Worthwhile watching for the total lunacy of it all.

Rating: 9/10 (14 July 2014)

Take a group of coddled, spoiled, self-righteous, over-hyped, and plain dumb actors, stick them in a situation they're not prepared for, and you get Tropic Thunder. While the premise is nothing new, the execution is fast and funny more often than not. Standouts among the cast are Robert Downey, Jr. who literally gets into the skin of the people he portrays, Matthew McConaughey as Ben Stiller's agent, Nick Nolte as a fake military adviser, and Tom Cruise as maniacal--and frightening--producer, Les Grossman. Danny McBride as a half-crazed demolition special effects man and Bill Hader as Tom Cruise's yes-man also score.
The only drawbacks are really Ben Stiller and Jack Black. Stiller is best seen when backing someone else up, while Black is best taken in small doses. When he's called upon to carry a scene, he can't deliver anything but a manic performance.
Still, the cast gives it their best shot and the result is obvious and often very funny. Tom Cruise's dance at the end is the highlight. Worth seeing for the individual performances and the sheer lunacy of it all.