subject of The Thin Red Line (1998) (based on James Jones's novel) and Platoon (1986). Famous members include Oliver Stone (who wrote and directed Platoon), rapper Ice-T and Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin's eldest son.
  
  
• "Fats" Portnoy was written with Jack Black in mind.
  
  

• The movie drew criticism from several disability groups for the "Simple Jack" subplot, regarding a movie-within-a-movie in which Stiller's character portrays a mentally disabled man. Clips of the fictitious movie are shown, and re-enacted by Stiller, while scenes between Downey Jr. and Stiller drew particular scorn for their repeated use of the word "retard". The producers withdrew a "Simple Jack" website, and proposed altering the movie in response to a special early screening for the disability groups in question, but did not follow through on the suggestion. According to co-writer Etan Cohen, the scenes were not meant to derive humor from mental disability itself, but to satirize emotionally exploitative depictions of mental disability in movies such as Forrest Gump (1994), I Am Sam (2001), Radio (2003), and Rain Man (1988), and the actors who take these roles.
  
  
• Jack Black's character, Jeff Portnoy, is partially based on Chris Farley.
  
  
• The character of Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) was originally written as Irish. It was changed to Australian, when Robert Downey Jr. said it would be easier for him to improvise in an Australian accent.
  
  
• Downey was very reluctant to take the role because he felt wearing the make-up to look African-American was offensive. But Downey later accepted the role because he liked the script and wanted to work with Stiller and Jack Black.
  
  
• According to Ben Stiller, in an interview with Playboy, Jack Black filmed most of this movie with bruised ribs.
  
  
• Shipped to some theaters under the name "Capricorn".
  
  
• WILHELM SCREAM: During the three-helicopter raid at the beginning of the film, when an enemy soldier is hit by gunfire and is blown backwards (elapsed time 6:04). Also, when Tugg throws "Half-squat" into the river in the finale. When this throw is repeated in the end credits, the scream is heard again.
  
  
• In the film, Kirk Lazarus says "I don't drop character 'til I've done the DVD commentary." When recording the audio commentary for the unrated DVD and blu-ray, Robert Downey Jr. actually spends the entire commentary as Lincoln Osiris.
  
  
• CAMEO(Jason Bateman_: At the end of the film, he is sitting next to Tugg Speedman at the Academy Awards ceremony.
  
  
• In one of the special features on the director's cut DVD, Ben Stiller said he has been developing ideas for this movie for about 8-10 years. One of his first ideas was that the movie was going to be about actors going to a "fake boot camp" for a couple of weeks and coming back with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This was because when he started out in Hollywood he had a lot of colleagues going into war movies, and they would attend a "fake boot camp" in order to prepare for their roles. He found it ridiculous and this was an early inspiration on what would become Tropic Thunder.
  
  
• Cameo: [Justin Theroux] the gunner on one of the Hueys in the beginning of the film, and the Zoolander (2001) DJ at the One Week Down party in the director's cut.
  
  

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