Was “Tropic Thunder” The Last True Comedy??

[Captain Dunsel]

I was thinking, the other day, about the last “true comedy” that I had seen in a theater…the kind where the audience truly laughs out loud, over and over again, and the film makers take true risks to point out the absurdities of contemporary life.

My conclusion was the last movie, that I had seen, that fit this description, was Tropic Thunder.

That movie is now an amazing 16 years old.
Are “true comedies” as described above, truly dead??

 

[Master Boda]

If so I would say only in America,Japan and a few other countries still makes some good comedy flick's that would send the egg shell minds into a rage.

 

[TazMan2000]

Hollywood is so entrenched in not offending anyone, so eventually movies won't be worth watching.

TazMan2000

 

[Cephus]

Hollywood is so entrenched in not offending anyone, so eventually movies won't be worth watching.

TazMan2000

That's already true.

 

[TazMan2000]

That's already true.

In some ways it is. There are a few I've seen recently that was definitely worth the money, Top Gun, Mission Impossible & Indiana Jones, so there is some hope. With the actor's strike, a lot of people have found other things to do which are more rewarding.

TazMan2000

 

[batguy]

Right now the cultural environment is definitely hostile to comedy. It's hard to poke fun at almost anybody or anything without getting severe flak. The studios are worried that the slightest wisecrack will go viral and trend against them. Next thing they know, it's a boycott that ruins a fiscal quarter and takes 3 years to completely fade.

 

[Strikerkc]

Nah, not the last. I would say the first Jumanji was a good comedy, and it came out well after. It wasn't as good as tropic thunder from a comedic standpoint, but it was darn good.

They're around, they're just fewer and far between, and we get a lot more movies that have "funny moments" or "comedic performance" for some characters; like fast and furious movies, or anything buddy cop-ish. They're "funny action movies" or "Funny romance movies", it's been getting used as an adjective add on to a film, rather than being the main goal.

 

[VanPersie]

Define "true comedy" and how many people have to find something funny to be classed as that....

 

[TazMan2000]

It's amazing that TV shows like South Park and Family guy haven't been cancelled yet. They go well beyond the 'offending' limit all the time, even though recently they've had to cool it with some of the humour. We've lost the ability to laugh at ourselves...our stupidity, our mistakes and our idiosyncrasies...you can't even correct anybody anymore since they take offense to being wrong. I guess we don't have to improve anymore. We're fine the way we are. We've reached the apex of evolution. It's all downhill from here.

TazMan2000

 

[cboath]

It's funny you point out Tropic Thunder and the talk turns to being about offending people or not. That flick took flack and RDJ took some flack for that role. Today?? the amount of rage directed at something like that would be in the 300ft tsunami range.

On the whole, though, i'm not sure it's offending or not offending is the problem today. Seems like with politics there's no middle ground anymore, it's either way way way over the top of a comedy or it's so undersold you can't tell it's a comedy. No one knows how to find the center ground it seems. It's gotten to the point it seems studio's don't want to do it if it isn't way over the top, and if they see it's way over the top they don't want to do it because they figure it won't make a ton. They backed themselves into a corner, so nothing that's true comedy can get through the door.

 

[CessnaDriver]

What do I watch that's new and I will actually audibly laugh? Which is rare for me to do. What We Do In The Shadows series pretty much is it. The fact it gets me to laugh audibly here and there is a small miracle.

Can't think of any comedy movie in a long time, I don't see much in theaters anymore anyways though. Yeah lots of the old guard have stated that they couldn't get made what is funny anymore. Time for God to return to earth in the form of Don Rickles.

 

[JediMichael]

I've only seen this movie once, but remember if being pretty funny. Of course Robert Downey Jr. did a great job basically doing two totally different roles, which now this overly offensive world is calling racist and offensive. Its like, what happened to people having a sense of humor???
I totally think of this meme.

 

[JediMichael]

Also reminds me something I just read the other day.
In The Dark Knight from 2008. When the Joker does his pencil trick, which of course was killing the one guy, it said that all the theaters got more complaints about that part, than any had ever gotten before. Said most were Batman fans.
I thought that was a great way to introduce that version of the Joker and how he wasn't taking any junk from anyone.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Also reminds me something I just read the other day.
In The Dark Knight from 2008. When the Joker does his pencil trick, which of course was killing the one guy, it said that all the theaters got more complaints about that part, than any had ever gotten before. Said most were Batman fans.
I thought that was a great way to introduce that version of the Joker and how he wasn't taking any junk from anyone.

Odd, depends on where you come from as a fan I guess. Comics had portrayed such violence from him. My complaint was in 89 when they had Batman kill, and it was pretty much as a side note that could have been left out.

 

[JediMichael]

Odd, depends on where you come from as a fan I guess. Comics had portrayed such violence from him. My complaint was in 89 when they had Batman kill, and it was pretty much as a side note that could have been left out.

Yeah, I had never heard of anyone complaining over that before, but, who knows, people love to complain about stuff, thats for sure....having worked at the theater for 8 years...I know.

I haven't seen the 89 Batman in so long, I forget where he kills anyone.

 

[Usagi Pilgrim]

RDJ has said that he didn't get too much flank because Stiller took all the heat for 'Simple Jack'. He said 90% of his black friends thought it was absolutely hilarious.

It seems the key to not being cancelled, is to keep doing what you're doing, let the complainers complain, & stop caring about everyone else's opinions. I understand that if someone has based their self-worth or livelihood on the support & approval of others, then that can be hard, but that's the price for what you wanted.

 

[batguy]

It seems the key to not being cancelled, is to keep doing what you're doing, let the complainers complain, & stop caring about everyone else's opinions. I understand that if someone has based their self-worth or livelihood on the support & approval of others, then that can be hard, but that's the price for what you wanted.

I agree about that being the best advice. But still, the situation today is not what it used to be.

The offensiveness level of early Mel Brooks, or 'South Park' . . . . I don't see something like that getting off the ground today. Somebody doing an amateur show in their basement (which is how SP got started) might make the rounds on the internet. But I doubt any mainstream studio would touch it. SP itself is only getting corporate funding today because it's granfathered-in from the 1990s.

I don't think comedy is dead for good, but it's one of these things like clumsy wokeness. The pendulum is swung way out to one side right now.

 

[Usagi Pilgrim]

I agree about that being the best advice. But still, the situation today is not what it used to be.

The offensiveness level of early Mel Brooks, or 'South Park' . . . . I don't see something like that getting off the ground today. Somebody doing an amateur show in their basement (which is how SP got started) might make the rounds on the internet. But I doubt any mainstream studio would touch it. SP itself is only getting corporate funding today because it's granfathered-in from the 1990s.

I don't think comedy is dead for good, but it's one of these things like clumsy wokeness. The pendulum is swung way out to one side right now.

I agree, but it'll thankfully swing back.

The thing is, neither Mel Brooks nor SP are "offensive". People might be OFFENDED, but that's their issue, that's not indicative of an issue with the material.

 

[joberg]

In some ways it is. There are a few I've seen recently that was definitely worth the money, Top Gun, Mission Impossible & Indiana Jones, so there is some hope. With the actor's strike, a lot of people have found other things to do which are more rewarding.

TazMan2000

Not only to keep from offending/triggering anyone at home, but also to walk on eggshells in the Chinese/Muslim market

 

[TazMan2000]

Not only to keep from offending/triggering anyone at home, but also to walk on eggshells in the Chinese/Muslim market

Yes. I've heard stories about negative remarks regarding that gets you shut down on YT, regardless if it is commentary or true.

TazMan2000