Robert Downey Jr. Talks Up Iron Man 2; Talks Down Dark Knight
Aug 13, 2008 by Kofi OutlawThe Chicago Sun-Times recently spoke with the Iron Man star and managed to pry some details about the sequel to the hit film out of …
The Chicago Sun-Times recently spoke with the Iron Man star and managed to pry some details about the sequel to the hit film out of him; Movie Hole also asked Downey about Iron Man 2 and got more than they bargained for when the actor went on a tirade, slamming DC Comics and the runaway success of The Dark Knight.
“You want some plot secrets? Okay, here we go,” Downey said in an interview [with The Chicago Sun-Times] this weekend. “If he said he’s Iron Man in the first film, it’s one thing to say it and another thing to evolve to a point where you can live in a heroic fashion.”
Downey added, “Our goal is also more of the same in ‘Iron Man 2.’ We want to do what worked for us last time. I’m talking about telling more of the story of a guy put in extraordinary circumstances who has a family now and he’s dealing with these forces. In ‘Iron Man 2,’ you will be able to understand various points of view about him that are far-reaching while this guy is still grounded in reality.”
Ok, so basically they’re taking the Christopher Nolan approach: using the continuity established in the first film to logically expand on the plot threads left hanging at the conclusion of the origin story. Not too original, but hey, if the wheel works so well why re-invent it, right?
Downey pretty much echoed his sentiments about IM2 in an interview with Movie Hole, adding that
It’s pretty great and I think it’s going to be cool… [Iron Man has] a very rich feel, because it was a very simple movie, if you ask me. It was an origin story.”
And that’s about when the daggers started flying:
“My whole thing is that that I saw ‘The Dark Knight’. I feel like I’m dumb because I feel like I don’t get how many things that are so smart…and I’m like, ‘That’s not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.’ I…still can’t tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I’m like, ‘I get it. This is so high brow and so f–king smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.’ You know what? F–k DC comics. That’s all I have to say and that’s where I’m really coming from.”
Wow, tell us how you really feel Rob. (It may be time to start urine-testing this guy again.)
Seriously though, I don’t see why Downey is hating on TDK. Iron Man tore it up at the box office ($569 million worldwide as of today,) and basically put Downey back on Hollywood’s radar. What, did that stupid MTV movie award go to his head? Or maybe Marvel has a clause in their contracts which states that their stars have to bad-mouth DC whenever and wherever possible. Hell, maybe Downey is just doing his job
So what do YOU think about Robert Downey Jr.’s kind words for Iron Man 2? About his hateful words for The Dark Knight? You have my permission to sound off.
Source: The Chicago Sun-Times & Movie Hole
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By saying Batman Sucks at the end you ruined your credibility. You professed that you naturally hate Batman in general so you would most likely never have liked the movie anyway.
Every single movie in existence has faults there is no such thing as the perfect movie. However TDK is consider by the VAST MAJORITY of people to be the best hero flick the comic flick with the least amount of faults. SM3 is considered by the VAST majority to be either ok or simply bad and to have an exceptional amount of faults.
OMG there is this one critic in the UK he didn’t like TDK. Seriously your makin a big fuss that there was a critic in the uk that didn’t like it? Look up some of the top movies of all time there is always someone who doesn’t like a certain movie. There is always gonna be at a couple critics bashing a movie no matter how great most consider it. Fact of life.
“One of our biggest movie critics Jonathan Ross” seriously? I didn’t get caught up in the hype but was disappointed with parts of the film, Jonathan Ross isn’t exactly someone id ask about films just cause he has a few comic books, his reviews are very inconsistent and has rated some really poor films.
Spiderman 3 was bad it had the best villain out of the 3 and still fail to deliver and Daniel fenwicks right venom does in the comics and should say us in the film cause the suits a living being.
the way they brought him into the film was pretty much all they could do as they couldn’t do the super wars where he finds the suit in a room out in space while fighting a super war with all the heros vs villains but the way they used venom so little is probably a mistake they now realize and are trying to make up for by making the venom film
I’m no Ross fan, but when he covers movies he is very good, and he is a fanboy. He did an excellent show about Steve Ditko.
