For those just discovering Robert Downey Jr. through the smash hit "Iron Man", you should check out this Academy Award nominated performance he gave 15 years ago, before his "troubles" began. Downey captures the essence of film icon Charles Chaplin and gives a phenomenal performance as "The Little Tramp".  The biographical film is directed by Sir Richard Attenborough and includes some briliant performances by the entire cast , which including Geraldine Chaplin (playing her own grandmother), Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks, Milla Jovavich, Moira Kelly and Diane Lane as three of Chaplin's wives.

Attenborough pulls off the biography through flashbacks as recalled by an elderly Chaplin to author Hopkins, who is working on his autobiography. While not linear, the film covers all aspects of Chaplin's spectacular life; from his London street kid upbringing (Attenborough cleverly inserts characteristics of Charlie's film work in the London street scene; a blind flower girl, a man with a funny walk, etc.), to his fateful meeting with Mack Sennett (Dan Aykroyd), as studio millionaire kingpin, scandelous lover, and political victim and exile.

This 15th Anniversary edition includes a nice, pristine picture, a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack, and a few extras, mostly with Attenborough but the film really deserves a lot more extras.  This new edition comes in an elegant clear plastic slipcover with the face of Downey as Chaplin on the cover.

If you don't already own this masterpiece of acting and storytelling, you should definitely check this new edition out from Lions Gate.