cult film freak: robert downey jr.

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Written by James M. Tate / 8/13/2021 / No comments / ariel winter , buddy , comedy , crime , dark comedy , genre tarantino , gumshoe , michelle monaghan , neo noir , robert downey jr. , shane black , shannyn sossamon , stephanie pearson , val kilmer , zeroes

ROBERT DOWNEY JR AND VAL KILMER IN 'KISS KISS BANG BANG'

<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOu49r0UOdZgCEFGjRIJntM64veRfkTIJQf1uRuaAZBZ793XCUT_te8VHCkw9f25VGBlC5dInzSV_a1pRupDh62YhIK5SR6jf0MwaI2Xo0xka2AHoiHhqZXlKJitEXSqooxuijAM2eqcQ/s2241/Screen%252BShot%252B2021-08-08%252Bat%252B4.49.27%252BPM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="2241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOu49r0UOdZgCEFGjRIJntM64veRfkTIJQf1uRuaAZBZ793XCUT_te8VHCkw9f25VGBlC5dInzSV_a1pRupDh62YhIK5SR6jf0MwaI2Xo0xka2AHoiHhqZXlKJitEXSqooxuijAM2eqcQ/s16000/Screen%252BShot%252B2021-08-08%252Bat%252B4.49.27%252BPM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Michelle Monaghan in KISS KISS BANG BANG Year: 2005 Rating: ****</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Famous for writing the original LETHAL WEAPON, thus receiving Story Credit for the entire hit-and-miss franchise, <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2016/05/NG.html">Shane Black</a> energetically attempts to trade mainstream action for a Quentin Tarantino style wheelhouse of humorously neurotic criminals who still do violent, desperate, horrible things... </p><p></p><p></p><p>And instead of outright ripping off the PULP FICTION auteur, Black goes back even further, basing the adapted KISS KISS BANG BANG on his love of Pulp Fiction itself: detective novels that inspired everything in the 1940's/1950's Noir lexicon, making this a mile-a-minute <i>Neo</i> Noir that runs itself ragged before the first fifteen minutes...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b7VDgP6QxgNsZpnJgwMGc7PBRDeOysatmICPZijdBccH14C-ApIPnM7ASYMlawVtrdBAK4H6fHJECM4ltctaqPgKGW8WT834mJbK59TW28jMX4nbV2CEiwh1BbfDDCQGvjo3ifWCyTWs/s2314/Screen%25252BShot%25252B2021-08-08%25252Bat%25252B4.18.09%25252BPM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="2314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b7VDgP6QxgNsZpnJgwMGc7PBRDeOysatmICPZijdBccH14C-ApIPnM7ASYMlawVtrdBAK4H6fHJECM4ltctaqPgKGW8WT834mJbK59TW28jMX4nbV2CEiwh1BbfDDCQGvjo3ifWCyTWs/s16000/Screen%25252BShot%25252B2021-08-08%25252Bat%25252B4.18.09%25252BPM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Robert Downey Jr. in KISS KISS BANG BANG</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>But the perfect lead's cast to deliberately exhaust the audience with self-aware/self-deprecating narration that will often critique the very film you're watching, ala Mel Brooks. And although looking older than he would throughout his IRON MAN tenure... cleaning up from an infamous drug habit... Robert Downey Jr. fits our rambling crook turned would-be actor caught in a murder mystery as convoluted as the kind of novels that influenced it... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In this case, a fictional gumshoe paperback series by a fictional author mentioned repeatedly and extremely important within the story itself, and that both Downey and super-gorgeous dream-girl Michelle Monaghan (and some other strategic characters) grew up reading... </p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4gjyrcFsmhe0RZgZfVMrJjYA3W_LGFyS0wBPhskww6mJtKO8A-CLF-xHQP_Y8nkOvtFP_bQwliXQdgHfQI4iyHng372oPtmKAfGvXv0FUX0eCxa3QCoLPlNHJBJdkFdQk681YGuPPdwy/s2323/Screen%25252BShot%25252B2021-08-08%25252Bat%25252B4.54.41%25252BPM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="2323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4gjyrcFsmhe0RZgZfVMrJjYA3W_LGFyS0wBPhskww6mJtKO8A-CLF-xHQP_Y8nkOvtFP_bQwliXQdgHfQI4iyHng372oPtmKAfGvXv0FUX0eCxa3QCoLPlNHJBJdkFdQk681YGuPPdwy/s16000/Screen%25252BShot%25252B2021-08-08%25252Bat%25252B4.54.41%25252BPM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Michelle Monaghan and Robert Downey Jr. in KISS KISS BANG BANG</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So now the Middle-American-born thirty-somethings are stuck in the fast L.A. nightlife, one step away from death while their peripheral romance... the vulnerable sap still in love with the hot chick who was always too good for him... seems straight out of Judd Apatow cinema...<br></p><p></p><p></p><p>But it's Val Kilmer who glues everything together as Gay Perry, a successful and confident homosexual Hollywood-hired detective teaching Downey the ropes... and yet soon enough both get equally tangled in the twisty bedlam (you can almost hear Kilmer channel Danny Glover's famous "I'm too old for this" line)...<br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8rrTB0Zn0cDNbt0BKFEeE47WuLdIT4LZOU8PXQZmxJysfF6tsui2SnWTWxvg9vwqU2NOFSUNLKXGdMWt0-0ewQOsWPJPBXEClzTXLdIb-qLVfXz5RZuzud7vg2kS6gYiOopxP65Edq_5/s2206/Screen%25252BShot%25252B2021-08-08%25252Bat%25252B4.22.38%25252BPM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="2206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8rrTB0Zn0cDNbt0BKFEeE47WuLdIT4LZOU8PXQZmxJysfF6tsui2SnWTWxvg9vwqU2NOFSUNLKXGdMWt0-0ewQOsWPJPBXEClzTXLdIb-qLVfXz5RZuzud7vg2kS6gYiOopxP65Edq_5/s16000/Screen%25252BShot%25252B2021-08-08%25252Bat%25252B4.22.38%25252BPM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Val Kilmer in KISS KISS BANG BANG</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So KISS KISS provides the once hot method-acting madman a surprisingly subdued role he can vanish into without trying too hard (THE DOORS) whilst providing more than just his rugged handsomeness (HEAT) which, at this point, is not only aged but has extra weight added on and, randomly teasing the gay stereotypes, he becomes both a befitting target and experienced muse for Downey's incessant quips...<br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And there are several action-packed/high-octane moments in Black's hyperactive thriller where he's showcasing something more 1980's mainstream after all... scenes of the polar opposite partners bickering (and even fist-fighting like 48 HRS) is far more entertaining and intriguing than those Tarantino elements that can wind up downright dizzying. But, for what its worth, KISS KISS BANG BANG is pretty much a good kind of dizzy.  </p><p><span></span></p>

