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.
9 comments
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May 3, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Brent
I’m glad my my wasted youth (and adolescence, and early adulthood) could provide you with a smidgen of understanding of the character prior to the movie.
You make a pretty good movie companion yourself.
And, you know, your reviews are alright too.
May 4, 2008 at 11:35 am
fuocosoo
I fully agree that comic book movies need to tend away from the introspective ‘hero’ and more towards what they used to be in the days when comic books ruled. I’ve yet to see this movie but it seems like your review confirms my hopes. I saw an extended trailer for the upcoming Batman movie and it looks to be along the same lines and had me giddy in anticipation.
May 4, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Anonymous
Yeah, the third act gets a little weak in narrative plotting, but the performances are so strong that the bumps don’t stick out as harshly as they would in a lesser movie. But overall, you nailed it–great movie, great fun, GREAT Downey. Glad to see him finally get some box office clout–couldn’t happen to a better guy!
May 5, 2008 at 7:54 am
dabinl10
well, I haven’t watched the movie yet.
but this post makes me wanna watch it!
nice post
May 5, 2008 at 8:35 am
DeadJerusalem
I enjoyed it, but it really needed more action scenes. There were only 3 action scenes that had Iron Man in them. I’m not sure how anyone could have possibly found the plot confusing though.
May 5, 2008 at 8:36 am
SneakyLilMonkey
I think one of the main reasons the story line works so well is how close to where US stands right now. This also happened with the first Spider-man movie where a super hero movie boosted moral in a subtle way in the country and was also repeated in the second movie. One of my favorite parts though is the “heart” metaphor used for Starks electromagnet. I liked it because it was a constant reminder he could die because of the shrapnel from the weapons he helped design. Also it was a mechanical object not something organic which added more to it. My only disappointment though is figuring out the bad guy from the very beginning which deflated the movie and prevented any mystery while watching most of it. One more thing is that artistically this was a sound movie and well worth seeing for visual effects and being a designer I was inspired by the computer interfaces and 3D holographic’s. So in that respect well worth seeing in the cinema This is the first movie where characters are established and storyline explained. Watch out for more movies as it has already been green lit and I have a suspicion we will see more hero’s appear from it.
May 5, 2008 at 9:50 am
mtw1983
You should also mention that the ending isn’t overly mushy, sure he changes his view of his company but even at the end he’s an ego maniac and a bit self obsessed which is what i enjoyed. No multiple character transitions that are so unlikely in the other movies like you mentioned.
May 28, 2008 at 8:38 am
rustysclpl
I enjoyed your review very much and I remember how fun it was to screen a movie with an Alamo Drafthouse audience.
May 30, 2008 at 12:21 am
Anonymous
Hopefully you stayed to see Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury ask Iron Man about the Avengers Initiative after the end credits.