1st Iron Man Review

[Emperor]

Warning - Gives away some story/plot elements but in broad strokes.  No specific spoilers.

 

"Iron Man" - A Review by 'Drew Turney'

 

The one thing filmmakers, studio statements and publicity blurbs always foist on fans and media is that it's 'all about the characters'. Are they only ones who don't know most of us go to the movies to see snakes loose on a plane, robots in disguise blowing each other up or giant tidal waves washing away New York?

 

It's particularly true in $100m-plus movies aimed squarely at the holiday-season teen audience, which Iron Man decidedly is.

 

But a funny thing happens about halfway through the film. You realise that - Like Hulk - you haven't seen a lot of Iron Man mayhem. And the reason is because (gasp!) you genuinely do like the characters, and their stories are as interesting as the obligatory action.

 

Most of the reason for that is the casting. Robert Downey Jr is a masterstroke as weapons developer Tony Stark. Any other generic hero-type would have made the iron-free scenes dull, but Downey Jr's dry, sardonic, motor-mouth schtick is not only watchable but perfect fodder for a superhero character rather than the 'tortured soul' every other superhero movie has aimed for.

 

Another huge nod goes to a fully fleshed out supporting character in Jeff Bridges, looking like you've never seen him and bringing much more to the role of Stark Industries CEO Obadiah Stane.

 

The other reason Iron Man works so well is because when director Jon Favreau does deliver the promised action, he does so wholeheartedly. Even though there's nothing as audacious as the climatic smash-up of Transformers, Iron Man's thrills trick you into thinking they're much bigger and more destructive than they are.

 

There's a fair degree of gadget technophilia and the CGI of the clanking machinery of the iron suit's development and use is very well done, supporting the strong characters with some real action/adventure credibility.

 

If you've seen the trailer you'll know much of the plot. Rich playboy Stark inherited a defence contracting corporation from his engineer father and has turned it into a US defence goldmine with his futuristic weapons design.

 

On a routine sales pitch trip in the wilds of Afghanistan, his convoy is attacked and he's taken hostage, put to work by a band of interchangeable, bin Laden-alike Arab terrorists to replicate his latest tool of destruction for the bad guys.

 

Instead, he puts his ingenuity to work to build a crude prototype of the suit that will make his name, busting out of captivity in explosive circumstances.

 

Stark returns home a changed man, deciding to use his smarts for good instead of (as he now sees it) evil. It's a character development that would strangle the appeal of a lesser actor in the role, but Downey Jr loses none of his gatling gun wit - just watch him interact with the fire extinguisher robot in his workshop.

 

Stark replicates and refines the design he built in the caves of his captors, and Iron Man is born. Favreau and writer Mark Fergus take the tired old clichés of the superhero origin story (first tentative steps understanding new power, first test run in secret, first appearance on the radar - literally in this case - and first heroic act) and make them likeable and funny.

 

There's a wealth of back-story and script nods that'll go over your head if you're not a devotee of the comics, as well as a bevy of cameos and big names who don't appear to have made the final cut, but Iron Man is every but the superhero movies the studios have been aiming for over the last ten years - a cool adventure movie with characters we care about.

[Kaznen]

I'd like to see a post Civil War Marvel movie.  Mostly because I want to see Spider-man kick Iron Man's @$$.

 

It has happened.

[Barmacral]

Check this out. (Warning, spoilerific youtube sneak peek)

[Tenshin_Xo]

OK, so I was planning on catching both this and the new Hulk movie both more out of a sense of geek based obligation...  Now I'm actually excited.

[reyler]

*feigns surprise* There's a new Hulk movie??

 

You'd almost think Marvel doesn't want you to know.

[Emperor]

Yeah.. they rekicked off the franchise.  It stars Edward Norton as the Hulk and did I mention it looks just as CGIed up as the first one.

[reyler]

That was sarcasm. I was making light of how Marvel has done everything in their power to not promote the upcoming Hulk movie, which is especially noticeable in light of how they've been flooding the internet with stuff on Iron Man for the last year.