ariel winter, buddy, comedy, crime, dark comedy, genre tarantino, gumshoe, michelle monaghan, neo noir, robert downey jr., shane black, shannyn sossamon, stephanie pearson, val kilmer, zeroes

ROBERT DOWNEY JR AND VAL KILMER IN 'KISS KISS BANG BANG'

Michelle Monaghan in KISS KISS BANG BANG Year: 2005 Rating: **** Famous for writing the original LETHAL WEAPON, thus receiving Story Credit ...

REVIEW OF CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

action, chris evans, franchise, robert downey jr., sequel, superhero

REVIEW OF CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

CAPTAIN AMERICA needs a push for a third movie and it's Tony Stark's Iron Man to the rescue Year: 2016 Will try to keep this sho...

CHRIS COLLET FIRSTBORN, PETER WELLER MOVING IN

christopher collet, corey haim, eighties, peter weller, robert downey jr., suspense, teri garr

CHRIS COLLET FIRSTBORN, PETER WELLER MOVING IN

Peter Weller doesn't trust no one and holds all the cards in FIRSTBORN One of the best performances by an actor, soon be known as a ...

NEUROTIC REACTION TO KISS KISS BANG BANG

action, genre tarantino, michael beck, michelle monaghan, quentin tarantino, quirky, robert downey jr., shane black, team-up, val kilmer

NEUROTIC REACTION TO KISS KISS BANG BANG

Review of KISS KISS BANG BANG with the eclectic team-up of Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer So basically, this is to the Audrey Hepburn/...

REVIEW OF AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkew4mU2TDQpcfzhHtXJ8xwWgMgLXSn1mxteTmmbBMaOd1vD8RutCCJXa05P0K57vyEKcMudYBqKSkrtNeeQtdcGHLxyPdfWQF2cvP2h_gwpRz1FjtIKSXSTUyeH9dtIul-pmifg0Pdw/s1600/Picture+1.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkew4mU2TDQpcfzhHtXJ8xwWgMgLXSn1mxteTmmbBMaOd1vD8RutCCJXa05P0K57vyEKcMudYBqKSkrtNeeQtdcGHLxyPdfWQF2cvP2h_gwpRz1FjtIKSXSTUyeH9dtIul-pmifg0Pdw/s320/Picture+1.png" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 rating: *1/2</td></tr>
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In the first AVENGERS, the villain was Thor’s personal albatross, and now Tony Stark’s invention is out to save the world by destroying it, or something like that… And while it took over half the original movie for the eclectic group to warm up to each other, now we begin with so much bantering camaraderie it's like hanging out with the popular kids after prom… <br />
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And there are about five jokes per minute, as if Robert Downey Jr’s quick-witted sarcasm was infected onto everyone else – even Ultron, Tony’s dominating Artificial Intelligence Robot, is full of wry wisdom: His nefarious motivation to do very bad things but unlike Loki, with an entire THOR film to catapult his dastardly menace, the titular heavy's purpose is completely forced and thoroughly confusing. Making the few good action sequences… like Hulk and Iron Man squaring off… impressive eye candy that lacks any rhyme or reason. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stark & Ultron circa 1980's</td></tr>
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With such an immense fan base, it’s pretty dangerous to not like THE AVENGERS. They <i>are </i>perfectly cast, and proved themselves a beyond-worthy franchise. The problem with AGE OF ULTRON is that the plot's as dull as the lame newcomers… including a mind-reading witch girl giving everyone surreal hallucinations; a blond-haired kid who runs really fast; and a red-faced crusader as strong as Thor, deleting the big guy's main asset.<br />
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And with so much excruciating downtime this time around, you would think the gang was saving up their energy… and for what, exactly? With all the jesting, where's the danger? The urgency? Robert Doweny Jr is once again the man of the hour, and he has a natural sense of humor, but he's overreached in constantly trying to please the audience. Meanwhile, Stark's lethal creation should be no laughing matter. Yet AGE plays out like The Rat Pack detonating an A-bomb, and not even that entertaining.

