Sr. – Film Review

Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his late father in this documentary chronicling the life and eclectic career of pioneering filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.

When watching Sr., it’s hard not to crack a million smiles. It’s an extremely touching and poignant documentary from Chris Smith that wonderfully explores the relationship between Robert Downey Jr. and his father, who goes into depth about life stories about him, as well as his intricate acting and filmmaking career.

This is a documentary unlike any I’ve seen in that it weaves in between the Downey family exploring their crazy, treacherous life while also managing to joke around with each other along the way. It’s just so nice to see Jr., in particular, talk about his father in a touching, loving way and to see them bond and laugh with each other throughout the course of the film.

It’s clear that Jr. has a lot of respect for his father and for what kind of career he had back when he was young and considered to be the big shot in Hollywood. The film chooses to include some of his best career moments and sprinkle them throughout, showing us just how popular he truly was.

We all know who Sr.’s son is, but a lot of people don’t know how long and prosperous of a career his father had. This movie essentially serves as a tribute to not just the Downey family, but also to filmmakers and actors around the world. If you have any interest in the field, this movie is sure to get you interested.

There are some instances in which the film can feel a bit overlong despite the fact that it only runs a little over ninety minutes long. The pacing is, sadly, a bit all over the place and toward the last twenty minutes or so, the film does tend to overstay its welcome.

But mostly, this is a wonderful documentary that serves as a touching tribute to Robert Downey Sr. while also being a legitimately inspiring and uplifting movie for not only aspiring actors and filmmakers, but to anyone out there. Sr. has a little something for everyone.

Sr. is a touching, intimate documentary about the life and career of Robert Downey Sr., filled with tons of heart and sincerity.