What about the guy who played Cameron Diaz's brother in "There's Something About Mary?" He went full retard ... and was brilliant!: "Tropic Thunder"

It's not a stretch to say this was the most excited I had been for a new DVD release in some time. It was the one movie from the summer I wanted to see but didn't. Well, that and "Sex and the City." People always say I'm a Miranda, but these days I feel more like a Charlotte ...

Our story: A bunch of spoiled actors and an in-over-his-head British director are filming a Vietnam War movie on location in the jungle. Behind schedule after only one week and under pressure from the producer -- more on him in a bit -- the director (Steve Coogan) follows the advice of the war hero who wrote the book (Nick Nolte) and takes the cast deep into the sh!t to film them guerilla-style. Alas, the sh!t really is the Sh!t, with drug runners mixing it up with our hapless heroes.

Who are these actors-turned-soldiers? Glad you asked:

• Action movie star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), trying to keep his career alive after a bunch of stupid sequels to his first big movie, "Scorcher," and an ill-advised attempt to gain respectability by playing a retarded guy in "Simple Jack." Whoa.
• Acclaimed award winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), an Australian who has his skin pigment darkened to play a black character. Double whoa.
• Comedy star and serial farter Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), who also comes with a serious drug habit. Bonus!
• Rap star Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), focused on pitching his advertising tie-ins, most notably a drink called Booty Sweat. Yum.

Also part of the fun are a geeky straight man played by Jay Baruchel ("Knocked Up") and a special effects guy (Danny McBride). Oh, and Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise

Wait. What's that?

McConaughey is Tugg's agent, and while it's fun to see him goofing in this role -- "You didn't get the TiVo?" -- Cruise as the movie producer is a sight to behold. Words simply do not do him justice.

I remember some of the reviews saying he was unrecognizable. Wrong. You can tell it's Cruise -- not only the voice, but those eyes and the glare behind the bald head and bulky body. That's what makes him all the more hilarious. Here's Mr. Movie Star not only looking atrocious, but spewing venom and being a Grade A Dipsh!t. And on purpose for once! I can't decide what I loved more: his rant against the drug runners holding Tugg hostage or the overture to McConaughey, complete with gyrations to "Low" by Flo Rida. As Mr. William Ocean might say, "Simply ... awesome."

There are more laughs, of course. Downey is pretty good, refusing to break character even as the filming falls apart. Stiller seemed weak at first but comes through nicely, especially after being captured and forced to re-live his "Simple Jack" days. Black doesn't get as much to do but has a couple of funny scenes, including his desperate offer to Alpa Chino while in withdrawl. I know this is the holiday season, but he ain't talking about turkey and potatoes when he says "swallow the gravy."

My dad had a good point when he said "Tropic Thunder" would have been really funny if it had come out after "Platoon" and that wave of Vietnam movies in the '80s. Even so, this is a pretty good commentary -- on war movies, yes, but moreso on actors' egos. Hell, the fake trailers before the movie -- each for a "movie" starring one of the "Thunder" actors -- were spot-on and maybe funnier than the movie itself. As soon as Netflix has "Satan's Alley," I'm there.