Tropic Thunder rolls onto the big screen Wednesday August 13th, 2008 with much controversy backing it up. What controversy you ask? Well, let's see... there's all sorts of over-the-top shock and awe dialogue in this film that is meant to be comedic, but some folks are being offended at the long, drawn out jungle scene between actors Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. where they are busy talking about playing the role of a "retard" in films. Stiller's character mentions about how he immersed himself in the role of playing another character in a different film that was mentally challenged. Downey Jr. tears into Stiller and makes fun of him in a sly sort of way and says "never go full retard".
In today's "PC" society, that term gets looked down upon as one of the worst things you can call a person who happens to be less fortunate than another. Believe it or not, the government is trying to come up with a new term for mentally and physically handicapped persons, but in so far, they have been unsuccessful. I believe that it doesn't matter what title they are given, because in the end, that name too will become associated with negative connotations. The best course of action is to just leave them alone, let these people choose for themselves what they wish to be called.
Getting back to the movie, the other big racial issue is the fact that Robert Downey Jr. actually disguises himself as an black man. He looks totally convincing when he's in character, but it's obvious he's a bit racist himself with some of the comments he makes. I thought it was comical, but then again, I've got an open sense of humor. Others may find this movie offensive, but I suggest you just take it with a grain of salt and view it objectively. Remember, it is a comedy!