When actors find themselves in the jungles during the filming of a Vietnam war movie, they find out more than war is hell. Over-the-top Hollywood egos clash with balls-to-the wall reality necessary to make it out alive on the other side of the golden triangle of drug trafficking.

If we can look past the Wayans Brothers giving us White Chicks, then we can look past Robert Downey Jr. doing black face. As long as you can see past the racist undertones and enjoy the movie, Tropic thunder is actually entertaining. As Downey himself said this could be really good or really bad. I’ll let you decide yourself.

Past the political challenges, the audience is in for a treat. They get to see jack Black get his ass kicked by a twelve-year-old drug lord. How can you ask for more except to watch Stiller settle into his stretched-out jerk role we have seen in Heavyweights and Dodgeball.

The fake trailers to introduce the big name actors is magic. The fake trailers blend in seamlessly with the real trailers. This is a new inventive way to introduce the audience to the characters without long tedious back story. It is a great way to start the movie. True genius.

Ben Stiller pulls triple duty as producer, writer, and actor; something we have not seen since Zoolander. Stiller teams up with first time writer, Justin Theroux. Theroux has stood in front of the camera and easily forgotten long enough. In Tropic thunder he works on the screenplay and may show us his true talent.

I really would have expected Jack Black to barrel in like a bull in a china shop. But something (either himself or the director) held back this comedic juggernaut and Black added the perfect amount of left-field crazy to the movie.

No, Tropic Thunder will never aspire to the heights of Plattoon. But it’s not really fair to expect a comedy to aspire to much more than Zoolander ever gave us. As long as you walk into the theater expecting something on the level as most Stiller comedies, and nothing more, you will walk out a happy movie watcher.