Movie #346 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
2005 - Rated R - 1 hr 43 min
Director: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen

Oh, how do I love Robert Downey Jr? Let me count the ways!  He tackles this quirky role with his usual flair and enthusiasm, with his staccato speech and unique body language--a weird blend of erratic movement and deliberate gestures.  You know what I'm talking about.  That way that he has about him. 

In this role, it's absolutely perfect.  This is an off-beat, dark comedy that starts out with a "botched" childhood magic trick and just gets more bizarre from there.  Following in the shoes of gay detective Val Kilmer, Downey accidentally meets up with an old friend he's had a thing for since about second grade.  His chemistry with Michelle Monaghan is surprisingly effortless.

I can't give away to much, but I will say that if you like a good dark comedy/mystery with some quirky wit and a strong ensemble cast, check this one out.

Movie #317 - Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2
2010 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 4 min
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L Jackson, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Leslie Bibb, Gary Shandling, Jon Favreau

Sequels are always tough... and I usually approach them with great trepidation.  But when I heard about Iron Man 2, I was pretty psyched.  Thankfully, the movie doesn't disappoint.

While it lacks the fun creation sequences of the first movie, the technology doesn't stop advancing and the Iron Man suit has a few updates, like unfolding from a case that travels pretty light.  There are new bad guys, including scary Mickey Rourke, and new good guys, including Scarlett Johansson.  Tony Stark's troubles with his heart machine thingey (yes, that's the technical term) are more complicated, the ties to the Avengers are strengthened just a tiny bit, and the relationship with Pepper Potts grows as well. 

It's not as good as the original, but I think it continues the plot and everything that surrounds it in believable ways.  Everything takes a step forward, from the technology to the characters, so it's a great movie with lots of treats for fans.

Movie #316 - Iron Man

Iron Man
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 6 min
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Faran Tahir, Leslie Bibb, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau, Peter Billingsley

Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man. No joke.  I think that's his big secret.  No drug or alcohol problems. No rehab. He was secretly off fighting crime in his Iron Man suit. 

Which would make this movie a kind of biography...

Anyway, I don't know a lot about the comic or the character, it's true.  But this is one of the best Marvel comics-to-big-screen franchises there is.  I attribute that to a killer cast, fabulous action sequences, and general kick-assery. 

Also, it's fun to see Jeff Bridges be the bad guy.  And as unlikely a pair as they seem, Paltrow and Downey have fantastic on-screen chemistry.  Still, the best scenes in the entire movie are between Downey and his team of robots as they test the suit again and again.  Priceless.

Movie #248 - A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Dito Montiel
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Dianne Wiest, Shia LeBeouf, Julia Garro, Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Eric Roberts, Scott Michael Campbell, Melonie Diaz

I don't even know where to begin.  This movie disturbed me, and I'm not sure if that was the response they're looking for.  Robert Downey Jr plays the author, Dito Montiel, and Shia LeBeouf plays the young Dito in 1986.  Based on a true story, Dito deals with plenty of personal tragedy throughout his troubled past.  Lost loves, the deaths of friends, a distant father... all the cliches.

As a story goes, there's not much resolution here. You watch this movie and come away with very little.  It makes me wonder why the story is told, you know?  As the movie goes, the acting seems forced at times. And the F word, which doesn't usually bother me, appears at least three times in every sentence.  It's hard to feel compassion for any character in this contrived drama... I guess I didn't get it.