Surprisingly I like this film

Rating: 8/10 (21 September 2008)

Before I start, I am not really a fan of Ben Stiller or American comedy films generally, I didn't have high hopes for this film. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot of the film is about the filming of a Vietnam film based on an ex-serviceman's memoirs. It was going to start Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) and Jeff Portney (Jack Black). They are all highly paid prima donna actors and their director is a British rookie (Steve Coogan). Tugg is a faying action star who is trying to become a serious actor, similar to Sylvester Stallone. Kirk, a serious Australian Oscar winning actor who has angry issues. He is basically a parody of Russell Crowe and how far some actors would go to do a role. Jeff is a comedian tried actor who just does family comedies and just uses the lowest common dominator (i.e. farting) and addicted to heroin. There are troubles on the set and the actors and director clash early on in the film shoot. It is suggested by the author of the book (Nick Nolte) to take them go to the middle of the Vietnamese jungle and make them into men. The director hoped to help his film to go back on track and make it more realist. Unforuately they ended up going into the middle of a war zone, dominated by drug lords.
What makes this film work is that it is a little more intelligent then most frat pack films. It parodies a lot of Vietnam films, especially Platoon and Apocalypse Now. It is also a parody on Hollywood itself, on all people who are involved in the filming process. There are jokes that will please everyone in the film; from the faux trailers, jokes about Hollywood and general jokes parted on the delivery. Out of the main three cast Robert Downey Jr. is the best, but Ben Stiller and Jack Black were still gone. There are also very good guest performances from Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise: especially Cruise who gets to shout some very fun insults. Its also good to see that Steve Coogan is getting work. There are also a lot of cameos to keep an eye out for.
However, I really could have done without the dancing.
Basically it is a good comedy, and I recommend it.