It seems to me that in recent times, hero flicks have been getting
better and better. The Spider-Man trilogy was a good start, though it
did get bogged down a bit with a sappy love story and predictable
dialog, and Batman Begins was in my opinion just plain awesome.
Previous Super-Hero movies just had an aura about them that made them
seem stiff and unrealistic. Now, I can already hear the chorus telling
me that because they are Super-Heroes they are therefore unrealistic,
but I argue that even an imaginary story and character should at the
very least conform to some type of reality. Enter Iron Man. I went to
see this movie with no preconceived notions about the things it should
and should not include, which is all the rage when a movie based on a
comic book comes out. Just watching the message boards light up with
supporters, nay-sayers, and pessimists was enough to make my eyes roll
into the back of my head and my brain shift into autopilot. When I go
to a movie, above all else, I want to be entertained. And that is
exactly what director Jon Favreau has delivered!
This movie gets real right from the start. While Tony Stark
(Robert Downey Jr.), robotics genius and son of industrialist and
weapons manufacturer Howard Anthony Stark, is in Afghanistan for a
demonstration of the newest weapon developed by his company for the
military, his convoy is ambushed and he is taken captive by a Middle
Eastern Warlord. He soon finds out that this dangerous organization is
well supplied with his weapons, and he is given an ultimatum: Build us
your newest weapon or die. Instead, he builds a prototype flying suit
of armor and escapes. Hooray! And what a great escape it was, too,
with plenty of explosions and a peek into the potential of the suit.
Upon arriving back in the good old U.S.A., Mr. Stark decides
that it is time for Stark Industries to stop making weapons because of
the large number of casualties his weapons have caused. This is a
major turn of character of Stark, because up until this point, he has
been simply a billionaire playboy, womanizing and drinking his way
through life. He had taken for granted his unique level of genius and
his status as the world's leading robotics developer. When he is
finally able to see outside his self-created bubble, he decides that it
is time for him to use his talents for the good of the world. He
re-designs the mechanical suit, and Iron Man is born.
This movie was very well written, with the actors fully owning
their roles. Though the graphics were nothing special, they were done
very well and mixed into the fabric of the film with ease. The pace
was quick, with very little time wasted, but not so quick that you miss
information or dialog. Above all, this film was wonderfully
entertaining. I smiled, laughed, felt sorry for poor Tony as he
realized that his life up to this point was only the shell of an
existence, and soared with Iron Man through the sky, wishing that I was
the man in the suit. Fighting against all odds, betrayed by his
friend, and coming to terms with his past, Tony Stark becomes hardened
and determined. I highly recommend this to anyone, not just the comics
guys, and I will leave the discussion about missing elements and
inconsistencies with the comic book to those guys. GO SEE IT!
This film is rated PG-13 for language, violence and some sexual
elements (a woman's bare back is as nude as it gets, though), and is in
theaters now. I have attached the trailer below for those who have
still not seen it. Enjoy, and let me know what you think of the movie!