[Myndrunner]

I read in the recent issue of Empire Magazine that Ironman and Hulk are the first two movies that Marvel had full say in.  With that, they are planning to build up to an eventual Avenger's movie, using the same actors (Downey & Norton) to reprise their roles.  They mention that Downey's Stark is supposed to make a cameo in the Hulk movie and rumors are that Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Nick Fury, will appear briefly in both films....

 

...*drools*......I love the Bill Bixby Hulk theme music they play at the end of the HULK trailer too!

[reyler]

I heard Fury's scene in Iron Man was cut. I never heard anything about him being in Hulk. Not really much point, other than laying groundwork, when you've got Ross in the picture. But yeah, Marvel is retaining the movie rights to their properties now, self-producing all subsequent films (tho' I think Paramount or someone still has the rights to the Thor movie they're trying to get moving), only going to the major studios for distribution.

[Myndrunner]

Ever check out the recent Animated Avengers movies?  I thought they did a fantastic job with Cap's origins by keeping him thawed out from WW II.  That would be the best group of Avengers: Cap, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Giant Man (change the name), Wasp, and Black Widow & Nick Fury. 

 

I felt that they should consider a Spiderman & Fantastic 4 crossover.  It would help both franchises, and a good gimmick for Spiderman 4.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed the two Fantastic 4 films, and I was really against Alba as Sue Storm, even though I am a big Alba fan in general.  She pulled it off though, and it helped that the other three (four if you count Doom) were very well cast. 

 

.....now, if they could go talk to the crew over on the set of G.I. Joe......*sigh*

[Haxorsist]

I want to see the Aquaman they made on Entourage.

[Myndrunner]

Lol yeah me too!  Ya know, Adrien Grenier should play Black Manta!

[Emperor]

You guys lost me when you jumped to the comics. 

[reyler]

The first of the animated Avengers movies was based off of the Ultimates book. Or at least the first arc. So you've largely got Mark Millar to thank for it, though I personally hate his dialogue and his tendency to vent his anti-government leanings into his books. Anyway, I wouldn't want the big-screen version of the Avengers to be based off the Ultimates, which is an alternate universe book, any more than I wanted the first live action Transformers movie to try and change everything to do with the core series. I don't mind a Thor who is of questionable sanity and questionable divinity, but if you're going to put Marvel's Thor on the big screen, you're going to use the primary version if you want the geeks to come see it.

 

And Mindy, you're like the only person over the age of twelve who liked either Fantastic Four movie, just to let you know.

[Myndrunner]

Um, I'm actually 11 but I'll be 12 in December.  Thanks for the compliment.  ::)

 

I thought they had real chemistry in 4.  I wasn't a big fan of the comic, but I was vaguely aware of them.  You couldn't really be much of a Marvel fan without at least reading a Reed Richards reference somewhere.  I also thought they did very well with the banter between Thing and Johnny.  Even Dr. Doom was well done, I thought.  Alba was my only "meh" comment, but I still thought she played the part well for not looking the part. 

 

I really liked the "God of Thunder?" angle with Thor.  Best scene in that animated film was when Hulk had kicked everyone else's asses, and then, through the smoke, here comes Thor.  His hammer hilt slides down his hand.....you know what's coming next.  If they do an Avengers movie, they HAVE to have a HULK versus THOR battle!!! 

 

[reyler]

No, they really don't. The Hulk may have been a founding member of the team, but almost immediately left and hasn't had much of anything to do with them since. Like I said, that movie was based on an alternate universe version of the Avengers. And the prancing pony in the movies had nothing to do with the right and proper Doom.

[Myndrunner]

I thought he did great, of course, I wasn't into Doom and them like I was into G.I. Joe.  You have me on that bastardization, but I really did enjoy the four.  Captain Nip n Tuck did a great job as Doom, and you have to admit that Chicklis did a great Thing, and Johnny Storm was quite the hot head. 

