Tropic Thunder (2008) is a satirical action-comedy directed by Ben Stiller about a group of self-absorbed actors who, while shooting a big-budget war film, are dropped into a real drug lord's territory in Southeast Asia. The film brilliantly skewers Hollywood egos, method acting, and the film industry itself, featuring standout performances from Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, and a nearly unrecognizable Tom Cruise.
Robert Downey Jr. plays a white actor in blackface throughout the film, and the movie uses the word 'retard' repeatedly in ways that drew significant criticism from disability advocacy groups.
Ben Stiller films a Vietnam war movie production going off the rails. The film knows every Hollywood ego it skewers; the satire is in the casting.
