Iron Man Review [2]

Posted by Dennis Twigg on 05.03.2008

Make Mine Marvel!

Iron Man is a faithful fun-filled adaptation of one the most flawed heroes in comicdom. Tony Stark is a womanizing, irresponsible, hard-partying, smug son of a bitch, but he's super-cool. His ascendancy into superherodom doesn't necessarily change that, it just gives him a sense of obligations and duty. His origins remain true in spirit, but updated to a more modern context.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the wunderkind industrialist inventor arms dealer that keeps America safe with the help of his dedicate personal assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). He and his military liaison Jim Rhodes (Terrance Howard) head to Afghanistan for an arms test. During that foray, his assumptions about his arms and their role in America's defense are sorely tested. Tony then vows to make a difference, with the help of his own genius and Stark technology. Along the way, his dubiously moral business partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) seemingly works to balance Tony's newfound conscience and the Stark bottom line as Tony takes his life in a new direction.

Every review is going to mention Robert Downey Jr., because, simply put, he nails it. Tony Stark is Bill Gates and Bill Clinton rolled into one package that sizzles with the panache, confidence, and witticisms that a man like Tony Stark would posses. His to and fro with Pepper Potts jumps off the scream with a kind of intimacy and sexual tension that isn't even seen in romantic comedies all that often. She is a strong character, not overwhelmed by the protagonist, and actually serves a role other than being a damsel in distress. Obadiah Stane is the villain of the movie, but he hardly feels forced. He's not evil, just completely absent of any moral fiber (maybe that is evil), but the movie does a good job of making his character fit into the scheme of things. Stane does not start twirling a mustache out of nowhere, his nature is developed. Jim Rhodes is the straight man of the movie as a nice foil to Stark's whimsical genius, but does not get the same opportunity to really leap off the screen with such strong performances around him.

As I said before, die hard comic fans will find little to complain about. Tony Stark's health problems are addressed, his behavior problems are foreshadowed, his greatest enemy is mentioned, War Machine is alluded to, and the core of the Pepper/Tony relationship comes to the screen nicely. Tony is a genius and his Iron Man suit is sleek and efficient, a thing of beauty. Iron Monger is a monstrous thing, devoid of elegance and brutish but effective. The superhero clash is a bit short, but the difference between Iron Man and Iron Monger really drives home the differences between the men inside them. Even so, the other action, and the superhero fight, is well-done and ties together previous plot points neatly.

The 411: An excellent adaptation, rivaling Spider Man and Batman Begins in the hallowed halls of comic book excellence. The bar for the summer movie season is set delightfully high!

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]