You may watch this to see how well Robert Downey Jr. pulls off playing an African-American man, or rather, a white Australian method actor’s idea of an African American—and there’s no denying he’s great (it didn’t hurt that his makeup was designed by the legendary Rick Baker). But very nearly as great is Tom Cruise as a bald, overweight, cutthroat Hollywood producer with a personality that makes Donald Trump look like Arrested Development’s Michael Bluth. My wife hated Tom Cruise for the longest time, but admitted that seeing him being such a good sport to play this role gave her new respect for him.

(Speaking of Michael Bluth, keep a sharp eye out for Jason Bateman among the celebrity cameos.)

Tropic Thunder is a masterpiece. Right around the time the Dark Knight broke box office records, Ben Stiller slipped out a mega-big budget Vietnam War film-parody making fun of all things Hollywood. Robert Downey Jr. pushes the envelope as an Australian actor in black face while Jack Black farts and does drugs. And it gets better…

My favorite thing about the movie is the advertisements for other works the characters have acted in. There are trailers for the fake movies. There is an action film starring Stiller’s character as a Sly Stallone-style “one man against the world” action flick. There is a Eddie Murphy-Nutty Professor movie starring Jack Black as every member of a farting family. There is a Brokeback Mountain-type movie called “Satan’s Alley” with Downey Jr. and Toby McGuire as gay priests in the dark ages. Finally, there is a hip-hop entrepeneur character who advertises an energy drink called “Booty Sweat.” They also mention a movie where Stiller’s character plays a mentally challenged farm boy who can talk to animals.

Stiller (who wrote the script) totally nails bullshit Hollywood and the culture of blockbusters, Oscars and primadonna actors and their greedy agents. A-plizzus.

It was funny in places, but otherwise kind of pointless. The kind of thing you would expect when Hollywood starts making fun of itself and takes itself a little too seriously in the process.