2015, comic book, franchise, robert downey jr., sequel

REVIEW OF AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

2015 rating: *1/2 In the first AVENGERS, the villain was Thor’s personal albatross, and now Tony Stark’s invention is out to save the wo...

Written by James M. Tate / 10/11/2014 / No comments / 2014 , courtroom drama , robert downey jr. , robert duvall

ROBERT DOWNEY JR & ROBERT DUVALL IN THE JUDGE

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlOikkmUWu8J3y7KK80CqD0NUHotX6B2SBdFKMnsgX3Fije5HCpoHUPDmfSLe322C4pBBT1o-lfTFsVSeafrwBMhL9fs-Xnu_VAkt8DP6hFbOQBCIO8RCwgbwKRPFmeVd4tioWYnsWyQ/s1600/The-Judge-Movie-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlOikkmUWu8J3y7KK80CqD0NUHotX6B2SBdFKMnsgX3Fije5HCpoHUPDmfSLe322C4pBBT1o-lfTFsVSeafrwBMhL9fs-Xnu_VAkt8DP6hFbOQBCIO8RCwgbwKRPFmeVd4tioWYnsWyQ/s320/The-Judge-Movie-Poster.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 rating: **1/2</td></tr>
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The title character in THE JUDGE is accused of murder – he’s also dying of cancer, just lost his wife, has memory lapses, killed a man, and may go to prison… And this is considered a “comedy/drama” for one reason…<br />
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Robert Downey Jr., who can make any situation funny, plays small town Judge Palmer’s estranged big city lawyer son, Hank, who has a way of rolling his eyes even when they’re closed tight, causing audiences to, from the very start, delve into his wily and sarcastic persona, which can be good and bad: The good is that Downey's likable enough to root for, as usual. The bad is, with such contagiously built-in charm, there lacks the necessary development to make him someone we know from the inside/out: crucial in a character-driven film exceeding two hours.<br />
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The accusation is simple enough: the Judge, driving in a rainstorm, killed a man on a bike. It turns out the victim, years earlier, had practically ruined his reputation... Making it a first-degree murder charge. Eventually, Downey’s Hank defends his father in an involving case within a dark courtroom – the problem is we hardly spend time there at all. After a while, even Downey’s blunt humor can’t save THE JUDGE from wallowing in contrived sentimentality. Bland family members and a weak love interest seem tacked-on and cliché, more befitting a cable melodrama than a motion picture with two potential heavyweights.<br />
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Thankfully, any scenes between father and son are worth the price of a ticket… Downey stretching beyond IRON MAN, and the legendary Duvall stepping back up to the plate, is a double-whammy for cinema buffs – and they’re pretty good together, for the most part… If only the Bobs didn't have so many mundane distractions.

2014, courtroom drama, robert downey jr., robert duvall

ROBERT DOWNEY JR & ROBERT DUVALL IN THE JUDGE

2014 rating: **1/2 The title character in THE JUDGE is accused of murder – he’s also dying of cancer, just lost his wife, has memory lap...

Written by James M. Tate / 5/18/2014 / No comments / 2014 , comedy , dustin hoffman , food , jon favreau , road movie , robert downey jr.