At the same time, have disagreed with him before. I do remember him refusing to review something his wife was involved with, which, while I understood I did think: you’re a reviewer, review it! Also when he covered that fantasy movie and went on about how good Ricky Gervais was, when only had a small part. That annoyed me.
So he is one of the best known critics over here, but wouldn’t hold his view up too highly. (Have a feeling he loved Wanted.)
Personally much more a fan of the Good Doctor, Mark Kermode. Mind you, I’m not sure he gets superhero movies. He keeps complaining about big fight scenes at the end. That’s the best bit!
Having seen Spiderman 3 recently, I can say I don’t think it’s that bad, especially when compared to Fantastic Four, but it is a messy picture. Losing the ‘evil’ Parker strutting his stuff would be a huge improvement.
ha ha yeah your right i think he probably liked wanted too lol
lol i seen ironman
class dismissed lol
ha-ha! ha! very funny guyz.
:}
Hey Robert,,, this is Screen Rant, not your MySpace page,,,
Damn it..
790 i know this is Screen Rant
Comes across as a joke to me. RDJ always seems like someone who has tongue firmly planted in cheek.
If not it’s kind of sad that he couldn’t follow the story. I mean I know theres a lot going on but it was pretty easy for me to follow it but then again keep my eyes off the screen as amazing as the film was.
I think it just stung a little as well as Iron Man did and to have it blown out of the water by TDK in almost everyway. I mean to not only be #2 but such a distant one at that had to sting a bit. I can’t remember the last time the gap was that large during the summer movie season.
Iron Man is still a great film and he should be proud of it and I’m sure he is from all the interviews I’ve read with him.
790, I know every is entitled to their opinions but I can’t see how anyone can say Spiderman 3 was good compared to the first two…not even close in my book and most others agree. I thought it sucked to be honest. Spidey 1 and 2 are in my DVD collection but just like Batman and Robin, Spidey 3 won’t ever find it’s way in my DVD collection. Terrible movie overall. Hate the way they wasted Venom but then again I also don’t care for how the Nolans pretty much wasted Two-Face in TDK.
It was an awesome story arc in TDK but along with Ras Al’Ghul and of the course The Joker, Two-Face is Batmans greatest villian. In the comics Ras is Batmans equal, The Joker is Batmans polar opposite and Two-Face is the villian most personel to him.
I know Rami doesn’t like Venom at all so they should have held out on using him until a director took over that had a little more respect and love for that characther
Ok, so, anyway this is a little bit off point, but did anybody else catch when rhody looked at the Mach 2 suit and said “maybe some other time” Terrence Howard as warmachine???
That’s been a duh since long before the movie was in theaters. Howard said it was the only reason he took the role.
Daniel is right.
@Matt
Yeah, anyone who is a fan of Iron Man comics noticed that easily.
Vic
vic you are good man
I think he was drunk or high at the time of the interview. If that is the case, I hope that he doesn’t let excessive substance intake ruin his ability to bring Tony Stark / Iron Man to screen in the same fashion as he did previously.
They should keep the same creative minds working on the project, which in my opinion they’ve already f-d up by changing writers — hopefully I’m wrong.
Iron Man and The Dark Knight are tied as my favorite movie of the year. I can’t wait for IM2!
RDJ has been clean for a few years now and I’ll keep the faith that he still is. I highly doubt he is off the wagon right now. I liked Iron Man but TDK is far ahead of it on fave comic movies of not only the year but of all time.
I’m pretty sure RDJ was joking and laughing when he said that, but it didn’t come across in the text version.
Vic
I think that iron man was better than TDK as an origon movie…lol
Well good thing TDK wasn’t an origin movie then huh?
Well it’s nice to see this topic come full circle Daniel, I made that same observation about 60 messages ago.. Shall we go around again?? Curse you Kofi..
I’m not sure what michael’s point was. I thought everyone knew that TDk wasn’t an origin story, but apparently not.
LOL RDJ is going to make a heated rivalry between DC and Marvel, lol.
I want to see that interview, something tells me there were other funny moments…