Good laughs, nothing to protest.

Rating: Null/10 (13 August 2008)

First off, this movie was funny. Jack Blacks character could have had a few more lines and his character was basically established for one really funny line when hes tied to a tree in reference to Brandon Jackson's characters Freudian slip. Downey, Hilarious. McBride, hilarious. Stiller, same old same old, so if you liked him before you'll like him here.
Second; the cameos really stole the show. I was waiting for more Cruise just to see if he is really as funny as i thought he was. He is. McConaughey was good with the perfect amount of screen time to drive home the laughs. Especially when dealing with an "Amanda" problem.
Third. The dreaded "r" word. This movie really made a point that was missed by people looking for something, anything, to protest. It's satire. It was supposed to raise the question "Why does just about every actor who portrays a mentally handicapped character get at least an Oscar nomination?" It's as if the handicapped make people feel so awkward and guilty that actors automatically get respected for doing that role. If Simple Jack had been a movie it would have been shunned and protested, which it was in the Tropic Thunder Universe, and rightfully so. Using the word "retarded" reflects the ignorance of the film industry and of these characters. Not every movie made about the disabled is great, and that was the point.