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Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most iconic actors working in
film today. He has solidified
himself in the role of Tony Stark the same way Christopher Reeves did with Clark Kent. But that wasn’t the
expectation at first. Jon Favreau
had to fight with Marvel to get Downey Jr. in the role that put their studio on
the map. Whether it was because of
drug problems, legal problems, or relevancy problems, Downey Jr. was a hard
sell. However, Favreau fought for
him anyway. Why? I like to think Favreau stumbled upon
the 2005 SLEEPER Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
A film that was the catalyst for Downey Jr.’s reemergence, but also
excellent on it’s own merits.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a novel adaption from veteran writer and freshman director Shane
Black. Don’t know who that
is? Well, perhaps you weren’t
alive during the late eighties or early nineties and never saw any of the
Lethal Weapons, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Last Action Hero, or The Last Boy Scout. Perhaps you only heard
of him when he was named as the writer/director of Iron Man 3 and were puzzled
by the choice. For the former, I
recommend you do some netflixing.
For the latter, the notoriously known script Nazi Robert Downey Jr.
approved him for Iron Man 3 because of their work together on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Black just gets Downey Jr.’s voice and
vice versa. The Tony Stark we know
and love might have been born through this collaboration.
Like The Big Lebowski, it isn’t really the plot that makes Kiss Kiss Bang Bang good. It’s the performances. Robert Downey Jr. is of course great. He’s charming, witty, snarky, and
surprisingly moving in some moments.
It is hard to have a film with narration, especially not done by Morgan
Freeman, that avoids being pretentious and out of place. Downey Jr.’s narration succeeds with
that and turns out as one of the most funny and original ones you’ll ever
hear. His costars, no matter how
small their roles, are solid. None
more so than Val Kilmer. This is
my favorite Val Kilmer role. Yes,
even more than Iceman. Gay Perry
is an amazing character that could have easily been botched. However, Kilmer nails every single line
he has. His chemistry with Downey
Jr. is magnetic. I personally
would kill to have a sequel with these two. The greatness of Kilmer’s exchanges with Downey Jr. rivals
Jude Law’s and even Gwyneth Paltrow's.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a SLEEPER comedy that many moviegoers may have
missed. Those that finally do see it, more
often than not, come away asking themselves, “Why haven’t I seen this film
before?” Watch it…ask yourself
that question…then tell me I’m wrong.
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