Iron Man Movie Review
IRON MAN: A RELEVANT SUPERHERO
In the realm of superheroes, Iron Man isn’t just like the rest of them. He is a playboy who has a secret identity. But he doesn’t have any super powers like Spiderman. And he doesn’t have a dark background like Batman. So what makes him so likeable? Because when he is shown the error of his ways, he decides to do change them and maybe save the world while he is at it. Iron Man is funny; action packed, and comes with a message. And you don’t mind that.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the head of Stark Industries. They are a weapon manufacturer for the military. The bigger and more effective the damage a Stark weapon inflicts, the better. But when Stark is captured in Afghanistan and held captive until he reproduces the newest weapon he has created, he sees what harm his work has done. He decides to put his skills to good use and creates a suit of armor with special features. It is originally intended to save him and the doctor that is also being held captive. But when he sees the damage it inflicts, Tony decides to recreate the suit of armor and use it for good. This throws his whole world upside down and affects everyone around him.
Iron Man is not as popular as Superman or Batman. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t fun. He is playboy and he revels in it. He gets the ladies and everywhere he goes is a party. It makes him easy to identify with. You admire him and you want to be friends with him. This makes him the most down to earth of the superheroes. He isn’t brooding, which seems to be a characteristic of all other superheroes. This makes the story about a man who turns his life around. He could be any Joe Schmo except he is trying to save the world. And nobody else could have played this man any better than Robert Downey Jr..
Downey Jr. is known for the demons he has publicly battled. But yet he has still managed to stay well respected within the Hollywood community. They both have a lot in common. They have partied hard (for better or worse) but still have the respect of their peers. And it is refreshing to have a comic book hero played by somebody who doesn’t have the boyish face that we have come to expect. The cast is rounded out by Gwyneth Paltrow as the innocent and reliable Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard as his military buddy Jim Rhodes, and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, his partner in Stark Industries. What does this cast all have in common? All of them have been nominated for an Oscar. Not a bad pedigree. CGI was put to good use in Iron Man, especially with the evolution of the suit. And the scenes of Stark testing it out as he modified it provide a lot of laughs.
The last battle scene in the movie was a little too predictable for my taste. It reminded me of a similar battle scene in Spiderman 2.
With the state of the war in Iraq being what it is, Iron Man is a superhero that is pertinent and speaks to its audience. But it is also here to entertain and it does just that. It is a rollercoaster of a ride and you won’t want to get off.
Report Card:
Story-B
Acting-B+
Visuals-B+
Originality/Innovation-B+
Enjoyability Grade–A
Overall Grade-B+
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