“Iron Man”: A modern spin that soars, just like he does!
Release date: 2 May 2008
By Joe DeRosa
“You will believe a man can fly.” That was the legendary tagline from 1978’s “Superman.” Well, it’s been 30 years since those words were immortalized, and in “Iron Man” you will believe a man can fly, shoot rockets from his shoulders and radiate blasts of pure energy from the palms of his hands. And all this is brought to you by the classic red-and-gold armor. With mind-blowing special effects and perfectly cast characters, this Jon Favreau-directed comic-book film adaptation effectively tells the modern tale of a hero who has been a part of the Marvel Universe for over 40 years. Read on, true believers!
Ingeniously updated to involve the current war in Afghanistan, “Iron Man” (rated PG-13) opens with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), CEO of the foremost weapons supplier to the U.S. military, on a routine mission to the Middle East. When the military convoy he’s traveling with is besieged by the very weapons his company made, he is rendered unconscious and wakes up to find he’s been captured by terrorists who demand that he build the wildly destructive Jericho missile for them. He feigns compliance, but in actuality Stark, with the help of his fellow hostage Yinsen (Shaun Toub), secretly constructs an armored suit powered by electromagnetic energy and capable of flight and destruction. After he uses the suit to escape, Stark is rescued by military helicopters and returns home a new man, determined to use his newly discovered technology to make the world a better, more peaceful place.
But business partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) can’t quite bring himself to overlook the bazillions of dollars at risk. So, while Stark sequesters himself in his home laboratory fine-tuning his new armor-suit invention, Stane puts into motion a plan to undermine Stark’s ownership of the company. Meanwhile, Stark’s good intentions are met with public mockery and false speculation of post-traumatic stress. But, as we come to find out, those may be the least of his worries. With the help of his personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), he discovers he’s been betrayed and must fight to save his and Pepper’s lives and keep the dangerous new technology from falling into the wrong hands.
Now, let’s just get this out of the way: I consider myself to be a lower-level comic book geek. I buy ’em, I read ’em and I love ’em. But I’m not the guy who stands there for an hour discussing all the reasons why Superboy-Prime would beat Earth-one Superman in a fight. I am also not the guy who complains about how Hollywood destroys all the rich history of our most beloved characters. I get that this–like any superhero comic-book movie–is just another person’s version of a story that we’ve been telling and retelling, adapting and readapting for almost half a century. In fact, I think I’m a bigger fan of the film’s computerized version of Jarvis, who in the comic book is Stark’s butler. Overall, Favreau’s modernization of “Iron Man” is an absolutely perfect balance between the fantasy of the classic Marvel character and a relevance to modern times, in which Tony Stark is driven to become the man he does.
And speaking of Stark, could there be anyone better suited to the character–a charming, clever, alcoholic playboy and socialite–than Downey? Go on, I dare you to name just one. Can’t do it? I didn’t think so. The supporting characters were also very well cast, from Terrence Howard as Stark’s loyal, but occasionally frustrated, friend and confidante Jim Rhodes, to Bridges’ portrayal of the less than pure hearted Stane. It’s also nice to see the lovely Paltrow’s debut to the comic book genre as she really brings Pepper to life and has perfect chemistry with Downey.
And of course, what’s part and parcel of any great comic book movie these days? No, not the token gratuitous cameo by Stan Lee (although, that does help). I mean special effects! And after seeing Stark don the red and gold for the first time and take to the skies, you’ll forget all about last year’s special effects extravaganza, “Transformers.” The apex battle between Iron Man and Iron Monger is flat out amazing, and at no time do the computer graphics come across blurry or rubbery. With effects like these, as well as an exceptional story and strong acting and characterization, you will be left with no choice but to enjoy every minute of Iron Man’s big-screen debut. ’Nuff said.