Raunchy? Check. Offensive? Check. Sophomoric? Check. Hysterical? Check, check, check, check, check, check, exclamation point! Tropic Thunder, a send up of both Hollywood and the war films it churns out, could well be the funniest movie of the year. Ben Stiller wrote, directed and starred in the film, in which he plays an Oscar-grubbing, has-been action hero.

He teams up with Robert Downey, Jr., as a white Australian actor playing an African American, and Jack Black, whose character is best known for donning costumes and playing all the roles in a flatulent family franchise. Put them all together in a jungle where they think they’re filming a movie but have really stumbled across a cadre of truly bad guys, and you have all the elements you need for a stellar Stiller film.

There are fabulous supporting performances by Matthew McConaughey as Stiller’s agent, and Tom Cruise as a chubby, balding, foul-mouthed producer with a penchant for creepy hip hop moves. If the voting Academy members thought Cruise’s supporting role in Magnolia was good, they have no choice but to nominate him again for playing Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. His performance alone is worth the price of admission.

Rated R.

-- LJM

Editor's Note: Tropic Thunder has provoked many strong feelings over its use of the word "retard." We recommend reading this review for a nuanced take on some of the controversy surrounding the film.