JON FAVREAU WRITES & DIRECTS & STARS IN CHEF

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76nNdCYg-5VUyLvU1tIyw9xdmPY3un4Qhb2ycET2pDFxa_UaaVsz3ePf8uCeKwdjezFIcjXcfDx1PS7iu7Q8NQRnkOvfwfjJAvs9lN6b2K7G6lw7U08BqAm1YIA1R7LB70HGoQIlaDRE/s1600/Picture+1.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76nNdCYg-5VUyLvU1tIyw9xdmPY3un4Qhb2ycET2pDFxa_UaaVsz3ePf8uCeKwdjezFIcjXcfDx1PS7iu7Q8NQRnkOvfwfjJAvs9lN6b2K7G6lw7U08BqAm1YIA1R7LB70HGoQIlaDRE/s320/Picture+1.png" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: **1/2</td></tr>
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Fans of SWINGERS, good news… That film’s writer and star is back in indie form after directing and igniting the IRON MAN franchise, and then crash landing with the big budget misfire, COWBOYS AND ALIENS… <br />
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In
 CHEF, Jon Favreau plays Carl Casper, a name that sounds like a superhero but his powers are in the kitchen… of someone else’s 
restaurant. That’s the first of three dilemmas...<br />
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His boss doesn’t want any original menu items, making Carl’s work a dull
 template, eventually beleaguered by a top food critic who, 
going viral on Twitter, shares an awful review that
 turns into an online feud, eventually making our put-upon hero look ridiculous. 
And on top of quitting his job, Carl’s a weekend dad for a moody son 
who wants more and more time: The funniest scenes occur as Favreau 
displays his usual neurotic charm, trying desperately to climb out of a 
seemingly endless hole. But halfway through, as the main plot ushers in…
 of a once great restaurant chef running his own food truck… it’s all 
sunshine viewed through rose-colored glasses, deleting the edgy banter 
that made MADE and SWINGERS so engaging.<br />
<br />
One
 problem is how easily Carl comes to own the truck in the first place, conceived and handed down by his ex-wife and backed by her 
rich ex-husband, played by IRON MAN himself, Robert Downey Jr., in a 
caustic cameo surprisingly awkward and unfunny (Jon’s ex partner Vince 
Vaughn would have worked better). But this scene’s 
purpose is how Carl floats into what should be a risky venture, which,
through his son’s twitter account, becomes such an instant smash there’s little left for the characters, or the audience, to worry about.<br />
<br />
If the intention was to make a feel-good road movie 
about a father and son bonding, Favreau's hit a home run. Or if 
exploiting delicious looking food is a factor – this could very well be 
the CITIZEN KANE of taste buds. But for anyone who prefers a dash of 
perpetual stress as an essential comedy ingredient, CHEF, while somewhat 
satisfying, is a meal that leaves much to be desired.

2014, comedy, dustin hoffman, food, jon favreau, road movie, robert downey jr.

JON FAVREAU WRITES & DIRECTS & STARS IN CHEF

year: 2014 rating: **1/2 Fans of SWINGERS, good news… That film’s writer and star is back in indie form after directing and igniting the...

Written by James M. Tate / 5/03/2013 / 3 Comments / 2013 , action , ben kingsley , franchise , guy pearce , marvel , robert downey jr. , superhero

IRON MAN 3

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmk-89-h5B-33P6BQaAZrIH1wGuH-jwY3u7qhnC477slarDQtfTqpeUCXygfUVTAj-MeM3_lEQEP3loGgaN3kxz-G4LWzEnsRHCDCOT9VnS7GNw_aVArhFVLX1DnEfLQRsNtKFU79_cCw2/s1600/ironman-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmk-89-h5B-33P6BQaAZrIH1wGuH-jwY3u7qhnC477slarDQtfTqpeUCXygfUVTAj-MeM3_lEQEP3loGgaN3kxz-G4LWzEnsRHCDCOT9VnS7GNw_aVArhFVLX1DnEfLQRsNtKFU79_cCw2/s16000/ironman-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce rating: ***1/2</td></tr>
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It seems even Tony Stark, now suffering panic attacks from that golden bachelor pad in New York City, realizes he can’t top all the bombastic glory of THE AVENGERS. Thus IRON MAN 3... or what we could call IRON MAN UNPLUGGED... goes beneath that epic adventure, providing more of a subtle espionage thriller than a superhero roller coaster.<br />
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The best scenes have Tony Stark figuring out things on his own after his mansion is attacked and destroyed by impending forces led by The Mandarin, who, played by Ben Kingsley, resembles Osama Bin Laden with the voice of Dan Rather. Mandarin devises (or appears to be devising) televised terror strikes, and the rampage on Stark’s pad sets the stage for the rest of the film: Tony’s defunct iron suit in hand, he winds up in a small town – kind of a white trash Norman Rockwell painting. After meeting a helpful young boy, who thankfully is an effective character and not that corny, Tony – who’s become a bare knuckle James Bond type – traipses into the villain’s lair and finds out something not worth spoiling: Although Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian, first shown in the film’s flashback prologue, was such a frantic scientific underdog he can only get worse. Yet the really important heavies are the agents that can heal themselves instantly, making like that liquid cop in TERMINATOR 2... sleek, resilient, unstoppable... providing Tony Stark a few cool fights along the way.<br />
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Robert Downey Jr. turns in another fine performance in the title role, although his rapid fire sarcasm is hit or miss, only provided he has funny lines to deliver – some are, some aren’t. But what makes this third IRON MAN work are the eclectic locations of the action sequences: from a dungeon lair to a soaring air plane to a final stand on an old oil freighter, there’s always something to… excuse the pun… marvel at, despite the plot getting overly complicated and the villain wielding powers that are a bit of a reach, even for a comic book movie.

2013, action, ben kingsley, franchise, guy pearce, marvel, robert downey jr., superhero

IRON MAN 3

year: 2013 cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce rating: ***1/2 It seems even Tony Stark, now ...

