Movie Review: Iron Man
By Matthew Huntley
May 29, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
When we meet the man behind the iron, Tony Stark, he's already grown up, educated, and less impressionable than his comic book brethren. In a time when Hollywood bombards us with superhero movies from every direction, many with the same structure, this different aspect comes as a refreshing change and gives the movie something new to play with and explore, even though we'll have to wait until the sequel to experience it fully.
As it is now, Iron Man abides by the same structure and design as most superhero movies: man experiences physical change-->man has moral epiphany-->man decides to fight crime. It doesn't really go into the psychological effects of his change. What is different about Iron Man, though, is its tone. Whereas most superhero movies live at one of the spectrum, either bright and humorous (Spider-Man) or dark and cynical (X-Men and Batman Begins), Iron Man falls in between, and is able to generate weight from both sides.
I've never read the comic books by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, nor have I seen any of the cartoon spin-offs. I went into Iron Man completely cold and without any preconceived knowledge of who this character was. In fact, it wasn't until Comic-Con 2007 that I even learned there was an Iron Man. Fortunately, Jon Favreau's movie is so focused and accomplished, it got me hooked from the very beginning.
Favreau, the director behind such charming popcorn fare as Elf and Zathura, seems content making the inaugural Iron Man (you know there will be sequels) an action movie first. He seems to have gone to the school of superhero movies where they teach you the sequel is almost always deeper than the original (X2, Spider-Man 2). At times, we can sense the director wanting to make the material more serious, perhaps make it a social commentary, but Favreau and the four screenwriters forego intellectual depth and emotion and concentrate on strong characters, action and old-fashioned spectacle. Audiences will have little cause for complaint.
Stark is played by Robert Downey Jr., who owns the role of a weapons industry tycoon, womanizer, and technology whiz. Downey brings his usual smarminess and bad boy qualities to the table and we completely accept him as a semi-alcoholic, self-indulgent, billionaire playboy. Credit to the casting director who saw Downey's inherent nature and knew he may have been the only choice. The best thing about him is that we like his character, and Downey the actor doesn't overstep his boundary by being too cool or arrogant. He's attractive, funny and quick-witted, but his character is also interesting because of his intellect.
At the beginning, Stark goes to Afghanistan to show off his latest weapons for the U.S. army. His convoy is ambushed by a terrorist group and Stark barely escapes death by one of his own bombs. He's saved by another captive, Dr. Yinsen (Shaun Toub), who makes Stark a magnetic chest plate to prevent the bomb's shrapnel from entering his heart. The makeshift device, which also keeps Stark alive, serves a greater purpose later on.
The terrorist leader (Faran Tahir) demands Stark build him a new missile, but Stark, with Yinsen's help, secretly builds a metal suit instead, complete with its own missiles, guns and flying capabilities. This allows Stark to plow his way to freedom. Back home, among his army friend Jimmy Rhodes (Terrence Howard) and secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Stark declares he's shutting down the weapons division of Stark Industries, telling the press he can no longer head a company that abandons all accountability for profit. His second in command, the bald and bearded Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), doesn't find the news amusing.
To retrieve all his weapons from around the world, Stark designs a new suit, which is also powered by his chest plate, becoming the titular Iron Man. Surprisingly, the movie takes its time to show the details behind Stark's invention. We see him run tests, speak techno-babble to his robots, and even screw up a couple times. You've got to give the movie credit for having this much patience.
On an action movie level, Iron Man delivers some of the best special effects I've seen in a long time. Unlike the over-digitalized (or at least over-digitalized-looking) Spider-Man 3, the effects in Iron Man are practical, functional and almost completely seamless. You know they're good when you can barely make them out. There's one scene where Stark tests his jet propulsion boots by flying around his garage, and another when he tries to let robots remove his armor. Both look wholly convincing, as do the shots of Iron Man flying alongside jets.
The film's performances are also dead on. Along with the multi-talented Downey Jr., Bridges breathes extra life into an otherwise underwritten character. There's just something about the way he put his arm around other peoples' shoulders and yells at a scientist that makes him interesting to watch. Paltrow and Howard are also given ample weight as the screenplay provides them zippy, charming dialogue.
If the film has any letdowns, one of them is the climactic battle between Iron Man and Stane's Iron Monger. Early on, it doesn't take a genius to figure out Stane will become the movie's villain (his hair and makeup practically scream it), but there just wasn't enough buildup to his descent into madness as he sets out to build his own metal suit and battle Tony for control of the company. Their fight scenes feel rushed, mediocre and oversimplified, especially when you consider a much more brilliant sequence early on when Iron Man rescues an Afghan village from terrorists. You hate to see your movie peak so fast.
As a first installment, Iron Man is sharp, witty and thoroughly entertaining. Many of its parts feel borrowed from other superhero movies, which is kind of inevitable considering most cinematic superheroes come out of the Marvel universe. What matters is how the movie handles its assets, and Favreau and his team display patience and an almost relentless confidence in the material. The movie is fun, family friendly and avoids gratuitous violence, but perhaps doesn't have the depth and lasting emotional or intellectual capacity as Superman: The Movie, Spider-Man 2 or Batman Begins. As action, though, it pays off sensationally, which should be more than enough to get viewers excited for Iron Man 2.