Plot
Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.
Release Year: 2008
Rating: 7.1/10 (149,832 voted)
Critic's Score: 71/100
Director:
Ben Stiller
Stars: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr.
Storyline A film crew is in Southeast Asia filming a Vietnam-war memoir. It's early in the shooting, but they're already behind schedule and over budget. On the day an accident befalls the novice director, the cast and crew are attacked by a gang of poppy-growing local drug dealers, except the cast and crew don't realize these aren't actors who are stalking them. The thugs kidnap Tugg Speedman, an actor whose star seems on the decline, and it's up to the rest of the ragtag team to band together long enough to attempt his rescue. But will Tugg want to leave?
Writers: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller
Cast: Jeff Kahn
-
Snooty Waiter - Fatties Trailer
Robert Downey Jr.
-
Kirk Lazarus
Anthony Ruivivar
-
Platoon Sergeant Shot in Head - Hot LZ
Jack Black
-
Jeff Portnoy - Hot LZ
Jay Baruchel
-
Kevin Sandusky - Hot LZ
Brandon T. Jackson
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Alpa Chino - Hot LZ
Ben Stiller
-
Tugg Speedman - Hot LZ
Eric Winzenried
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Chopper Pilot - Hot LZ
Steve Coogan
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Damien Cockburn - Vietnam Crew
Valerie Azlynn
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Damien's Assistant - Vietnam Crew
Matt Levin
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Cameraperson - Vietnam Crew
David Pressman
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First Assistant Director - Vietnam Crew
Amy Stiller
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Script Supervisor - Vietnam Crew
Danny McBride
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Cody - Vietnam Crew
Dempsey Silva
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Special Effects Assistant - Vietnam Crew
Opening Weekend: $25,812,796
(USA)
(17 August 2008)
(3319 Screens)
Gross: $110,416,702
(USA)
(9 November 2008)
Technical Specs
Runtime:|
USA:
(unrated director's cut)
Did You Know?
Trivia: Tom Cruise co-stars as a vulgar movie mogul in this movie. Ben Stiller played Cruise in a sketch on Saturday Night Live in which Cruise played "Celebrity Jeopardy" and also played Cruise's idiotic stunt double "Tom Croose" in a sketch at the 2000 MTV movie awards.
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers):
When Lazarus is talking to Tugg about 'Simple Jack' he claims that an actor should never go "full retard" and mentions Peter Sellers (
Being There), Dustin Hoffman (
Rain Man), Tom Hanks (
Forrest Gump), and Sean Penn (
I Am Sam) as examples. He claims that Sean Penn is the only one of those to go "full retard" and come away without an Oscar after being nominated. However, Peter Sellers did not win an Oscar either. He received a Golden Globe award, while the Best Actor Oscar went to Dustin Hoffman for
Kramer vs. Kramer. (This is rectified in the Director's Cut DVD, where the line about Sellers is removed.)
Quotes: Kirk Lazarus:
I'm just like a little boy, playin' with his dick when he's nervous.
User Review
Best comedy in years.
Rating: 9/10
I just got out of a midnight showing and I was absolutely blown away. I
fully expect this to be a mediocre movie at best, but it surprised me
in all aspects. It was well directed, acted, the action scenes were
actually very well done and pretty epic, and most of all it was
hilarious. I doubt I stopped laughing for more than a minute or two. I
don't want to give anything away so I will keep it brief, but do
yourself a favor and see this in theaters with friends.
PS. As a black man, I did not find Robert Downey Jr.'s character
offensive at all. He was probably the most hilarious character in the
movie.
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