Iron Man Movie Review
Robert Downey Jr. shines in big budget adaptation of Marvel icon
Marvel Comics icon The Invincible Iron Man is given the Hollywood treatment in what may be the finest superhero film released in years starring Robert Downey Jr.
Iron Man: The Movie Synopsis
Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, an extremely wealthy military industrialist and playboy kidnapped by Afghani terrorists whilst demonstrating his new product in the war torn country. Seriously wounded during the siege, Stark survives thanks to a device of his making which stops shrapnel from penetrating his heart. Forced by his extremists captors to build a missile, Stark instead uses his technical smarts to create an invincible suit of iron which he uses to escape from his confines and return back home, where he begins a path to redemption as the avenging superhero Iron Man.
Director Jon Favreau crafts a weighty superhero movie
Director Jon Favreau – of Swingers and Elf fame – has created a comic book movie which not only delights visually, but also engrosses with its very well adapted and updated story of a redemptive figure who becomes the ultimate global hero, while also providing damning commentary on the military industrial complex.
Robert Downey Jr. headlines a talented cast
Since Iron Man is a character driven superhero movie, credible character actors were needed in pivotal roles. As Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. uses his sharp wit and addictive charm to create a highly memorable performance as one of Marvel Comic’s more complicated figures, a sinister looking Jeff Bridges plays the villainous Obadiah Stane very well, and Terrence Howard does his best in limited screen time as Jim Rhodes, a character who – as many comic books fans will know – will also don a suit of iron to become War Machine. Gwyneth Paltrow, however, is miscast in a light weight role as Tony Stark’s assistant and love interest, Pepper Potts.
Iron Man visual effects are fantastic
Jon Favreau’s desire to have a much more realistic and not too CGI heavy approach to the films visual effects has been met, thanks to the impressive armour designs by the magnificent Stan Winstone and additional touches by George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic.
Several sequences demonstrate just how well these effects look on screen; Stark’s often humorous experiments with his iron suit which feature Downey Jr. in all of his witty glory; a dogfight between Iron Man and two American fighter jets; and a spectacular but all to brief battle between Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Bridges’ Iron Monger.
Debut production for Marvel Studios
As the first film from the newly developed Marvel Studios, Iron Man proves to be a well crafted comic book adaptation that raises the bar in what was becoming a failing sub-genre, thanks to poor recent efforts such as Ghost Rider and The Fantastic Four. Just a word of warning: stick through the end credits for an extra juicy scene which will make the fanboys go crazy and set up a whole new Marvel Comics movie.
