One of the finest actors working today, as well as one of the biggest in Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr. has established a fantastic career for himself. Having made a splash in teen movies, Downey Jr. completely revived his career when he was cast as Tony Stark in Jon Favreau’s 2008 comic film “Iron Man. After 10 times appearing as Iron Man, Downey Jr.’s personality has become synonymous with Tony Stark’s, so his heartfelt performance in “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) was surprisingly moving.
So, how do his films rank from worst to best? Rotten Tomatoes can give some solid recommendations.
#1 Richard III (1995) – 96%
Source: Richard III
Richard III” is a British/American film adaptation of the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, directed by Richard Loncraine in 1995. In a setting based on 1930s Britain, Richard (played by Ian McKellen) is portrayed as a negative fascist. plot to usurp the throne. And Robert Downey Jr. plays Lord Rivers, one of Richard’s scheming victims. Although it was not successful at the box office, it received critical acclaim and won several awards.
#2 Short Cuts (1993) – 95%
Source: Short Cuts
“Short Cuts” is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The 1993 movie follows the actions of 22 principal characters, both in parallel and at occasional loose points of connection. Its theme is chance and luck, and many of the episodes revolve around death and infidelity. And Robert Downey Jr. played Bill Bush, a talented makeup artist who can make it appear as if someone has been violently abused. While the film may not be as well known, it received numerous accolades thanks to Downey Jr.’s and the other’s wonderful performances.
#3 True Believer (1989) – 95%
Source: True Believe
“True Believer” is based on an investigative series of articles by Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist K. W. Lee on the wrongful conviction of immigrant Chol Soo Lee for a 1973 San Francisco Chinatown gangland murder. Robert Downey Jr. and James Woods play a pair of lawyers who investigate this murder case and find a vast conspiracy. The movie received a 1990 Edgar Award nomination for Best Mystery Motion Picture.
#4 Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 94%
Source: Avengers: Endgame
In the opening scenes of “Avengers: Endgame,” Tony is stuck in space for three weeks in the aftermath of Thanos‘ Snap, which killed half of all life on Earth. Thankfully, Captain Marvel later saves them. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers must think of a way to find out their lost allies. At first, Stark was opposed to doing anything, but as he thinks back on Peter Parker, he changed his mind. He even had the opportunity to meet his father before his birth thanks to time travel technology. It was probably the last time Marvel fans would see him because the film ended with his heroic death, which made it all the more memorable for fans.
#5 Iron Man (2008) – 94%
Source: Iron Man
It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the MCU‘s “Iron Man” is one of the most influential films of the 21st century. Although its action scenes may seem simple compared to the complicated conflicts in “Avengers: Infinity War” or “Endgame”, the first Iron Man film is equally compelling as audiences are thrilled to see Tony accept his fate. It is truly the story of a man who accepts his flaws, realizes what he can do, and gives all he has to make the world a better place. And Robert Downey Jr. is the anchor that helps balance the film’s tone.
#6 Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) – 93%
Source: Good Night, and Good Luck
Based on a true story, the movie “Good Night, and Good Luck” explores the career of the television journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) as he is targeted by US Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. McCarthy’s “witch hunt” for Communist sympathizers in Hollywood puzzled Murrow, and he decided to use his platform to speak out. As a result, Murrow and his team are put in a challenging situation. Downey Jr. delivers a strong supporting performance as Joseph Wershba, a CBS reporter who works with Murrow. Wershba is worried about what McCarthy’s investigation might reveal because he’s secretly married to his co-worker, Shirley (Patricia Clarkson). Through emotional conversations between Wershba and his wife, we learn more about the sacrifices journalists must make when becoming activists.
#7 Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) -92%
Source: Spider-Man: Homecoming
In this Spider-Man MCU adaptation, Downey plays a tutor. The whole thing feels overwhelmingly nervous about presenting the iconic hero as a youthful high-school boy, it’s a bright, cheerful film. And “Homecoming” grossed over $880 million worldwide, becoming the second-most-successful Spider-Man film and the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2017.
#8 The Avengers (2012) – 91%
Source: The Avengers
In this first Avengers movie, the six original members of The Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk, and Thor) form a team to stop Loki from obtaining the Tesseract/Space Stone and taking over Earth. In their first encounter, Tony Stark (played by Downey) and Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) had a brief fight as the latter Thor failed to save Loki and convince him to return to Asgard. What makes this film wonderful is that it marks the beginning of the journey of one of the most popular superhero organizations in history, while also introducing fan-favorite heroes for the first time. cooperation, despite the fact that some of them are even enemies.
#9 Captain America: Civil War (2016) – 90%
Source: Captain America: Civil War
In “Captain America: Civil War,” disagreements over the leadership of the Avengers split the team into two parts. According to team leader Steve Rogers, superheroes should be allowed to protect the public without government interference, while Tony Stark, the other team’s leader, vehemently disagrees and supports surveillance. Their differing viewpoints escalated to a full-fledged brawl in an airport, which occurred without Thor and Hulk. Civil War introduced some major characters to the MCU, including Spider-Man (played by Tom Holland) and Black Panther (played by Chadwick Boseman). The film did a great job of bringing Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. became a key figure in the story, with friction between Stark and Rogers reaching a point that prompted a schism between the Avengers.
