Chaplin (1992 Movie) Review

It's hard not to like a bio-pic of your favorite actor, isn't it? It's funny, well acted, and the ending is on par with every Chaplin film ending ever. The best thing about this film is no doubt Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin. He shows off his peak of acting in this film and made me laugh more than once. Also, it gives cameos to Chaplin's films themselves, which was awesome, but I wish they spent more time showing the filming of City Lights, Modern Times, and/or The Circus, not just The Great Dictator and The Gold Rush (Even though those ARE the two films Chaplin discussed the most, but still). The supporting actors did great, but there not focused on often, so that was a little disappointing. I enjoy how it shows that Chaplin isn't a friendly and perfect god, he's arrogant at times, but can be likable and suave when he needs too. Finally, the last thing I loved so much that's worth having it's own sentence is the subtle sense of humor. It's laugh worthy when it wants to be, and chuckle worthy even when it's not obvious. But enough with the positive, let's go to the negative. Firstly, the scene where Charlie's a little kid and he dances and get's an applause is a little cheesy. Actually, a lot of this movie is cheesy. The only really sappy moment that works is the ending, which I believe to be one of the greatest film endings ever, just behind City Lights (Coincidentally, is one of Chaplin's most known films) and The Shawshank Redemption. Secondly, the opening makes it look like it'll show how Chaplin made his films, along with an elegant feel to it. The rest of it is basically a subtle comedy. That's another slight disappointment. Finally, they show a good portion of Chaplin's life, but if they show much of his life, show every life changing moment, which if they did do that, all of Chaplin's teenage years would've been entirely pointless, and every fan of Chaplin knows that isn't true. Wouldn't it be awesome to see Chaplin as a teen having to deal with the tough life of an actual teen in the early twentieth century? Oh well, it's still an excellent film anyways. The acting, the characters, the cinematography, it's all outstanding. So, it all comes down to would I recommend it. Well, if you watched even one Chaplin film, and you enjoyed it, I will recommend it. But if you haven't seen a Chaplin film or didn't like all the films Chaplin made, don't watch it. But, for now, us Chaplin fans can watch it over and over and never get tired of it.

4.5/5