The release of “Iron Man” has gotten a lot of hype, which can sometimes be disastrous for a film that fails to live up to audience expectations. Thankfully, Marvel’s latest foray onto the silver screen suffers no such problem.
Fans of the comic book will be satisfied, if not downright impressed, and newcomers to the “Iron Man” franchise should find this film an excellent introduction to what is most certainly going to be Marvel’s next great series of superhero movies.
“Iron Man” follows the story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), an eccentric billionaire playboy and genius inventor. His vast fortunes come from lucrative weapons developments for the United States military. Stark obviously believes in his work and loves his life. He provides the latest in weapons technology to American troops, helping to keep them safe. And it does not hurt that it has made him a billionaire playboy.
This makes it only natural that everything go terribly wrong. Stark’s convoy is ambushed by a terrorist group known as the Ten Rings, whose sinister leader Raza (Faran Tahir) demands that Stark construct a missile for him. Stark reluctantly agrees, but rather than building a missile, he constructs a suit of power-armor and escapes captivity.
Returning to the United States a changed man, Stark is reunited with his assistant/only real friend in the world Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his business partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges). After announcing that Stark Industries will no longer be producing weapons, Stark begins a new project in secret, intending to create something that will protect people rather than kill them. This project is the suit of power-armor that people will come to know as Iron Man.
Unfortunately, the military contracts were the most lucrative aspect of Stark’s business, and Obadiah is unwilling to give them up so readily.
Director Jon Favreau does a wonderful job balancing the need to stay true to the source material and transition of “Iron Man” from the comic book to the silver screen. He uses the “Batman Begins” approach, injecting as much realism as possible into the storyline while maintaining the fantastical elements vital to the character. It is almost mind boggling just how reasonable he makes it seem that Stark decides to build a super-powered suit of armor after being held captive by terrorists.
It might be odd to think that this movie is not special effects driven, but that is the case. Rather than spectacular firefights, the movie focuses heavily on Stark’s transformation from billionaire playboy to armor-clad hero, both physically and spiritually.
It was a bold choice by Favreau, who could have easily made a film heavy on fighting and special effects and weak on story and made the same amount of money. His dedication to the character is to be commended.
That is not to say that the effects are not spectacular. The visual effects are not overly reliant on computer generated effects, which gives much of the film a more visceral feel than some of its peers. The computer generated effects it does employ are polished and well-integrated with the live actors.
The casting, too, is inspired. Downey makes an absolutely wonderful Stark. He captures the sarcasm and smarmy humor brilliantly, and he proves he can still hold his own in a dramatic role when events require a more serious tone. The supporting cast does its job just fine, though the film is relatively free of standout performances. This is Downey’s show from start to finish. One exception is the character Yinsen (Shaun Toub) who assists Stark as he builds the first power armor in captivity. He serves to give Stark a conscience about the business of selling weapons and provides excellent motivation to become a superhero.
The seeds of a sequel are planted very deliberately. Fans familiar with the Marvel character Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard) and his alter ego War Machine will see clear foreshadowing, and those who stick around after the credits will be treated to an appearance by another Marvel regular played by an increasingly familiar Hollywood A-lister.
If you are looking for a movie with good pacing, a well-constructed plot, great acting and memorable characters, then “Iron Man” is definitely worth the ticket price. It is an original entry in a genre almost entirely void of originality, except, of course, Christopher Nolan’s new Batman films. Only the most pretentious of comic book hating twits could possibly deny the quality of this movie.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Boones