#10 Zodiac (2007) – 90%
Source: Zodiac
Zodiac” is one of the most pitch-perfect crime thrillers ever made. Instead of focusing on the shock of the serial killer’s crimes, David Fincher focuses on the meticulous efforts that law enforcement and members of the media have made to track down “the killer.” the infamous Zodiac killer. The film succeeds as both a deconstruction of journalistic practices and a terrifying paranoia thriller. In “Zodiac,” the viewpoints of various characters engaged in the case are well explored, especially Robert Downey Jr.’s role as the true crime reporter Paul Avery. Downey Jr has an inherent audacity that makes him charismatic, but Avery’s confidence is not without. He has devoted his life to telling the truth and backịng up his claims with experience.
#11 Chef (2014) – 87%
Source: Chef
After making a string of Hollywood action movies, Jon Favreau decided to return to his roots with the 2014 stand-up comedy “Chef. The film follows a deeply unhappy Los Angeles chef named Carl Casper (Jon Favreau), who serves some of the most respected customers in the area, but finds he is limited by the strict menu that the restaurant’s owner Riva (Dustin Hoffman) demands. After having a nervous breakdown, Carl buys a food truck to travel around the country with his son. In this film, Downey Jr. comes in with a hilarious performance as Marvin, who was once married to Carl’s ex-wife. Marvin’s openness caught Carl off guard, and his clumsy nature was meant to be amusing. It’s interesting to see Downey Jr. play a much different version of an eccentric weirdo.
#12 Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005) – 86%
Source: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
“Iron Man” is generally considered the film that announced the triumphant revival of the consistently brilliant actor’s career, after decades in and out of rehab and in state prison. However, it was Shane Black’s tough directorial debut that set the stage. Downey is outstanding when playing a thief posing as an actor researching a role. And his chemistry with Val Kilmer as the homosexual detective Gay Perry practically explodes off the screen. “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,” shows Downey making a comeback prepared to have some real fun. This deadpan, affectionate parody of film noir tropes is named for film critic Pauline Kael’s influential collection of 1968 film reviews and essays.
#13 Back to School (1986) – 86%
Source: Back to School
“Back to School” is about an uneducated self-made millionaire who enrolls himself in school to try and motivate his son. And Downey plays Derek Lutz, the roommate of Rodney Dangerfield’s son. It was an interesting performance, filmed concurrently with his one-season showing on Saturday Night Live, and it was the basis for Tony Stark’s ageless appearance in “Captain America: Civil War.
#14 Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 85%
Source: Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War” marks the beginning of the Avengers’ head-to-head battle with Thanos’ army. Tony, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, and several Guardians find themselves fighting the Mad Titan in his home world, Titan. This is the first movie where we get to see Iron Man’s newer, better, and more powerful nanotech suit. Combined with Peter Parker and his wits, he was able to defeat one of Thanos’ pawns who kidnapped Dr. Strange, Ebony Maw.
#15 Tropic Thunder (2008) – 82%
Source: Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in “Tropic Thunder” is his bravest role. Because it’s the type of performance that either makes or breaks a career, but Downey Jr. pulled it off and even land an Oscar nomination. He starred in the 2008 satirical film “Tropic Thunder” as Kirk Lazarus, an Australian actor known for his ridiculous commitments to roles. To portray the character, Downey required two hours of make-up application.
#16 Wonder Boys (2000) – 81%
Source: Wonder Boys
Curtis Hanson’s sensitive dramedy “Wonder Boys” is a remarkably poignant film about the power of the written word. Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as the stressed-out editor Terry Crabtree adds a welcome sense of comic relief to the film. In this movie, Downey Jr. is strangely flamboyant, high-strung, and goofy, which is much different than the type of confident performances that he usually gives.
#17 Bowfinger (1999) – 81%
Source: Bowfinger
Bowfinger” follows the down-on-his-luck B movie producer Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin), who has spent his life dreaming of becoming a director. After saving to direct his dream film, Bowfinger assembles a team and presents his idea to influential studio executive Jerry Renfro (Robert Downey Jr.). Unfortunately, Renfro is not without his demands. Downey Jr. shows the inherent disdain of Hollywood executives, who refuse to give the green light to projects with no potential for financial success. The interesting thing about the performance of Downey Jr. is that he makes the character more ignorant than cruel.
#18 Iron Man 3 (2013) – 79%
Source: Iron Man 3
This Shane Black-directed film is probably the most undervalued chapter in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Freed from the burden of looking after the myriad of other assets in the MCU, “Iron Man 3” makes the wise choice to focus on the character everyone invested in from the start, Tony Stark himself. In the film, Tony struggles with the idea of reducing his job as Iron Man and concentrating more on his personal life. For those who follow through, it also serves as a holiday film.
#19 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) – 76%
Source: Avengers: Age of Ultron
After the high-flying fun of the first Avengers film, the franchise sputters with a considerably less inspired second entry. By this point, Downey could do this in his sleep, far enough removed from the inspiration of his entrance as Iron Man and the revitalization that would come with his character’s climactic moments in Endgame. It also doesn’t help that Ultron is among the MCU’s most lackluster villains (and that’s saying something), or that Joss Whedon seems to struggle to find a way to balance the film’s unwieldy cast as brilliantly as he did in its predecessor.
#20 A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) – 76%
Source: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
“A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” marks the first time that director Dito Montiel has adapted his memoir of the same name to the screen. Both Downey and Shia LaBeouf play the character Dito; Downey plays the older version visiting her dying father, while LaBeouf plays the younger version growing up in the dangerous Queens area. The actor is soulful in the adult timeline, but it’s the flashbacks that bring life to the film, shot with genuine realism and played by LaBeouf and a particularly good Channing Tatum.
