Robert Downey Jr. Says He Doesn't Have Enough College To Understand Batman
AUG 12, 2008 AT 11:05 AM
"I feel like I’m dumb because I feel like I don’t get many things that are so smart.
"(The Dark Knight) is like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and scriptwriting and I’m like, ‘That’s not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.’ "I didn’t understand The Dark Knight… 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.’"
-- Robert Downey Jr. on The Dark Knight's complexity
Read more about: Robert Downey Jr., Quote Of The Day
3335 points
I totally get what he's saying. I just hate it when they try to make a movie so intelligent. I watch movies to escape from everyday life. I don't want to think, I want to be entertained. Another good example is "Michael Clayton". I didn't understand the story and it was too complicated. I had to turn it off a half hour in, I just couldn't stand it anymore.
yah i would much rather have everything i watch be dummed down to the point where I don't have to think or comprehend what I am watching.
laugh my booty off! Now he is a smart man for coming out and saying this. I completely agree with everything he says. !
300 points
phew! I thought I was the only one on the planet that was like "huh?" after watching it. Too much. But Gary Oldmen was awesome and of course Michael Cane is always good.
agreed that movie was annoyingly overcomplicated.. i still havent finished watching it.
It wasn't really that complicated. The city didn't need to hear of other "hero" being corrupted, that would just make the fight against organised crime seem more hopeless, so Batman was happy to take the fall and be the bad guy. What I couldn't understand (even after just seeing Batman Begins) what Batman didn't drop the Joker on his head knowing that he'd be bad to cause more carnage... the "I'm too good to kill you" attitude was 'give me a break'. And while you're at it, talk properly... any lower and only the dogs will be able to hear you (or is that the high register?).
Sorry that should have read THAT Batman didn't drop the Joker on his head knowing that he'd be BACK to cause more carnage
No, batman did not drop him because it is batman's one RULE not to KILL, which is why the JOKER told him he had to BREAK IT the night he "Killed" Rachel or Harvey. Not because he was TOO GOOD to let him fall. It was in the last movie, he said something along the lines of I will never be an executioner. And of course, its in the comic books.
And for those that dont get the Joker thing, the Joker is LYING to Harvey when he says he doesnt have a plan, trying to manipulate him. He doesnt give Harvey the gun so he can go psycho, he gives him the gun because he wants Harvey to shoot him. If Harvey was found with the gun and having shot the Joker all the prisoners he put behind bars would be free and his life work RUINED.
He didnt intend for him to NOT kill him.
He's way too old to think the tennis shoes with a suit is cute.
i love the dress his wife or g/f has on.
his whole outfit is ridiculous.. only in hollywood.. and the pedo mustache........
2585 points
What did he do to his hair! My goodness, i completely adore him and think he's hot. But yes, he has GOT to get rid of the stache, cut his hair again and let it be it's natural salt and pepper. he was SOOO hot on the cover of GQ. I saw the cover when it came out and my jaw dropped, not only because ..MEOW! But because of the fact that he's been in movies the whole time i was watching them growing up and he's not supposed to get old, which in turn means...... i think i have aged too. Damn it!
i know exactly what he's talking about. i havent seen tdk but other movies are like this too..
670 points
I don't feel that the movie was hard to follow. Maybe he got up to pee during the movie and missed some crucial parts? LOL
couldnt agree more! That movie was SO boring.... unlike something like spiderman 2, which was really watchable, The dark knight was over complicated, with too much emphasis put on Ledgers role, even though he wasnt even in it half as much as the trailer led one to believe
GO SEE WALL-E BEST MOVIE EVER!!!!!!
87170 points
HA WALL-E !!!!!!!!!!! got to love that robot love him !!! i kinda wish i had one
Didn't he admit to Leno he had trouble focusing in school? Maybe if he watched the movie, instead of giving into his ADD, then he would've gotten it. I love TDK. It was intense. I confess: I have yet to see Iron Man. Marvel needs to come back big because DC squashed both of its records--set by Iron Man and Spiderman. Ouch.
15080 points
Yeah, because ADD is something that you can just choose to not "give into".
Yeah, I agree with exposition, it's ridiculous to mock someone for not 'turning off ADD' the click of a button, as I interpreted from the post.
I overall agree with the posts here, though. I... kind of, sort of want all these comic-book made movies to slow down, and for Hollywood to bring in more movies based on down-to-earth, human characters. This way, the movies that'd come are, however complicated, still understandable.
For ex, no matter how deep Love Me If You Dare was, you still get the direction of the movie; even if you can't clearly explain to someone else.
I think our lives can be just as exciting without the need of unrealistic superheros to entertain us, as Hollywood makes it look like at times...
7745 points
It makes me kind of sad that anyone couldn't understand the very basic plot of The Dark Knight. I mean.....really?
What was so confusing?
I didn't think it was confusing - however the "batman" lisp was driving me crazy, especially in the last scenes. Does batman really have to have a lisp, or was it because it was the only way C.Bale could get his voice that low....
Christian seems to have a tiny bit of a lisp in general, which was magnified when he lowered his voice to talk as Batman.