Written by James M. Tate / 10/30/2012 / 1 Comment / brat pack , dennis hopper , eighties , harvey keitel , molly ringwald , robert downey jr. , romantic comedy

RINGWALD WITH DOWNEY JR. PLAYING 'THE PICK-UP ARTIST'

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fO-7VUHd3MjBxtX8rSWU9UCrjXvk4O_x8NwOoY2_G3Um9zexxsCJ56cduZNY80nD4JnThnUzOZUlwGMYQLt5WM7VKFJWkhCQZEorkuQy08qiBlqbl3l6g-iedBCTsOxHrz3J6CToezg/s1600/76653_4888005440402_2031406104_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fO-7VUHd3MjBxtX8rSWU9UCrjXvk4O_x8NwOoY2_G3Um9zexxsCJ56cduZNY80nD4JnThnUzOZUlwGMYQLt5WM7VKFJWkhCQZEorkuQy08qiBlqbl3l6g-iedBCTsOxHrz3J6CToezg/s400/76653_4888005440402_2031406104_n.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rating: ***</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When the group of BREAKFAST CLUB actors, warming their bones by ST. ELMO’S FIRE following the initial sweet SIXTEEN CANDLES party, a few performers escaped the infamous label that might have tarnished their careers… After all, who can take a brat seriously… especially if there’s a whole pack of them?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iJjuweQs5juNXPWWAD-3THHEbj-heLX-saVmaGFxz1eoe1morWd0hyphenhyphenIo1eC13MRSU_tzPzrQ-qPRPiNIeH9LODyt5VM0WyRqzv5Mwv4MUAH5iywgoKXIvB8nykrJ9HA0l8diBMDMw44/s1600/1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iJjuweQs5juNXPWWAD-3THHEbj-heLX-saVmaGFxz1eoe1morWd0hyphenhyphenIo1eC13MRSU_tzPzrQ-qPRPiNIeH9LODyt5VM0WyRqzv5Mwv4MUAH5iywgoKXIvB8nykrJ9HA0l8diBMDMw44/s400/1.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1987</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well Robert Downey Jr. appeared in both WEIRD SCIENCE and JOHNNY BE GOOD with Anthony Michael Hall; LESS THAN ZERO with Andrew McCarthy; and then this little known, quirky romance with Molly Ringwald...<br />
<br />
And so, as the title, THE PICK-UP ARTIST, implies, Robert has a line for every beautiful woman on the street – from typical lanky supermodels to more artistically cute starlets (like Anne Bobby, shown above)... He almost always winds up with a phone number... until something happens... A vision in the form of redhead Ringwald’s Randy Jensen who, hanging out at a mob-run nightclub and in debt with gangster Harvey Keitel, is anything but a damsel in distress...<br />
<br />
She's assertive and opinionated and unfortunately, for a guy like Downey’s Jack Jericho, where <i>the chase</i> is everything, very loose and progressive – they’re in back of his car within hours of meeting, and, afterwards, she's not smitten: He’s just another number... In fact she doesn't even want his... Which causes Jack to drop his skirt-chasing habit and he has but one goal: to get Randy and "friend" Dennis Hopper out of debt. And there’s something new around every corner of this diamond in the rough rom-com: Although the best moments have Downey by himself trying to wheel his way into, out of, around and about schemes with a wry likeable countenance, no surprise to his IRON MAN fan base. And this kind of quirky crime flick would become normal in just a few years, making it either ahead of its time or not fully cooked. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUqu_FEJvYBwgZ8ujplgxHfBdp-X462viVT520FLMMUuFiq5IV6Q_Vx6ZfWDcCZCgU0PBse_P9jhcH0a_f8GyzFAibVVrmz2smc1S5i0XGzzLQY4YLORJxuwqW_H7MNpXr1TsE7-yvG0k/s1600/title01_181112793.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUqu_FEJvYBwgZ8ujplgxHfBdp-X462viVT520FLMMUuFiq5IV6Q_Vx6ZfWDcCZCgU0PBse_P9jhcH0a_f8GyzFAibVVrmz2smc1S5i0XGzzLQY4YLORJxuwqW_H7MNpXr1TsE7-yvG0k/s1600/title01_181112793.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly Ringwald faces Harvey Keitel</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2KQ1e4OqeTvhJyZT4vaiZjxwT3I-vyP8YJE9zZbQYUHPTB1S0BDkd5fUbkNl1NiEy4KfBWLbech9u-zIZv2M0LVFMMz4ltB140-_ZAOUBGGl_ToynULGU0hN-Atg9okxREbQwob4CTdE/s1600/title01_181135167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2KQ1e4OqeTvhJyZT4vaiZjxwT3I-vyP8YJE9zZbQYUHPTB1S0BDkd5fUbkNl1NiEy4KfBWLbech9u-zIZv2M0LVFMMz4ltB140-_ZAOUBGGl_ToynULGU0hN-Atg9okxREbQwob4CTdE/s1600/title01_181135167.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvey Keitel threatens Molly Ringwald</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXS9S-NxvRKe7Dqrcgwg44M6IeUx95zSnQdqdnMi9NOEJ2DufuJOR3jcd9mjWp4-WHmnWFjAKnXW8QaWDlwAq22jfshvsvIry4CegC_0Z_dRqg5Fcw4TPHz1VVGm4RFuLuHErmRlAlOSq/s1600/title01_180852688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXS9S-NxvRKe7Dqrcgwg44M6IeUx95zSnQdqdnMi9NOEJ2DufuJOR3jcd9mjWp4-WHmnWFjAKnXW8QaWDlwAq22jfshvsvIry4CegC_0Z_dRqg5Fcw4TPHz1VVGm4RFuLuHErmRlAlOSq/s1600/title01_180852688.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lorraine Bracco in a bit part (she was Keitel's girlfriend at the time)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ8wETYq0He9nqGs8ZM8jAJfbzA66zHSSU5_zZYTseEY1tjLrmISJwSGEnJoqY72zuJfDs-6xGhKZh5qjhjYuIoWnpzrU3gM52EIaDGE_IbmJHNC_Mc4h8ja5fuYPCc1zgqX42OuDg4Mu/s1600/title01_181159424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ8wETYq0He9nqGs8ZM8jAJfbzA66zHSSU5_zZYTseEY1tjLrmISJwSGEnJoqY72zuJfDs-6xGhKZh5qjhjYuIoWnpzrU3gM52EIaDGE_IbmJHNC_Mc4h8ja5fuYPCc1zgqX42OuDg4Mu/s1600/title01_181159424.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Pick-Up-Artist-Molly-Ringwald/dp/B0000DD76U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351544018&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pickup+artist+dvd">BUY DVD ON AMAZON</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>

