'Tropic Thunder' comedy fares the storm with star-studded cast

    The scene opens with gigantic explosions in the Vietnamese jungle and debris sailing into the sky, while a pack of soldiers rushes wildly about firing bullets at surrounding enemies. Men yell at each other over the chaos, and blood from injured soldiers sprays them, as if emitted from a garden hose.
    Suddenly we recognize Jack Black in uniform, screaming at another soldier whose stomach has been blown open to reveal bursting entrails that look like they may have come with a kiddie doctor kit from Fisher Price. Ben Stiller appears in all his heroic, slow-motion glory only to be shot down soon thereafter. His fellow soldier, an African American who looks suspiciously like the face of "Iron Man" (2008), grasps Stiller's stumpy hands dangling with rubber-like flesh and manages a few pathetic sobs. Just as you're beginning to say "This can't possibly be for real," someone yells, "Can we cut?!"
    "Tropic Thunder" is a Hollywood war epic, done Stiller-style, which can only mean parody. In the movie, a group of four actors set out to create a Vietnam War movie, until a four million dollar accidental explosion puts them way behind schedule. Their frustrated and desperate director takes the advice of an actual war veteran and places his actors in the jungle for some real-life danger. Hidden cameras capture what the director hopes will be "real fear in their eyes, real emotion!" The cast soon realizes that they've been dropped off in the Golden Triangle and are running from a drug warlord and his gang.
    The foursome includes critically-acclaimed method actor Kirk Lazarus (played by Robert Downey Jr.), who has undergone a controversial skin pigmentation treatment in order to play an African American soldier and is always in character. Rap star Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) chimes in by calling Lazarus out on his blatant racism. Comedian Jeff Portnoy (Black) joins them, as well as Tugg Speedman (Stiller), a washed up action star whose career is on the line after his latest portrayal of a mentally retarded man.
    Stiller packs a star-studded cast into his first directing attempt since "Zoolander" (2001), featuring Downey Jr., Black, Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey, to name a few. Even Tyra Banks makes a quick cameo.
    Downey hit his stride this summer, bringing his undeniable presence and wit to the superhero flick "Iron Man"  and now hitting the silver screen posing as a man of another race. In "Tropic Thunder," he arguably steals most of Stiller's … well … thunder. Black is the typical, wild tabloid celeb with a drug problem, and crazy suits him well. Cruise is sure to shock in his cameo, but his scenes are memorable, which is exactly what he needs to boost his career.
    The question remains: Is Stiller finally back in action? We haven't seen anything noteworthy from him since "Zoolander," so the pressure is on as a performer in this self-directed film. His usual silliness fits his role as fading actor Speedman, though the crude jokes tend to get repetitive. The plot occasionally loses itself so that Stiller can pull off ridiculous stunts. Far from politically correct, Stiller takes the "South Park" approach and lampoons just about every group of people. If you are obese, disabled, Asian, black, a war veteran or fall into a number of other categories, expect offensive jokes galore.
    Yet the success of Stiller's satire comes from his ability to mock everyone including the actors themselves. The best jokes poke fun at special effects, actors who take themselves too seriously and the overblown war epic genre.
    The self-awareness of Stiller's action-comedy is what keeps it from being another forgettable and ludicrous 90 minutes. The bottom line is that, although the humor is typically over-the-top and monotonous, Stiller's stellar cast and bold wisecracks at his own profession make "Tropic Thunder" a genuinely funny movie to end the summer season.