Of the current cycle of superhero movies, Iron Man is the most sophisticated, adult and massively entertaining of the lot. Director Jon Favreau has a great respect for the source material and always with an eye on the entertainment value of the enterprise, he has created a story of responsibility, ethics, heroism and adventure which, surprisingly, also has something to say about global politics in the 21st Century and the nature of corporations.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is the billionaire genius behind Stark Industries, a weapons manufacturer is captured by a renegade faction in Afghanistan and ordered to create missiles for them. With the aid of a scientist they captured, he creates a rough suit of mechanical armour with which to escape them. Back in the USA, he has an epiphany and decides to change the direction of the company and in a secret project, creates the suit of cybernetic armour that helps him become Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr is incredible as Stark. He goes from frivolous genius playboy to hero in a realistic arc with a range from high comedy to despair to gritty determination. Gwyneth Paltrow as his assistant Pepper Potts is smart, charming and perceptive. A bald Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, the COO of Stark Industries is an unusual and smarmy villain. Terence Howard as Jim Rhodes - the military liaison for Stark Industries is a good foil for Stark - an ally much more than a sidekick.
The computerised special effects by ILM and the physical suit effects by Stan Winston mesh together seamlessly to create the world of Iron Man where flying in the suit is a scary and dangerous thing and superior military technology is condensed down into one knight in armour with a conscience.
BTW, if you do go to see this, stay until after the credits. Trust me on this one. 
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Iron Man 2008
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2 comments:
Hmmmm, now I'm intrigued. A co-worker just saw IRON MAN and told me it was "the best ever"! Of course, this is the same woman who loved "VAN HELSING" so I took that with an iceberg of salt. However, when someone whose taste I trust MUCH more gives it a good review than I may just have to hustle on over to see it.
I did think the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark was inspired since the comic book character was a womanizing alcoholic so WHO BETTER to play him?!?!?!?!!!!
Oh yes, and I was also warned to stay till the credits have finished rolling. Hmmmmmm....
Finally got round to seeing Iron Man. Loved it. Casting of Downey was spot on and I seem to have reawakened my Gwyneth crush. I'm sure it's to do with the red hair.
But this was fun. I felt it could have been a little meatier but it is a comic action movie after all. I was surprised seeing a music credit for the cartoon series theme, I don't remember hearing it.
And yes the post-credit teaser was a nice touch. Though I can't say that seeing Captain America in any form is appealing. He's a dated product and even more jingoistic than the Yanks usually get.
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