It’s hard to believe that any Robert Downey Jr. film could be a hidden gem, but his 2005 crime comedy is the actor’s most underrated movie to date. Downey Jr. got off to a H๏τ start in the 1980s, appearing in teen comedies like Weird Science before graduating to more serious projects like Less than Zero.
Sadly, his promising career would soon be sidetracked as the actor struggled with addiction in the 1990s. Downey Jr.’s star would fade considerably by the early 2000s, and he was almost completely gone from the spotlight at the turn of the new millennium. Thankfully, RDJ bounced back, and began to rebuild his image and career throughout the Aughts.
A string of high-profile hits offered a more mature version of the actor, and things really took off when he was cast as Tony Stark in the very first MCU film, Iron Man. However, before he would snag his career-defining role, Robert Downey Jr. starred in an underappreciated gem that was completely overshadowed by his later success.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Is One Of RDJ’s Best Movies
Harry Lockhart Was The Role RDJ Was Born To Play
Much in the same way that Tony Stark was a perfect part for Downey Jr., the actor’s role in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was tailor-made for him. The 2005 crime comedy thriller tapped RDJ to play the role of crook Harry Lockhart, who finds himself cast in a major Hollywood movie while trying to evade the police.
With its mix of humor and thrills, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang exemplifies the best of its genres even as it takes swipes at clichés from classic film noir. There’s an exaggerated quality to everything, and it straddles the line between the compelling and the absolutely ridiculous. RDJ is inspired, and the movie’s snark was right up his alley.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Comeback Was Boosted By Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
RDJ’s Comeback Started Years Before Iron Man
Though his MCU debut is usually credited as RDJ’s big comeback, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is the movie that actually kicked-off his return. Along with movies like Zodiac, the 2005 action comedy showed exactly what he was capable of, and was a perfect illustration of his range as a performer.
the 2005 action comedy showed exactly what he was capable of, and was a perfect illustration of his range as a performer.
His turn as Harry Lockhart is both humorous and convincingly crooked, and RDJ’s status as the perfect sarcastic anti-hero was solidified in Shane Black’s film. Though Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was an abysmal financial failure, it got solid reviews and generated a lot of buzz around Downey Jr.’s comeback.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang only earned $15.7 million against a $15 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).
Robert Downey Jr. And Shane Black Teamed Up Again For Iron Man 3
The Duo Returned To Make An MCU Movie
Shane Black is a celebrated and divisive creator, and his work with Robert Downey Jr. is a bit hit or miss. After working with RDJ on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Black was tapped to direct and co-author the third Iron Man film. Iron Man 3 was a marked improvement over Iron Man 2, but it was still lacking something.
|
Iron Man Movies |
Release Year |
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Iron Man |
2008 |
94% |
$585 million |
|
Iron Man 2 |
2010 |
72% |
$623 million |
|
Iron Man 3 |
2013 |
79% |
$1.2 billion |
The plot cleverly explores Tony Stark’s anxiety in the wake of the cosmic threats he faced in The Avengers. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is muddled, and is lost between being a superhero epic and an intriguing character study. Robert Downey Jr.‘s performance was still strong, and he often turns in strong work whenever he teams with Black.
