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SWING VOTE There's a terrific segment in the middle of Swing Vote in which the two men running for U.S. president, Republican incumbent Andrew Boone (Kelsey Grammer) and Democratic challenger Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper), are persuaded by their campaign managers (Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane, respectively) to do anything to win the favor of Texico, N.M., resident Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), whose single vote will decide the outcome of the election. So when Bud lets it be known that he doesn't care what people do in their own homes, even homosexuals, the right-wing Boone is forced to appear in an ad in which, surrounded by members of the gay community, he cheerfully embraces diversity. And when a comment by Bud is misunderstood to mean that he harbors ill will toward Mexican laborers, the left-wing Greenleaf reluctantly films a TV spot in which he rails against illegal immigrants, even as real immigrants hired as extras dash across the set. These bits are funny, biting and provocative, and they demonstrate that this had an opportunity to emerge as a scathing political satire rather than a timid political comedy. But the central thrust isn't the election as much as it's the bonding between Bud and his daughter (Madeline Carroll). Costner delivers a fine performance, but we see this type of sentimental film just about every month. We're here to watch the electoral process receive a sharp kick in the pants, but Swing Vote isn't inspirational as much as it's simply afraid to take a stand on anything. Given this narrative trajectory, the film ends just as we suspect it would, not with a bang but with a wimp-out. **1/2
TROPIC THUNDER The opening salvo of Tropic Thunder reps perhaps the funniest 10 minutes I've encountered in a movie theater this year – that's good news in that it kicks the picture off on a high note and bad news in that it instantly raises concerns that the remaining 95 minutes won't come close to touching this raucous beginning. But the best news is that the movie manages to keep the laughs hurtling forward for its entire running time, no small feat in an era in which many comedies lose steam by the final reel. Ben Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, a macho action star whose one attempt at an awards-bait title, the resounding flop Simple Jack, has largely derailed his career. Jack Black plays Jeff Portnoy, a comedian known for vulgar blockbusters (up next: The Fatties, Fart 2). And Robert Downey Jr. essays the role of Kirk Lazarus, a five-time Academy Award-winning actor. All three, plus rap star Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) and screen newcomer Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), are in Vietnam shooting the war movie to end all war movies. After finding themselves lost in the jungle, they become the targets of heavily armed locals who don't take kindly to what they mistakenly believe to be DEA agents searching for their heroin factory. Rude and crude, Tropic Thunder displays minimal mercy toward its targets, yet even its gross-out gags display a manic ingenuity far removed from the one-note crudeness found in your typical Will Ferrell vehicle. All the performances are inspired (including Tom Cruise in a change-of-pace part), yet top acting honors go to Downey, who between this and Iron Man is having a helluva summer. ***1/2
OPENS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20:
THE ROCKER: Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate.
OPENS FRIDAY, AUGUST 22:
DEATH RACE: Jason Statham, Joan Allen.
HAMLET 2: Steve Coogan, Elisabeth Shue.
HELL RIDE: Michael Madsen, Dennis Hopper.
THE HOUSE BUNNY: Anna Faris, Colin Hanks.
THE LAST MISTRESS: Asia Argento, Michael Lonsdale.
THE LONGSHOTS: Ice Cube, Keke Palmer.
TELL NO ONE: François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze.
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