Marvel Comics brings us Iron Man, but without the campiness of your average comic book movie. AC/DC and Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark. He’s cool and his wit is quick. His dialogue, though sharp, is possibly too fast to digest every joke. This only appears to be an issue occasionally – it’s because he mumbles. He’s much more difficult to understand in Sherlock Holmes.
The action is gripping and turns with the plot so every fight scene is meaningful, every hit, and every shot. The violence is not gory, directed at a family audience. Jeff Bridges (Obediah Stain) is amazing as the conservative company man to Tony’s brilliant mind and immature behaviour.
Stark’s friend, Rhodey (Terrence Howard) provides an emotional role for a less than intellectually complex adventure movie. I think it was a mistake to replace him with Don Cheadle for the sequel (though I seem to be the only one who noticed.) Apparently Howard wanted more money to come back and the production company refused to pay. You get what you pay for.
The structure of the film is very polished. Setting up the character and danger that forces Tony Stark to change – to take his company in a new direction – to change the world.
He falls into bed with a journalist – it happens so quickly that it’s surprising. She’s alright looking, but she doesn’t have time to impress him with her assets. He could do better. She went to a prestigious university and he’s drunk. She is a conflict toy for him. Apparently that is enough to convince him to seduce her. And she is seduced pretty quickly as well, but then Stark is rich and handsome.
This scene is really the only part of the film that I don’t get.
I’ve never really understood what popular America sees in Gwyneth Paltrow, until Iron Man. Pepper Pots is charming, clever, understated, demure, industrious, polite, funny and a servant. What more could you ask for in a woman. With such a wonderful personality, it becomes easier to find her attractive.
It’s a shame Potts doesn’t get involved in a David Lynch sex scene. (Quick Note: David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive – one of the few great romantic sex scenes in movies.)
I love the technology in this film. Tony’s inventions are consistently impressive to the point of being another character, and in fact are a driving force for the story.
Escaping the cave where the terrorists are keeping Stark captive, is a catalyst for his best invention yet. When he really puts his mind to work, he can change the world.
Fast cars, fast women and heavy metal music.
Howard creates a great, funny, support character for Downey’s Stark.
Doctor Yinsen (Shaun Toub) whom Stark meets in his cave, is a friendly character. Likeable enough to motivate Stark to become a better man. These are not deep scenes. There isn’t a deep scene in the entire movie. But it’s a lot of fun.
It almost feels like Macgyver or Batman ’66. The most fun parts are the building of the gadgets and the action sequences where the hero uses them. The story is simple. The story needs to be simple, or so they think, because the target audience is a family audience.
In order to attract their key demographic young males, they’ve stuffed this film with heavy metal, comics, cool rebel rock-star guy who can have any chick he wants, and American politics.
The terrorist villain is somewhat interesting, but even more impressive is the American who hired him to assassinate Stark.
The simple truth is that Iron Man kicks ass. Tony Stark is cool. This movie is fun. It’s an entertaining film and that’s all it is. That’s all it needs to be.
3.5 stars
the joy of eating and the folly of thinking 