Robert Downey Jr in The Judge
Robert Downey Jr is a favourite here at FemaleFirst and he returns to the big screen this week in new movie The Judge.
The Judge sees him return to his first dramatic role for a while - leaving the Marvel universe only temporarily - as he teams up with director David Dobkin for the first time.
To celebrate the return of Downey Jr, we take a look at his four best movie performances during his career.
- Chaplin
Robert Downey Jr started making a name for himself during the late eighties and early nineties, but it was his central performance in Chaplin that really got everyone excited.
Downey Jr took on the title role in the biopic about the actor as he teamed up with Oscar winning filmmaker Richard Attenborough for the first time.
Chaplin is a movie that is clearly made with a lot of love and passion, but it is Downey Jr who is the driving force behind this film.
Downey Jr really gets under the skin of this fascinating actor and pulls of his mimicking and range of accents down to a t.
Chaplin can be accuses of some rather clunky storytelling at times, but it is Downey Jr's performance that will really keep your attention and carries this film.
His performance in Chaplin earnt Downey Jr his first Best Actor Oscar nomination - he would lose out to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman.
- Zodiac
During his career, Downey Jr has worked with some great directors and he added David Fincher to that list in 2007 with Zodiac.
Zodiac followed the major manhunt for the notorious killer who targeted people in the San Francisco Bay area during the late 60s and early 70s.
Downey Jr takes on the role of crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, Paul Avery who - along with cartoonist Robert Graysmith - tries to crack the codes the killer sent to the newspaper.
Zodiac was one of the best crime thrillers of 2007, as Fincher and co delved into one of the most notorious and unsolved crimes in American history.
As well as exploring the crime, Fincher also let us into the lives of those who battled hard to uncover the identity of the killer - this is as much a character study about those on the hunt for the killer as the killer himself.
Zodiac is a tense crime thriller that sees Downey Jr, Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo shine in the central roles.
- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was released back in 2005 and was one of the movies that helped get Downey Jr's career back on track.
The movie was a big screen adaptation of the novel by Brett Halliday and saw Shane Black in the director's chair and on writing duties.
The movie brings together a thief pretending to be an actor, a private detective, and a struggling actress as they get embroiled in a murder mystery.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a tongue in cheek comedy that shows Downey Jr off at his witty, charming, and charismatic best.
This is a laugh a minute movie and remains one of my favourite Downey Jr movies and performances.
Downey Jr and Val Kilmer make a terrific comedy team, while director Black perfectly balances the elements of comedy, drama, suspense, and farce. It really is a terrific watch.
- Iron Man
We all know about the problems that Downey Jr faced during the nineties and early noughties, but it was the role of Iron Man that put him back on the A-List.
Hard to believe that they considered anyone other than Downey Jr for the role of Tony Stark - Tom Cruise was lined up for this part at one point - as he has embodied this role so perfectly over the years.
It was 2008 when Iron Man blasted onto the big screen for the first time, and it is this franchise that has been the foundations of Marvel's success in recent times.
Iron Man/Tony Stark is another role that has allowed Downey Jr to be at his witty and one-line best as well as becoming one of the most recognisable superheroes.
He adds depth and believability to the character as well as the much needed humour and charm - which is something that seems to come so naturally to the actor.
Iron Man was a critical and commercial smash when it was released, and kicked off one off one of Marvel's biggest franchises.
Iron Man has become a billion dollar franchise with Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 enjoying further success in recent years.
Other great Downey Jr performances include Natural Born Killers, Sherlock Holmes, Short Cuts, and Good Night, And Good Luck.
The Judge is released 17th October.
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