brat pack, dennis hopper, eighties, harvey keitel, molly ringwald, robert downey jr., romantic comedy

RINGWALD WITH DOWNEY JR. PLAYING 'THE PICK-UP ARTIST'

rating: *** When the group of BREAKFAST CLUB actors, warming their bones by ST. ELMO’S FIRE following the initial sweet SIXTEEN CAND...

Written by James M. Tate / 5/05/2012 / No comments / 2012 , action , blockbuster , chris evans , chris hemsworth , marvel comics , robert downey jr. , science-fiction , superhero

THE AVENGERS

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzkgIQqt6LFxUIFWfIQpGNaKoAeSU2yBvzhBPhHdEmOXp8c-Aw9hM08u35s5m2ktLC4AfdlU8CHgtPPTFuwaRASrraAcb5qFOxuBkMTVqZUxCy5DRT3fCdrAzTEfZlX5WtUyw7wMKpCkr/s1600/The-Avengers.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzkgIQqt6LFxUIFWfIQpGNaKoAeSU2yBvzhBPhHdEmOXp8c-Aw9hM08u35s5m2ktLC4AfdlU8CHgtPPTFuwaRASrraAcb5qFOxuBkMTVqZUxCy5DRT3fCdrAzTEfZlX5WtUyw7wMKpCkr/s320/The-Avengers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With only two days in theaters, this is already regarded as the best superhero blockbuster ever made – yet it takes a while to resemble any such thing.<br />
<br />
After a long brooding buildup where each individual… Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Dr. Bruce Banner… bicker like students in detention class, we realize why no one’s getting along. Our derisive cerebral antagonist villain, Loki, the skinny conceited brother of Thor, wants to rule the world – and is counting on the Avengers to fight amongst themselves, after which formidable aliens will wreak havoc on New York City. When this attack occurs, an epic showdown… the entire third act… has terrific moments, most having to do with Banner’s alter ego The Hulk who, throughout the film, provides the most suspense – each character (and the audience) anticipates the inevitable transformation. Forget about the plot device: a box emulating power that will, in the hands of Loki, cause bad things to happen. Because after the aliens,  liken to a gang of hopped-up <i>Predator </i>clones, fly into the city riding giant slug creatures, nothing else matters. It’s all about destroying impenetrable foes with tons of strength and, of course, teamwork: which comes a little too late to make this a worthy superhero collective.<br />
<br />
Other than a neat fight between Iron Man and a reluctant Thor, it’s all about that finale. As for being one of the best superhero movies ever: with the time and energy of the characters not getting along and over-explaining the reasons why, in years to come even the biggest fans might have their thumbs pressed on the fast-forward button. Yet the stuff that pays off does so in silver dollars. But with all the hype and potential, this reviewer expected gold.<br />
<br />
RATING: ***1/2

2012, action, blockbuster, chris evans, chris hemsworth, marvel comics, robert downey jr., science-fiction, superhero

THE AVENGERS

year: 2012 With only two days in theaters, this is already regarded as the best superhero blockbuster ever made – yet it takes a while t...

