“Tropic Thunder” is a parody of the motion picture industry, of double dealing and hypocritical agents, high and mighty directors and self-doubting, wobbly actors who will do just anything in order to be praised and given enthusiastic approvals.

Ben Stiller, director, co-writer, co-producer and star of the movie, brought together a bunch of famous actors to impersonate another bunch of actors, but this time bombastic and wrapped in cotton wool, who want to become Hollywood superstars and therefore travel to the jungle to shoot a high-budget Vietnam War movie, named, of course, “Tropic Thunder”. The breathtaking cast list includes Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte and Tobey Maguire, plus Tom Cruise, playing the part of a full-mouthed studio chief.

The movie within the movie portrays the filming incidents of four brainless prima donnas: Ben Stiller’s Speedman, Robert Downey Jr.’s Lazarus, Jack Black’s Portnoy and Brandon Jackson’s Alpa Chino. Alongside the scared out of his wits greenhorn Kevin Sandusky, played by Jay Baruchel, they are sent into the jungle by the movie’s uptight British director (Steve Coogan).

However, the dim crew humorously gets in real-life trouble when the actors are attacked by some violent drug lords. What’s more, the amusement comes from the fact that the self-styled performers consider the assaults are merely cinematic special effects. Speedman is brutally kidnapped by the Red Dragon Army, but, comically, the army’s 12-year-old leader proves to be no more than a big fan of the actor’s most dodgiest movie.

With all the silly adventures of the dim-witted “artists,” “Tropic Thunder” may be seen as one of the most hilarious productions of the season, in spite of the fact that the inanity-related satire has been sparking much controversy lately.