 

You cannot deny that Hulk will be a part of the Avengers, or why go to all that trouble of having Nick muthaf**king Fury in both Hulk and Iron Man?

 

 

 

[SinisterDeath]

I thought he did great, of course, I wasn't into Doom and them like I was into G.I. Joe.  You have me on that bastardization, but I really did enjoy the four.  Captain Nip n Tuck did a great job as Doom, and you have to admit that Chicklis did a great Thing, and Johnny Storm was quite the hot head. 

 

You cannot deny that Hulk will be a part of the Avengers, or why go to all that trouble of having Nick muthaf**king Fury in both Hulk and Iron Man?

 

 

 

 

Actually the guy who played Dr.Doom was an evil bady guy on the Charmed tv series for like.. 90% of the shows existance, and in that stance I don't think anyone 'else' could have played dr.doom in that movie. (cause he just fit it so perfectly)

 

Of course, the only exposure I had to these comic book characters was from the saturday morning Fantastic 4, Spider-Man, Batman, super man, x-men and of course, Ironman cartoons on Fox.

 

No, not the horrible crap they show today, I mean the stuff that was on Fox Saturday morninings in the late 80's early 90's!

You know, the good ones. ;)

[Myndrunner]

Yeah, those ruled!  I actually used to geek out when I was real little watching Electric Company when Spiderman appeared.  Coolest Christmas memory? Going to the mall to tell Spidey what I wanted for Christmas at the hobby store and blowing off Santa!  They had a guy dressed like the old 70's Spidey instead of Santa Clause that year. 

 

I thought Doom was great, and much different than the Darth Vader I thought he was.  My only read on Doom growing up was in an issue of Punisher when they crossed paths.  I really think that what made both four movies work for me was the casting and the cast chemistry.  Even Alba, who I like for reasons other than her acting ability, did a good job as Storm, even if she didn't look the part. 

 

I am one of the few looking forward to Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in the Wolvering flick.

[reyler]

If by "few" you mean "every geek on the planet", I'll accept that. Because every geek on the planet is looking forward to Ryan Reynolds playing Deadpool. It's the seventeen thousand other X-Men characters pegged to show up in the movie that has everyone worried. Gambit, Blob, Beak, John Wraith (played by freaking will.i.am), not to mention Liev Schreiber looking very silly as a beergutted Sabretooth, and a dozen others. Think X3, and then take out any pretense of having other X-Men hanging around.

 

Doom is not meant to swot around cracking jokes and acting generally very annoying. Doom is regal, composed, full of dignity and majesty and menace, except when reduced to towering rage by RICHARDS!!!!

[Myndrunner]

Yeah, I kinda thought Bret Ratner did 50% on the X-3 deal.  I was very impressed with Beast, I was thinking that Fraiser would suck but he did very well.  The whole deal with Psylocke was lame though. 

 

I always thought Josh Holloway from Lost would make a great Gambit.  Also, Bryan Cox was a great William Stryker! 

 

I hear they are making a Justice League movie. 

[reyler]

The Justice League movie, from all I hear, is going very poorly. Not that I pay much attention to that. Batman is the only DC character that much interests me. I don't think you can entirely blame Brett Ratner for all the problems with X3, considering he was sort of a last minute fill-in director when Matthew Vaughn pulled out. Likewise you can't really credit him with all the movie's successes, like Kelsey Grammer as Beast; that was Vaughn's casting. Gambit, by the by, is set to be played by Taylor Kitsch. Stryker will be in the movie, though Cox ain't playing him (since it's a much younger Stryker) and I don't recall who is.

[reyler]

Turning back to this thread's original subject, I went and saw Iron Man today. Very good movie. I command all ye geeks to go and see it. Righnow! *stamps foot*

[Barmacral]

Tuesday. So close, yet so far...

[Vemynal]

saw Iron Man friday night! best superhero movie yet!

 

STAY TILL THE END OF THE CREDITS!!!