The Friday Five: Robert Downey Jr.

The Friday Five: 

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. has had a very illustrious career, but has also hit the lowest lows life has to offer.  After enduring a tumultuous time of drugs and prison, he changed his ways and once again became a source of inspiration and proof that you can always rebound from the worst mistakes.  In honor of his (possibly) final performance of Iron Man in "Avengers: Endgame," here are my five personal favorite Robert Downey Jr. films.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

 #5

 Sherlock Holmes

Ever since he was created by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes has become synonymous with sleuthing, deductions, and intelligence.  In Guy Ritchie's version of the famed detective, Downey plays Sherlock Holmes to perfection, giving the super sleuth an ingenuity that only Downey possesses, as he and his loyal partner Watson go in search of a diabolical mystic that threatens to change the world for his own means.  Everything about the film is polished and sophisticated, and the chemistry between Downey and Jude Law is clearly evident from the first moment they meet.

#4

 Tropic Thunder

"I'm a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude!"  Robert Downey Jr. unleashes his comedic chops in the very intellectually humorous "Tropic Thunder," about three offbeat actors (an action star, an Academy winner, and a comedian) who think they're filming a war movie in Vietnam, but are actually sent into the trenches during a real war.  The result is comedic gold, and Downey Jr. received his second Academy Award nomination for his performance - a rarity for a comedy.

#3

 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Before he directed Downey Jr. in "Iron Man 3," Shane Black delivered the neo-noir comedy "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," about a small-time crook (Downey) who accidentally stumbles into an audition and finds himself hired to play a private detective, and an actual detective (Val Kilmer) who trains him to act like a detective.  When the two stumble on a murder spree, the offbeat duo must work together to find the killer or end up the next victims.  Delivering tongue-in-cheek humor, wit, and stylish action, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is a fantastic film that hits all the right notes.

#2

 Chaplin

One of the greats of cinema, Charlie Chaplin existed during a time where films had no dialogue, and he relied on his body to convey a story, mostly using slapstick humor, but his private life was anything but a joke.  Downey Jr. transforms into the famed actor (and also earned an Academy Award nomination for it) as he emerges as an acting powerhouse, along with his dark personal life, and brings both with elegance and brilliance. 

#1

 Iron Man

 The role that Robert Downey Jr. was practically born to play, "Iron Man" changed the superhero cinematic landscape forever, giving birth to one of cinema's most endearing and lucrative franchises - the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  The heart of this universe of Robert Downey Jr., who portrays Tony Stark in all his billionaire playboy philanthropist glory, all the while saving the world a lot from the forces of evil.