Total Recall: Robert Downey, Jr.'s Best Movies
Summary
Early in his career, he seemed destined to be typecast as a go-to guy for fast-talking, lovably odd characters in lightweight comedies -- and later on, he was in danger of ending his career as a cautionary tale for young actors with substance abuse problems. But after spending the better part of a decade working his way back from the brink, Robert Downey, Jr. capped off a remarkable resurgence in 2008 with Iron Man and Tropic Thunder -- a hot streak that seems likely to continue with an '09 slate that includes Sherlock Holmes and this week's The Soloist. You know what that means: it's Total Recall time! Back to Article
Early in his career, he seemed destined to be typecast as a go-to guy for fast-talking, lovably odd characters in lightweight comedies -- and later on, he was in danger of ending his career as a cautionary tale for young actors with substance abuse problems. But after spending the better part of a decade working his way back from the brink, Robert Downey, Jr. capped off a remarkable resurgence in 2008 with Iron Man and Tropic Thunder -- a hot streak that seems likely to continue with an '09 slate that includes Sherlock Holmes and this week's The Soloist. You know what that means: it's Total Recall time! Back to Article
(1-35 of 35 posts) | Reply
on Apr 22 2009 04:14 PM Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was hilarious. (Reply to this) |
on Apr 22 2009 04:39 PM In reply to this comment (#2435821) Yeah it was great, I have actually always really liked Chaplin which not enough people seem to like. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2009 06:07 PM I had heard of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before but never really knew what it was about. Now that I have seen that trailer, it is definitely going on my netflix que. :) Looks hilarious! (Reply to this) |
on Apr 22 2009 06:19 PM Uhh, I haven't heard of the top four. But I've heard of many the rest, and seen most. (Reply to this) |
on Apr 22 2009 06:20 PM Glad to see Back to School on the list. Funny, funny flick. And watching Zodiac, it was obvious the difference an actor like Downey can make. Every time he was on the screen the movie suddenly became really interesting. Seen U.S. Marshals? I hope he and Tommy Lee Jones were well paid because that was a complete embarrassing waste. A boom mic actually appears top of frame when they are on the plane. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2009 08:41 PM Since he plays supporting roles in most of these films (especially the top ones), would've been interesting to see his best feature roles. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2009 09:29 PM If you're gonna include on the list movies in wich he appears 5 minutes on screen why not also give us chaplin where he is absolutely fantastic (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2009 09:32 PM now i see why chaplin isn't there, it only score 65%. A ridiculous score if you ask me... (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2009 10:16 PM In reply to this comment (#2436119) Yes, I've seen "US Marshalls". Let's just leave it at that. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2009 10:44 PM Let us not forget his role in Natural Born KIllers. You actually wanted him to get killed in the end!! (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2009 12:24 AM Why isn't "Less Than Zero" on here. I always thought that was one of his finer roles. Or if "Back to School" is on there...then "Weird Science" should be also. Haha. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2009 04:01 AM This article is a sham. Any list without Chaplin is a bogus list. Give us Downey's best movies, not "the best movies Downey happened to be in". For the record,I'd add Restoration in here too. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2009 07:59 AM This is what also bug me in RT list about an actor best movie: they don't pick the best movie of an actor, they pick the best movie an actor appeared in. I mean, I don't consider a movie in which RDJ happened 5 minutes to be one of the RDJ best movie. If I'm an extra in a movie that has 100% on the tomatometer, does that mean it's my best movie? On the other hand, this young RDJ clip was awesome. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2009 04:20 PM I was hoping that A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints would appear on this list. I thoroughly enjoyed that film. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2009 07:22 PM I can;t take this list seriously either, especially when it leaves out several of his best performances: Less Than Zero, Chaplin, Restoration and Natural Born Killers. Less Than Zero was a breakout movie for Downey as a dramatic actor. Downey showed astonishing range in his Academy Award nominated role in Chaplin, and went on to prove his versatility, dramatic chops and charm as Merivel in Restoration. He is out-of-his-mind good in Natural Born Killers, which is admittedly a hard movie to watch - but RD is brilliant in it. I'll agree with Zodiac, True Believer, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,Iron Man and Tropic Thunder. (Nice to see some love for True Believer.) But I would much rather watch his comedic turns in Chances Are than Back To School or Weird Science - MUCH. And much as I love John Sayles, Downey is barely in Baby It's You. (Reply to this) |