Written by James M. Tate / 12/16/2011 / No comments / action , jared harris , jude law , mystery , robert downey jr. , sequel , suspense , tens

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJ4iewpxgk9oJEs_PQzGE8W_W5BitpxBsj7qLc1zvWjiKrrO0CsDMZcMSTLXqy-hJmML4DF1gpBlOETGoQAKdhpUPySSTG1L_S-MmeAByHjU6zC3_2wT-pqWoERFKz3fcQTKB1wK2fK70/s1600/sherlock-holmes-460x307.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687003647013858322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJ4iewpxgk9oJEs_PQzGE8W_W5BitpxBsj7qLc1zvWjiKrrO0CsDMZcMSTLXqy-hJmML4DF1gpBlOETGoQAKdhpUPySSTG1L_S-MmeAByHjU6zC3_2wT-pqWoERFKz3fcQTKB1wK2fK70/s320/sherlock-holmes-460x307.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 224px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title: </span>SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">year: </span>2011<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">cast: </span>Robert <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Downey</span> Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> **1/2<br />
<br />
The usual template for an action-packed sequel is to outdo the original with more explosions, fights, etc., and although there are some of these elements, mostly we have an 18<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> century cold-war thriller where Holmes and Watson take on the evil Professor Moriarty, played by a sneering Jared Harris, who, through bombing buildings, wants to ignite a sort of World War III… only thing is, there <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hasn</span>’t been a First World War yet. But that’s how it all plays out: in a James Bond meets Tom Clancy meets modern day headlines with a few good fights and not enough of what makes this new Sherlock Holmes, and the original Inspector created by author Conan Doyle, work: the steel-trapped brain that can figure out anything to solve a crime. There’s little mystery involved since we quickly learn the intentions of the bad guy – to start a few fake battles to cause a real big one – and the bickering relationship between Holmes and Watson has dwindled considerably, making it less humorous but ultimately allowing Jude Law’s Watson to be more than a straight man, especially during the climax. Robert <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Downey</span> Jr. displays the essential offbeat charm but seems to be holding back at times. And while Rachel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">McAdams</span> provides a mere cameo, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Noomi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Repace</span> steps in as a fortune teller whose brothers have joined Moriarty to… well that’s all part the plot and, while somewhat convoluted and lacking the sparse punch of the original, there remains that essential string tugging the audience along to the next suspense-filled obstacle: too bad there’s not enough of them this time around. And those narrated brainstorms during perilous situations... careening us back to the action at hand... seem more forced than <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">imperative</span>. But the stuff that does work, like a fight on a train, makes for a pretty good time.

action, jared harris, jude law, mystery, robert downey jr., sequel, suspense, tens

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

title: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS year: 2011 cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris rating: **1/2 The usual template...

Written by James M. Tate / 12/07/2011 / No comments / action , jude law , mystery , robert downey jr. , zeroes

SHERLOCK HOLMES

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYpPcu4y8YKIVE921zoOP-VS67zE3h-W4uautSj9ayJxDjfmdP3m8iafG6g5cE5Y1FE7MeOgVPl2gAUSLr1mqccQdTCjqUpQ9Qbqay-3wqw_UyfCSsx0uz2nFa7ePWFlm3w50HpTegtCJ/s1600/holmes-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683619918763673170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYpPcu4y8YKIVE921zoOP-VS67zE3h-W4uautSj9ayJxDjfmdP3m8iafG6g5cE5Y1FE7MeOgVPl2gAUSLr1mqccQdTCjqUpQ9Qbqay-3wqw_UyfCSsx0uz2nFa7ePWFlm3w50HpTegtCJ/s320/holmes-2.jpg" style="float: right; height: 310px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title:</span> SHERLOCK HOLMES<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">year:</span> 2009<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">cast:</span> Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">rating: </span>***1/2<br /><br />Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the real Sherlock Holmes, consisting of stories and novels written about the great British sleuth who could lasso facts like most people breathe, is not only spinning in his grave – he’s doing karate kicks. Okay, well, there are tons of liberties taken to change the lanky cerebral Inspector into an ass kicking, pit-fighting lunatic, but it’s a lot of fun. Robert Downey Jr. has the right amount of askew charisma in playing the fanatical Holmes, who would be lost without his better half… that being Doctor Watson, just as calm and calculated as his boss is spontaneous and quirky. But the rogue Inspector can figure out just about anything in seconds flat, and that’s the most fun: the lightning-speed fashion Downey gathers facts and deduces clues: about both crimes and people. But this is somewhat hindered by a heavy that, being a wraith-like leader of a Satanic cult, feels more of a world-dominating Bond villain, providing less mystery for our heroes who spend the most time fighting antagonists like revved up action stars. But the fights flow nicely, and the gorgeous Olde England location feels like a ragged bedlam character in itself. Downey and Judd Law, portraying Watson with the right amount of frustrated woe, have great chemistry – and there are terrific one-liners and brainy, scheming dialog that will keep the viewer alert even after they’ve stop caring about the turnout. And Rachel McAdams as the poisoned apple of Holmes’s eye adds an unpredictable vitality whenever needed: acting both as the love interest and the one person our titular hero can’t control or figure out. <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2011/12/sherlock-holmes-game-of-shadows.html">CLICK HERE</a> for SHERLOCK HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS review.

action, jude law, mystery, robert downey jr., zeroes

SHERLOCK HOLMES

title: SHERLOCK HOLMES year: 2009 cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law rating: ***1/2 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the real Sherlock H...

