Is Robert DeNiro still a good actor?

[RobMoney$]

So my daughter was watching this movie this weekend called "Stardust" starring DeNiro & Claire Daines. It was embarresingly bad and it got me trying to remember his last good movie.

He's batting at around .150 in the last ten years, I've bolded the movies I thought were good DeNiro performances;

# Stardust (2007) .... Captain Shakespeare
# The Good Shepherd (2006) .... Bill Sullivan
# Arthur et les Minimoys (2006) (voice: English version) .... King
# Hide and Seek (2005) .... David Callaway
# The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004) .... Archbishop of Peru
# Meet the Fockers (2004) .... Jack Byrnes
# Shark Tale (2004) (voice) .... Don Lino
# Godsend (2004) .... Richard Wells
# Analyze That (2002) .... Paul Vitti
# City by the Sea (2002) .... Vincent LaMarca
# Showtime (2002) .... Det. Mitch Preston
# The Score (2001) .... Nick Wells
# 15 Minutes (2001) .... Detective Eddie Flemming
# Meet the Parents (2000) .... Jack Byrnes
# Men of Honor (2000) .... Chief Leslie W. 'Billy' Sunday
# The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000) .... Fearless Leader
# Flawless (1999) .... Walt Koontz
# Analyze This (1999) .... Paul Vitti
# Ronin (1998) .... Sam
# Great Expectations (1998) .... Prisoner/Lustig

Admittedly, I haven't even seen all of these movies. But I was a huge DeNiro fan back in the mid nineties. His record since then is as bad as Costner's. Seriously, has he just mailed it in since his reign of glory in the 90s. I mean he went from a stretch from '87 to '97 that looked like it would be tough for any actor to match.

# Jackie Brown (1997) .... Louis Gara
# Wag the Dog (1997) .... Conrad Brean
# Cop Land (1997) .... Lt. Moe Tilden
# Marvin's Room (1996) .... Dr. Wally
# Sleepers (1996) .... Father Bobby
# The Fan (1996) .... Gil Renard
# Heat (1995) .... Neil McCauley
# Casino (1995) .... Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
# Frankenstein (1994) .... The Creature
# A Bronx Tale (1993) .... Lorenzo Anello
# This Boy's Life (1993) .... Dwight Hansen
# Mad Dog and Glory (1993) .... Wayne 'Mad Dog' Dobie
# Night and the City (1992) .... Harry Fabian
# Mistress (1992) .... Evan M. Wright
# Cape Fear (1991) .... Max Cady
# Backdraft (1991) .... Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale
# Guilty by Suspicion (1991) .... David Merrill
# Awakenings (1990) .... Leonard Lowe
# Goodfellas (1990) .... James 'Jimmy' Conway
# Stanley & Iris (1990) .... Stanley Everett Cox
# We're No Angels (1989) .... Ned
# Jacknife (1989) .... Joseph 'Jacknife' Megessey
# Midnight Run (1988) .... Jack Walsh
# The Untouchables (1987) .... Al Capone


He's really taken quite the tumble the last ten years.

[Auton]

you didn't like The Good Shepherd?

[ericlee]

The last performance I've seen of his was Meet the Fockers. I thought it was good, he did good but I'm not much of a movie critique.

I just recently picked up The Deer Hunter. I can't believe that how big of a Nam movie fan I am, I haven't seen it till now. Great cast, great story and performances.

[Auton]

hell yeah, man. deer hunter is in my top 10. and on the subject of nam movies, apocalypse now is like, my number 3 favorite movie ever.

[ericlee]

hell yeah, man. deer hunter is in my top 10. and on the subject of nam movies, apocalypse now is like, my number 3 favorite movie ever.

I'd say Apocalypse now is my #1 favorite movie.

It's cool how Capt. Willard is from Toledo Ohio, one of my old stomping grounds and hearing small cities such as Toledo mentioned in a fantastic movie is great.

