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As much as I completely adore nerd films, today’s comic book adaptations leave me wanting more. Exploring the troubled psyche of a brooding antihero is all well and good, but occasionally I like to walk out of a movie theater without the urge to go curl up in a corner and weep.
I want my superheroes to be badasses. None of this soul-searching, namby-pamby ennui, thank you very much. Thankfully, Iron Man is the antidote to the modern emo superhero. Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark, downing a scotch on the rocks, tells Spidey to go wash off his girly eyeliner, laughs at Clark Kent’s impotent mooning over Lois Lane, and wishes Batman would just cheer up already.
This is why I absolutely, 100% geeked out over Iron Man, despite knowing next to nothing about the backstory until 30 minutes before the show, when my moviegoing companion (a walking encyclopedia of comic book lore) gave me a crash course on all things Marvel.
Speaking of crashing (yes, I am a master of the transition), kudos to the Alamo Drafthouse for putting on a great show, the highlight of which had to be the real-life flying jetpack dude.
The overly enthusiastic trivia contest participants came in a close second.
But that’s neither here nor there.
Robert Downey Jr. plays weapons-mogul-turned-pacifist Tony Stark as George Clooney on one of his more serious days. He oozes charm in that fantastic way only bad boys can. Downey Jr. smartly capitalizes on his own checkered past; he’s a real-life n’er-do-well searching for redemption, and he embodies the character completely.
Some of the funniest moments in the movie come not from Downey Jr. but from his various robotic sidekicks: Jarvis the AI butler, and a particularly zealous fire prevention robot. Props to director Jon Favreau for bringing life to a lifeless supporting character (a la R2D2), a not-inconsiderable feat.
Also not inconsiderable is the supporting cast, most notably Jeff Bridges as a deliciously evil Cheney-esque weapons magnate, and Gwyneth Paltrow as a subdued-yet-spunky Pepper Potts, Tony Stark’s go-to gal for everything from escorting out one-night stands to replacing the slime-covered magnetic device in his chest cavity.
Even as the plot begins to muddle itself into utter confusion near the end of the movie, Iron Man reminds audiences what a straightforward action film can be when it’s well-executed: a visual spectacle, an adrenaline rush and an all-around awesome theater experience.
Iron Man stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges. For showtimes in Austin, Texas, click here.