Written by James M. Tate / 5/23/2011 / No comments / comedy , road movie , robert downey jr. , tens , zach galifianakis

DUE DATE

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxhGUp7btddhiPJRQWDKE4N4yuVKFibtTm2GFrhTfR9BVPXRoA5zzGNYCIXAAofx1NFCLlylpI8fE8QyedKJN-uNN8C1zSY_wb6ZcAQWXtNZLgFPnm21hTeJOVd2_xTmcOAwn4GdWvfI/s1600/Due%252BDate%252BBanner%252BPoster.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609993076206219426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxhGUp7btddhiPJRQWDKE4N4yuVKFibtTm2GFrhTfR9BVPXRoA5zzGNYCIXAAofx1NFCLlylpI8fE8QyedKJN-uNN8C1zSY_wb6ZcAQWXtNZLgFPnm21hTeJOVd2_xTmcOAwn4GdWvfI/s200/Due%252BDate%252BBanner%252BPoster.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 172px; height: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title: </span>DUE DATE<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">year:</span> 2010<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">cast: </span>Robert Downey Jr., Zack Galifianakis, Juliette Lewis<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">rating: </span>**<br /><br /><div></div>Although technically not a remake of John Hughes’s PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES, it’s a replica of the 1980s road trip misadventure involving two polar opposites: one a cynical, stuffy businessman, unsuccessful in taking a plane and reluctantly hitting the road with a talkative, overweight boob: to make it on time for… no, not Thanksgiving, but the birth of his child. Zach Galifianakis makes for a unique (and uneven) bad luck charm, constantly putting uptight Robert Downey Jr. through hell. Downey’s performance is stilted and stuffy, and that’s not just his character channeling through. His constant reminders on how much Galifianakis irks him hinges on intrusive narration.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YmvyLVgvUui1oTuLZQ7M8c2lup6xbPpTdpoyWRW1zfjSS1AyWSM99o5BBcelPvpgtgmdAQx3gmxD_iM2rtgq3r0XRmRx7B7uhbkLe3hsHnMnNOWngkve8zeNz90HgH1yBSZ6tAdO8qk/s1600/ddd.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609986505243597074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YmvyLVgvUui1oTuLZQ7M8c2lup6xbPpTdpoyWRW1zfjSS1AyWSM99o5BBcelPvpgtgmdAQx3gmxD_iM2rtgq3r0XRmRx7B7uhbkLe3hsHnMnNOWngkve8zeNz90HgH1yBSZ6tAdO8qk/s200/ddd.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 182px;" /></a> And many of the perilous situations, like an escape from a Mexican border station and a DIE HARD style car crash, are too unrealistic for an odyssey we’re supposed to relate with. The looming due date... Downey’s destination and the entire plot of the film... is an afterthought with no real sense of urgency. And like several 80’s comedies (BREAKFAST CLUB, REVENGE OF THE NERDS and 9 TO 5 come to mind), marijuana breaks the ice: so perhaps this is a celebration of that entire era, on purpose.

comedy, road movie, robert downey jr., tens, zach galifianakis

DUE DATE

title: DUE DATE year: 2010 cast: Robert Downey Jr., Zack Galifianakis, Juliette Lewis rating: ** Although technically not a remake of John ...

Written by James M. Tate / 2/10/2011 / No comments / comic book , franchise , mickey rourke , robert downey jr. , sam rockwell , samuel l. jackson , sequel , superhero , tens

IRON MAN 2

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGV5Ssl1we__A6f1mmm48dURgnUtVRjFOlG5uR6lcMS5lm4AQVs0V7jqnl2Oe70oQ7fH_Omy0r-to1Te5eOnzCSMAoKNZgCFOUapkiB2dDuinHT5niGLe4hWJ_ZNmoMsavzR88vYHNcc/s1600/IRONMAN2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572123717966619954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGV5Ssl1we__A6f1mmm48dURgnUtVRjFOlG5uR6lcMS5lm4AQVs0V7jqnl2Oe70oQ7fH_Omy0r-to1Te5eOnzCSMAoKNZgCFOUapkiB2dDuinHT5niGLe4hWJ_ZNmoMsavzR88vYHNcc/s200/IRONMAN2.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; float: right; height: 132px;" /></a><strong>title:</strong> IRON MAN 2<br /><div><strong>year:</strong> 2010</div><div><strong>cast:</strong> Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell</div><div><strong>rating:</strong> **1/2</div><br /><div></div><div>Although it's intriguing watching Robert Downey Jr. as millionaire Tony Stark who, with too much fame, money, booze and girls, behaves like Downey did in the nineties (short of waking up in a stranger's living room), this is an action film lacking action. Mickey Rourke makes for a potentially decent villain, but is given two (relatively quick) scenes battling our hero, the metal clad warrior not up for saving the world (but from what, or who?). The lack of a decent heavy is replaced by Sam Rockwell's sleazy arms-dealing senator, given too much dialog in scenes that need more <em>punch</em>. Much like ROCKY IV... a lazy "champion" with too much money verses a killer Russian... but even that had more vapidly entertaining comic book appeal, something this needed more of. </div>

comic book, franchise, mickey rourke, robert downey jr., sam rockwell, samuel l. jackson, sequel, superhero, tens

IRON MAN 2

title: IRON MAN 2 year: 2010 cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell rating: **1/2 Although it's intriguing watching Ro...

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