I was going to Cinemark at the early evening show to see "Tropic Thunder" and at the eleventh hour, the men in my family joined me. A good thing, too, because it was hands down, the funniest movie of the year. I liked "Pineapple Express", but that was a short reign. And "Tropic Thunder" was pretty good film making, as well.

The main characters are introduced by various means. The rapper-turned-actor, Alpa Chino, in a commercial for a drink called Booty Sweat. Then the fake trailers started. Jack Black as Jeff Portnoy in the Eddie Murphy-like "The Fatties: Farts II". Ben Stiller as Tugg Speedman in the action franchise "Scorcher VI: Global Meltdown". And Robert Downey, Jr. as "5-time Academy Award Winner" Kirk Lazarus and "MTV Best Kiss Award Winner" Tobey Maguire as two monks who fall in love in "Satan's Alley". All of these parodies were excellent. As was an Access Hollywood report on their current film detailing trouble on the set, which delved into the actors pasts.

Black is pretty good. Stiller is the old Stiller (finally!) and I haven't seen him this funny in years. Downey is well, you have to see him in this one, truly a comic genius. But it's got all the elements. Number one, a comedy that actually produces mega laughs throughout. It also has memorable lines that will sustain it, like Downey's advice to Stiller about his acting in "Simple Jack", "Never go full retard", the "R-word" being the source of many protests. I think it hits on all cylinders.

And the supportng cast, outside of Steve Coogan who was merely OK as the director, not a dog in the bunch. Danny McBride (the highlight of "Pineapple Express") is back as a demolition expert who almost blinded Jamie Lee Curtis on "Freaky Friday" and can't afford another movie mistake. Nick Nolte as the grizzled war veteran who wrote the book the movie was based on. Matthew McConaughey as Tugg's agent (Speedman's name appears as "Tuggernuts" on his phone), Rick "The Pecker" Peck, is quite good for a change. And in an absolutely over-the-top role as the studio mogul, Les Grossman, is Tom Cruise who reminds an assistant "a nutless monkey could do your job". I'm tellin' you, every time you think Cruise is finished due to bad publicity, he comes up with a gem and gets back on everyone's good side.

I think this is the strongest comedy to hit the theaters since "Borat". A great time at the movies.

Meal of Links

This guy really likes condiments. I mean, a lot.

Another commentary to legalize drugs. This one from the UK.

You wanna learn a foreign language? Try Norwegian, it's easy.

Exercise Yard

NBC thinks China is Fantasyland. Probably won't speak negatively, until everyone is back home. And the checks have cleared.

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45 Across: "A German Requiem" composer (6 letters) Answer: Brahms