[Auton]

yeah a year ago i was downright obsessed with it, watching it every night for a week and shit. not really a movie you should do that with. actually that's kind of sick that i did that, now that i think about. but yeah, it's awesome.

[Waus]

I think he's still pretty good. It's tough when you do a bunch of roles that suit you really well - and people look for you to do new roles and still be just as good.

If I were an actor, I think I'd be annoyed if I got railed every time I did a movie that wasn't an oscar bid. I thought Meet The Parents was pretty funny...but it's also true that he's just sort of playing a flat comedy character in it.

[RobMoney$]

I thought Meet The Parents was pretty funny...but it's also true that he's just sort of playing a flat comedy character in it.


Exactly, Meet the Fockers and Meet the Parents can't really be taken as serious "DeNiro" worthy roles, at least to me.
Same goes for "Analyze This".
They're literally joke roles.

[Lex Diamonds]

DeNiro in Meet The Parents was the best acting in a comedy film for the last ten years. It added a whole new layer of respect for him in my eyes.

"I have nipples, Greg. Could ya milk me?"

[abcdefz]

THE KING OF COMEDY


May be the best acting he's ever done. (y)(y)(y)

[bigblu89]

He was pretty good in Meet the Parents and Fockers.

It was Travis Brickle, but for what it was supposed to be, he was good.

Same with Analyze This.

[MC Moot]

Where the hell is "The Mission"?????????????????

How can you neglect "The Mission"??????

[Auton]

^seriously. he did an amazing job in the mission, which is a great movie, regardless.

[ToucanSpam]

Analyze This and Meet the Parents were pretty good. Not spectacular but he does decent comedy movies.

[ToucanSpam]

He was pretty good in Meet the Parents and Fockers.

It was Travis Brickle, but for what it was supposed to be, he was good.

Same with Analyze This.

Hahahaha in b4 2can

I aggree.

[abcdefz]

He was good in Parents, Good Shepherd, and The Score. But, yeah -- basically he just seems to be picking up a paycheck most of
the time these days. But then... hell, I haven't seen most of his recent stuff, now that I look at it.

[DipDipDive]

Being in shitty movies doesn't make a person a bad actor.

[RobMoney$]

Then - Mean Streets (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDuhuL6zVsM&feature=related)

...and now - Stardust (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQKrgi2PMz8)


I contend the man's fell off.

[afronaut]

Stardust wasn't that bad. You know, for a kids movie. I don't see how a children's fantasy movie can be compared to Mean Streets.

[beastieboysbaby]

he's sexy :p

[RobMoney$]

The man had a commanding presence, he personified 1970's NYC in that scene.

Given his recent run of Comedy roles(Fockers, Anaylze This) or Childrens roles(Stardust, Shark Tale, Rocky & Bullwinkle), I question if he can even emote like "Mean Streets" anymore.

[RobMoney$]

Stardust wasn't that bad. You know, for a kids movie. I don't see how a children's fantasy movie can be compared to Mean Streets.


"Mean Streets" DeNiro wouldn't even have wasted his time reading the Stardust script.
He would have lit it on fire and threw it back in his managers' face and said
"You're a jerkoff, that's what I think of you because that's what you are"

[afronaut]

"Mean Streets" DeNiro wouldn't even have wasted his time reading the Stardust script.
He would have lit it on fire and threw it back in his managers' face and said
"You're a jerkoff, that's what I think of you because that's what you are"
Sometimes people grow up. And stop doing coke.

But yeah, none of his current films compare to his old stuff. He's stopped making "serious" films. But he's still a great actor, even if he doesn't act greatly anymore. Thats not something you lose.

[Dorothy Wood]

stardust blew pretty hard, I was embarrassed for all the actors.

[Tzar]

i love the analyse movies

"i know what you're saying; the sword is my dick and i can't get it up but, i tell ya, i was with sheila last night and i had a hard-on you could fuckin' swing off... you coulda hung wet towels on it, that's how big it was"