on Apr 24 2009 08:37 AM I watched Chaplin last night, just because I'd been watching his old movies lately. Downey was absolutely brilliant in that film and I still feel that it's a shame that he didn't win Best Actor. I think in 25 years, most people will say that his performance was better than Al Pacino's in "Scent of a Woman". I like Pacino and I like 'Scent', but Downey played 60 years of Chaplin's life. What I found odd about 'Chaplin' though was that there was no mention of the Hearst incident. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 10:31 AM His performance in Chaplin was incredible and I think it's crazy you didn't post it in his top ten! What were you thinking? Definitely Oscar worthy. The one time I thought the Academy really got it wrong. Everyone should see him in Chaplin if you haven't already! (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 10:49 AM I was sure that the number one movie on this list would be Chaplin and was stunned to see it omitted. RT has lost all credibility with me. (Reply to this) |
on Apr 24 2009 01:37 PM I loved Iron Man (my fave movie tied to Dark Knight) and Tropic Thunder. Zodiac is good, and Chaplin was Oscar- Worthy. He would be my favorite actor if he made more good movies. He's my second favorite next to Daniel Craig. Downey's awesome though. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 02:04 PM yeah (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 03:11 PM "This article is a sham. Any list without Chaplin is a bogus list. Give us Downey's best movies, not "the best movies Downey happened to be in". For the record,I'd add Restoration in here too." Kobo Right on the money Kobo! My first thought was you got to be kidding me! They are talking about Downey's best films and they don't even have "Chaplin" on the list? How insanely wrong is that! Hey Giles, put the bong down and get your slacker butt in gear. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 05:46 PM I know Robert Downey, Jr. better than any of your wannabees because I was his baby sitter when he was 5 years old. Bobby was as incorrigible then as he became later in life. He took all the knobs off our TV set and threw them in the toilet. There was chewing gum under the couch pillows and he refused to go to bed. When I threatened to tell his parents, he snapped at me, "Don't bother. They're busy ****ing." Nevertheless, his best movie was "Charlie Chaplin." (Reply to this) |
on Apr 24 2009 08:14 PM yeah, one of my friends recommended me kiss kiss bang bang, and its one of my favorite movies Ive seen this year. Its hilarious and unpredictable. RDJ at his best. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 10:02 PM Barbara M.: Rotten Tomatoes lost all credibility for *me* when they turned into a bunch of page whores (case in point: 4 pages for a list of 10 items.) Which is why it hurts me to defend them here, but ALL their lists are based on the Tomometer for their movies. Chaplin's http .. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 10:03 PM Barbara M.: Rotten Tomatoes lost all credibility for *me* when they turned into a bunch of page whores (case in point: 4 pages for a list of 10 items.) Which is why it hurts me to defend them here, but ALL their lists are based on the Tomometer for their movies. Chaplin's http .. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 10:07 PM Crap, a double-post. But also: greichenbach... WTF? You've been a member since 2006 and haven't figured out how this works yet? It's the freakin' tomomater!! It always has been! And yes, I know I'm being a dick. But in my defense, I'm drunk. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2009 11:12 PM I have to respond to the following quote: "when Downey was announced as Jon Favreau's choice for the man who would be Tony Stark, reactions ran the gamut from bemused acceptance to outright hostility" Say what??? From my experience of chatting with friends, in shops, n forums, etc, the comics community largely agreed that he was a great choice to play Stark. Aside from being widely held as a solid, charasmatic actor, Downey's personal problems made him the right fit. Downey and Tony Stark have both had their problems with excessive/indulgent lifestyles and alchohol/substance abuse. Comic fans immediately recognized that Downey could flesh out the character in way that few others could. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 25 2009 02:13 PM Where's Wonder Boys? (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 26 2009 12:25 AM My favorite RDJ movies: 1. Iron Man 2. Chaplin 3. Tropic Thunder 4. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang 5. Air America (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 26 2009 02:07 PM Downey is extremely fortunate to have overcome such a career bombing early lifetstyle, of which most people would have never returned. However, he has a great gift at acting and I would love to see him in more roles like Chaplin in which he becomes fully enveloped in the character and is no longer the quick talking Downey as he is known to appear. On that note it makes me excited to see how he works with Sherlock, and what future roles he can transform to. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 27 2009 05:29 AM Oddly enough, when I think of RDJ, I think of his part in Wierd Science. Between that and Iron Man, he had a lot of flops. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 27 2009 06:33 PM In reply to this comment (#2435821) I have never been so surprised how much I like a film. Too bad it didn't get more attention. The script was amazing and the acting perfect. Absolutely loved it. (Reply to this) |
on Apr 27 2009 09:42 PM Chaplin should have been number 1. Whats up with this crappy list. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 29 2009 10:34 AM I'm sorry Mr. Giles, but how can you write an article on Robert Downey Jr's best films and leave out CHAPLIN???????? Or did you mean the best movies that RDJ just happened to be in? He was robbed of an oscar that year. (Reply to this) |
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on Jun 02 2009 07:21 PM A scanner Darkly? (Reply to this) |
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