In the spirit of satire, it works well

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2009)

This movie needs to be understood in the spirit in which it was meant. I don't like action movies or crude humour, but I enjoyed the whole because I understood where it was coming from. The initial "trailers" were hilarious and that gave me strong clue as to what to expect. As with The Player and Gosford Park (both by Altman) the main aim is to make a point that won't be spotted if taken at face value. This film works on a different level than a straight comedy because most of it is parody, and therefore the "offensive" jokes are intended to be taken in that spirit. I'm a big Robert Downey Jr fan and he was excellent in this - his true ability shone through, playing a method actor who is playing a black man playing a soldier. How many people could handle that? Jack Black's task was a bit more thankless but he made a good job of the character that he played. The cameos were great - this is another reminder of The Player (another Hollywood satire) which is full of cameos.
I found the plot interesting in its own right and if you enter into the premise of what might happen if a bunch of actors were actually dumped in a jungle for real, it takes on another dimension, ie. you can also take it seriously as an adventure. I was quite gripped by the story because I wasn't sure what would happen in the end (one major character died early on). Try to suspend disbelief and not be offended, and you might enjoy it.