Movie Review: Iron Man
- Theatrical release date
- May 2, 2008
- DVD release date
- TBA
- Grade
- A+
A great ride that sails through its running time.
Marvel Comics’ superheroes have had some crappy movies made about them recently: The Punisher, the Fantastic Four, Hulk (Ang Lee, what were you thinking?), Daredevil, Elektra . . . need I go on? So when I heard Marvel was teaming up with Hollywood to bring Iron Man to the screen, I was dubious. Although I liked the comic (I know I still have a few Iron Man titles in my collection), it was never a favorite of mine. And when I heard Robert Downey, Jr., had been cast as Tony Stark, I thought, well, that couldn’t be good.
I was wrong. I should apologize to Downey, because he certainly delivered on everything Tony Stark is and should be. Stark, a billionaire industrialist with a penchant for booze and women, may be the sort of person lots of people think they’d like to be, but is not necessarily the sort of character that makes a sympathetic protagonist. The casting of Stark was truly crucial for this movie, so kudos to everyone involved. Downey is perfect.
More kudos to director Jon Favreau, who clearly knows what works in a comic book movie. Generally, you can go two ways with comic book adaptations: very dark and serious with a morality play tucked inside, or light and fun and good with popcorn. Favreau went for the light and fun end of the spectrum. Which is fine, and means you shouldn’t start thinking too deeply about why the bad guy initiated the hit on Stark in the first place, or about the finer moral points of a billionaire arms dealer who gets religion (so to speak) and demonstrates this by building even bigger and more deadly weapons — which he then reserves entirely for himself.
Still. Those kinds of narrative holes can be excused if the cast is good enough, the special effects exciting enough, and the story engaging enough to keep you glued to your seat. Especially in an origin story, where the superhero isn’t going to take center stage until the last reel. If the audience cares enough about the character inside the suit, then watching the origin story unfold is captivating. If not, it’s an hour or more wasted out of your life. In Iron Man, your time is not wasted.
The rest of the cast is adequate, though not memorable. I’ve seen several reviews lauding Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow for the depth they brought to their respective roles, but honestly, I didn’t see it. For as little as they were given to do, I guess they did just fine, but they had a tendency to be upstaged by everything going on around them. Even Stark’s robotic helpers in his private home lab had more personality than Paltrow’s character.
Ultimately, though, it’s Downey’s movie, and the director, the other actors, and the special effects guys all step aside and let him have it. While allowing the lead actor to do this, in many cases, might be disastrous, here it pays off in spades. If light and fun and good with popcorn is something you’d spend ticket money on, then see Iron Man in the theaters. And make sure to wait past the credits for a bonus scene and the appearance of another Marvel favorite.
Copyright . Published 1 May 2008 in What’s New.