Before we get into the meat of this, there are two complaints that I’d like to address. First, Iron Man is a very “male” movie. Val over at Occasional Superheroine likens Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow’s character) to a “glorified Miss Moneypenny.” That’s exactly what I thought as I was watching. Pepper Potts is certainly a great foil for Robert Downy Jr.’s Tony Stark, but a super secretary is hardly a strong female role model. She’s the only woman in the film who’s not treated as a sex object. True, Tony Stark is supposed to be a womanizing letch, but reducing women to mere eye candy in the new millennium is tired. Hopefully, the Black Widow will show up in the next one to give Stark a run for his money.
Second, the Middle Eastern terrorist angle annoys me. In the new millennium, Arab actors deserve more diverse roles than terrorists in our movies and television. This one note portrayal only serves to reinforce stereotypes that truly damage any hope that the west will ever understand the Middle East. I will give Iron Man some credit. Ten Rings is a group of nomads who speak various languages. The movie also shows regular Arabs being terrorized by Ten Rings. And there’s no apparent religious aspect to Ten Rings. They never cheer in the name of any deity as they brutalize citizens. That’s probably as even a portrayal of terrorists as we’re going to get. Also, Ten Rings is clearly a nod to the Mandarin. I expect them to return in future sequels.
Okay, now that the bitching is over, on to the review!
Characters
Robert Downey, Jr. - It’s truly amazing when an actor gets a character. Robert Downey, Jr. gets Tony Stark. Robert Downey, Jr. IS Tony Stark. He was practically born to play the part. There’s a sincerity to his portrayal that draws you in making everything believable. You don’t question Tony McGuyvering a mini ARC generator in cave. You don’t question Tony flying to the Middle East in just the Mark III and still having enough power to take on two fighter jets. Tony is so real and an absolute joy to watch on screen.
Terrence Howard - Howard’s Jim Rhodes is straight man to Tony Stark. It’s a very subtle performance. Jim is the loyal friend always willing to cover Tony’s ass without question. You can tell that there’s more bubbling under the surface, but Howard plays it fairly conservatively. He’s perfectly aware of who the star is and is more than willing to let Downey shine. I really hope we get to see him suit up as War Machine in the next one. Howard could certainly use a bigger part in the sequel.
Gwyneth Paltrow - There’s no doubt that Pepper Potts is Tony’s Money Penny. The sexual tension between the two is quite palpable and the chemistry is electrifying. The balcony scene had me on the edge of my freaking seat! Loved her witty banter. More please! Part of me kind of wants them to hook up, but part of me likes the tension building between Tony and Pepper.
Jeff Bridges - If Jeff Bridges didn’t have such a distinct voice, I might not have recognized him as Obadiah Stane. He’s the perfect sneaky villain and plays well against Downey, Jr. Don’t often see him as the bad guy but you could tell he had fun with the part.
Shell Head
I’m so in love with the fact that they used practical armor on set. Nothing rocks harder than actors in big old suits of metal. I found the blending between CG and practical armors to be quite good. Definitely a must see on a freaking large movie screen. Live action mech porn doesn’t get much more sexy than this.
As a dabbler in 3D, I would totally love to model 3D objects with that virtual holographic interface Tony uses to design his armor. Such an elegant an intuitive way to build 3D objects. I hope I live long enough to witness such technologies and to actually use them.
The nice thing is that the effects don’t get over done. You never feel like they get in the way of the plot. It’s certainly a mech sex fest, but unlike tradition porn, the tech serves the plot.
Plot
Out of all of the comic book films that have recently dropped, Iron Man has the strongest plot, the kind of movie non comic fans can really relate to without foreknowledge of the character. At the same time, it treats the source material with such reverence that it brings a golden smile to the hearts of comic book geeks. Brilliant.
We’re not overloaded with mindless action sequences. Every splodey has a meaning behind it. Every effect shot has a purpose. Even the sexy tech bits are there for a reason. No scene seems overly gratuitous or wasted.
In terms of content, it seems to lean very heavily towards the Ultimate universe, especially in light of the TOTALLY BAD MOTHER FUCKING cameo at the end of the credits. It also sets up some nice crossover possibilities which will kick all mighty ass if Robert Downey, Jr. agrees to play Tony Stark in whatever future crossover Marvel has up its sleeve. They’ve already announced an Avengers movie for 2011 which would just make my loins explode and geek all over myself.
I AM IRON MAN
Iron Man is the best superhero film I’ve seen to date. I highly recommend comic geeks and action fans in general see this in the theater right now. Drop your keyboard, hop in the car, buy a ticket, and watch the awesome unfold before you! Really enjoyable flick and an excellent way to kick off the summer.
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