Rated PG-13 (Some Intense Sequences
of Sci-Fi Action and Violence, and Brief Suggestive Content)
Running Time: 2 Hours & 6
Minutes
Cast:
Robert
Downey Jr.-Tony Stark/Iron Man
Terrence
Howard-James 'Rhodey' Rhodes
Jeff
Bridges-Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
Gwyneth
Paltrow-Pepper Potts
Leslie
Bibb-Christine Everhart
Shaun
Toub-Yinsen
Faran
Tahir-Raza
Clark
Gregg-Agent Coulson
Paul
Bettany (voice)-Jarvis
Directed by Jon Favreau
 |
| Robert Downey Jr brings heart and humor to the role of Tony Stark in "Iron Man." |
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a wealthy billionaire who owns a massive weapons manufacturing company called Stark Industries, inherited from his father, Howard Stark. With his best friend, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes (Terrence Howard), Stark travels to war-torn Afghanistan to demonstrate a new prototype weapon. However, he is captured by a terrorist group called the 'Ten Rings' during the drive back to base and is mortally wounded by one of his own missles. Stark awakes with another captive, Yinsen (Shaun Toub), who reveals that shrapnel has been embedded into his heart (due to the missile) and is only alive due to a makeshift electromagnet holding the shrapnel from penetrating deeper. Together, they devise an escape plan where the built a makeshift suit of armor. Yinsen is killed during the attempt, and this experience changes Stark deeply. Finally coming home, he decides to shut down any weapons program in production at his company and becomes Iron Man to right all the wrongs that his company did. This catches the attention of his partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), setting up a final showdown between the former friends.
At its foundation, "Iron Man" is really no different than other standard superhero origin stories but what makes it stand out is the way it’s presented. There are plenty of comic book references such as the War Machine foreshadowing which drew laughs from the audience and the presence of SHIELD (make sure to stay for cameo) but for those who are not bona-fide comic book geeks like me, they’ll still enjoy the film thanks to the humor and excellent visuals. Robert Downey Jr. nails the character and not only captures Stark’s over-confidence but also his heart, his conviction to make things right. The humor never gets in the way or turns cheesy. You see Stark getting a one-night stand and during the plane ride to Afghanistan, he tries to convince Rhodes to drink, who steadfastly refuses. The scene then cuts to a few hours later with Rhodes completely drunk and all the stewardesses prancing around on stripper poles! The most hilarious scene is when Stark was testing his Mark II armor with the help of his robotic assistant, Jarvis (voice of Paul Bettany), who constantly follows him around, prompting Stark to say, ‘Please don't follow me around with it either because I feel like I'm going to catch on fire spontaneously. Just stand down. If something happens, then come in!’ In the hands of a less capable actor, the humor would've either came off stupid or awkward but Downey manages to balance the playboy and serious sides of Stark without any effort. Much of the dialogue was actually created by the actors and actresses themselves, allowing the crew to focus more on the story and action. All the other supporting characters also do a great job. Gwyneth Paltrow has great chemistry with Robert Downey Jr. with some cute sexual tension and it's nice to see a girl that is pivotal in the final battle rather than just a damsel-in-distress. Terrence Howard is too soft-spoken as James Rhodes but nonetheless turns in a good performance. Unfortunately, due to a salary dispute, Marvel has decided to replace him with Don Cheadle, who will portray him as War Machine in the sequel. Jeff Bridges also nails his character as the villain, perfectly showing he has all the ambition of Stark, but none of his intelligence or, more importantly, his heart.
The action scenes in the film are nothing short of amazing; watching Iron Man fly across the screen is just awesome with his vibrant red-and-gold armor packing a visual punch. All the suits go through a natural evolution with the first being clunky and looks like it’s pasted together with junk parts; the second is more refined with the final version being the definitive one. You’ll see Iron Man fly through the skies battling all sorts of terrorists and outrun a pair of F-22’s. This is a perfect example merging practical effects and CGI; the armors look real, have weight and are completely tangible. If there’s anything wrong with the film is that the final battle is somewhat of a downer and that the film moves at a rather quick pace but this is to be expected since it's an origin film. Marvel has another winner on their hands and hopefully the sequel will explore the more personal side of Stark, especially his alcoholism.
With the Blu-Ray release, I must say that everything looks fantastic. The colors are even more vibrant and you can see all the tiny moving parts and gears in Iron Man's armor. Sound is also excellent, with every punch and kick shaking the floor if you have surround sound. There’s also a healthy dose of special features with the first disc that includes a 50 minute look at how Iron Man has evolved in comics since his inception, a 3D gallery of all the armor shown in the film, and deleted scenes. The second disc has a 1 hour and 51 minute making-of documentary of the film, a 30 minute look at the visuals, plus screen test footage, still galleries, trailers and an interactive quiz features to test your Iron Man knowledge. The perfect holiday gift!
"Iron Man" defied all expectations, both critically and at the box office. Critics hailed it as one of the best superhero movies ever with a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside other greats like "The Dark Knight" and "Spider-Man 2." At the box office the film earned an impressive $582 million worldwide ($318 million domestic), notable due to the fact that Iron Man was not well-known outside of comic book circles and was a testament to the film’s mass market appeal. "Iron Man" is definitely a must-see; it’s not a ground breaking comic book film like "The Dark Knight" but the humor is so fun, the action so great and the performances spot-on, you can’t help but grin ear-to-ear. Bring on "Iron Man 2"!
Final Rating: 4 out of 5
"I shouldn't be alive... unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my HEART that it's right."
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