On to RDJ.. I love this man! He can wear whatever the hell he wants. He does need to do something about that stache, though.. if he had a bit of stubble as well it wouldn't be nearly as bad.
Robert Downey Jr. is gorgeous and intelligent. I saw the Dark Knight and I loved it, absolutely loved it, but come on. I know they are taking a much darker edge to the whole Batman series, which I think was a great move. However, even I found the whole 10 minute Gary Oldman voice over at the end a bit much.....and the whole white knight/dark knight thing was a bit over the top.
2805 points
I loved the movie too and think that Aaron Eckhart hasn't gotten enough credit for his role.
I'm confused by what you wrote - the white/dark knight thing was over the top? That was the basis for the entire movie as well as the title.
The dark knight is what Batman has been called since the 70s in the comic, it wasnt actually the basis for the title. They based it on the comic
29699 points
I kept hearing people grumble about it being really confusing and a lot of people suggested watching Batman Begins before seeing TDK. I hadn't ever seen BB and it was b.o.r.i.n.g. It couldn't keep my interest at all. I still want to see TDK because the action looked really good and I'm a sucker for kick-butt action on the BIG screen. But I hope the movie is as good as the hype.
Maybe if he wasn't doing drugs all these years and frying up his brain, he might actually understand the movie. It wasn't that hard to follow.
15080 points
I love Robert Downey Jr, but I think he's just trying to say that TDK is too complicated, so why not see a film like Iron Man where you don't have to think? You just sit there and watch it all go down. Not that Iron Man was bad, it was amazing as was TDK. They are both "super hero" films, but with different concepts and execution behind them. It's like comparing... well, Tony Stark to Bruce Wayne! Sure, they're both uber-rich fictional crime fighting dudes, but their morals and lifestyles don't have much in common and neither do their respective films.
Haha, I know right?? He's probably jealous cause its THE movie. People nowadays must be complete airheads, or too lazy to think, that a simple movie like TDK went over their heads. I mean c'mon, that movie was like freakin' easy to follow. I don't get what part(s) people didn't understand. I hope the education level of this site's demographic goes past 6th grade... Cause only then, will I understand your lack of comprehension. And, I'm not trying to be condecending - I mean i'm by no means a genius, which is quite apparent, and I GOT IT! I know, I know, go me. But, wow. But anyway, I just think he's jealous he wasn't asked to be in it. Or maybe he's putting this quote out there now cause TROPIC THUNDER is coming out and we all know that movie doesn't require ANY thinking whatsoever, not saying its bad. But, he's quite smart huh? to put out that quote.... TROPIC THUNDER does open in theaters this friday...sooo...you be the judge. I'm so lame...
What in the world is that n his upper lip?
Robert Downey Jr is just mad because the MARVEL movie he was in had a plot a 5 year old could understand. So he felt like he had to take a jab at a much much better movie. ....... He's bitter because IRONMAN is already forgotten.
3110 points
i think his whole appearance and comment about tdk is staged for the premier of tropical thunder. he is promoting a lighthearted, senseless, very entertaining popcorn-movie. so what? we need every kind of movies so everyone could enjoy an evening at the cinema.
Mr. Downey perhaps you should first obtain your high school diploma -- or did you acquire it at camp "prison." I must say you are a brilliant actor but, you should learn to play nice. Self-effacing tactics about your own intellect while criticizing another box office money maker should be beneath you now. Be careful, you may be in a position to eat humble pie again. You are way too old and have gained too much “street savvy” to portray yourself as an unassuming. You are now treading toxic water. Take it down about 10 notches – we want you back. Dark Knight is a very simple movie. You know this, so, place nice in the sandbox. Arrogance get’s you no where pretty fast!
Not very nice MR. Downey! Clearly you should think about a High School diploma? Or did you possibly obtain one at” Camp Prison." You are way too old and too "Street Savvy" to become unassuming now. You are treading on toxic water and we all know what that does to you! To criticize your own intellect in such a self-effacing way should be beneath you at this point. Ok-- Chop -Chop, get with the program. Behave and play nice! Arrogance get's you no where! "Dark Knight" was a pretty simple Action Hero film! Let it go! Unfortunately, Mr. Ledger is not here to make a speech on Villains and Super Hero's. I am sure the rest of the crew from DK is asking themselves "who is Robert Downey Jr?" Your past can haunt you! Drop it down about 10 notches and come back to earth. Get it--Got it-- Good!
Well they've got their next movie right there: Batman vs. Ironman
300 points
totally thought it was confusing, then again i did fall asleep right after harvey became 2-face... where can i go to find out what happened? is there a TDK for Dummies yet?
Maybe his mustache and hair are for a movie anyways who the heck cares how he wears his hair just good to see the man healthy!!
As for movies being complicated...sometimes I like a deep plot sometimes I like to float through a movie...its nice to have both types.
I guess there are a lot of stupid people out there!Batman was not hard to understand at all!If you watched and listened to the movie how did you not get it?
it's funny that Robert Downey Jr. said the Dark Knight is too sophisticated when he himself tends to sound so sophisticated
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