I read a lot of comment recently on a message board about how some people don't like Ben Stiller. Frankly, I just didn't get it—because while there are some movies with Stiller I didn't like, there have been plenty I did.

Most of the discussion had to do with why people were not going to see Tropic Thunder. One of the things I didn't realize about the movie was the magnitude of the ensemble cast. Most know about Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Robert Downey, Jr., but we haven't heard about others that contribute, whether it be Danny McBride (who is also in Pineapple Express), the talented Nick Nolte, Matthew McConaughey, or the big surprise for me, in a major role, Tom Cruise. This truly is an ensemble cast, and those deciding whether to attend just on the fact that Ben Stiller is in this movie are missing out—missing out on a quite surprisingly good, funny, and meaningful movie.

The concept of Tropical Thunder is that a group of actors are in Viet Nam making a movie based on the experiences of Four Leaf Tayback, played by Nick Nolte. The spoiled, overpaid, self-serving actors in the film are so competitive for screen time that the movie and its production costs are way over budget. Each actor in the film has had previous issues—whether drug addiction or recent movie flops—and have to learn to work together. When the production seems to be a failure, there is a suggestion that, unbeknownst the actors in the film, they be taken into the jungles of Viet Nam and dropped into in a live combat situation. In the process, things go terribly wrong, and between drug dealers and being lost, the actors in Tropical Thunder have to grow up, look out for each other, and come to the rescue of one of their lost compatriots. Along the way, we have a really good (if vulgar and gory) time.

So a group of top name actors has to work together, sharing the screen, and contribute to the crafts of one another. It is here that Ben Stiller shows some talent, not in his acting, although it is fun and good, but in his direction. Stiller understands the concepts he is portraying—he is living with them when working with the cast he has playing the parts. In many ways, the making of Tropic Thunder has to be much like the fictional experience portrayed in the movie. What transpires, though, is that Stiller's cast comes together in such a way that there are no stars, and that helps make the movie fun.

The movie itself, too, stresses the importance of working together, of using the gifts of each individual and in the process sacrificing for those we love, each person coming to recognize along the way who they are. It is here I enjoyed this movie in a special way. As the characters develop, we see how we can learn from that and apply it to our own lives.

There is another area I have to comment on. I have to admit, due to my own experience of working with the mentally ill in the past, I have not been a fan of Tom Cruise because of his past comments on this malady. If I had known he was in the movie as prominently as he is, I may not have seen it. That said, it would have been a shame. Tom Cruise is wonderful in this film; in fact, it may be one of the most fun parts I have seen Cruise play, and it may honestly be one of his best jobs of acting. His movie mogul Les Grossman cares about few things more than a profit margin, and this foul-mouthed, evil-handed mogul adds fun, fun, fun, to the movie. We see him as the evil figure behind all of the danger and misfortunes within the filming of Tropic Thunder, and he is the epitome of selfishness. If not for a lack of respect for the comedy genre, Cruise could be considered for an Oscar in a supporting role, he is so good in this film.

Tropic Thunder is a fun time at the movies, with some valuable lessons about getting along, becoming a team, and working together for a common good. As a pastor, I found all kinds of applications similar to leading a church; even in its rough humor there are lessons. From the opening theatrical trailers that resemble something out of Tarantino's Grindhouse, to the closing dance sequence with Les Grossman, this movie is far more than I expected. It will likely be more than most viewers expect, and that is a good thing for Tropic Thunder.

On a scale of 1 -- 10, for the 10 primary characters who find out about themselves, minus the evil Les Grossman, I give an unexpected and enjoyable 9.