In case you didn’t read the heading, I wrote this about a year ago.
Now, here’s the thrill-ride everyone’s been talking about these past few weeks. None other than that Marvel superhero comic book too-many-adjectives-to-describe-the-darn-thing adaptation Iron Man (cue the Black Sabbath guitar riff! Or AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” Whichever one you prefer.). However, the question still looms. Does Iron Man live up to expectations?
As the film begins, we meet Tony Stark (played with wit and diligence by Robert Downey, Jr.), a rich industrialist who took over his father’s company at the age of 21, ousting Obadiah Stane (a somewhat miscast Jeff Bridges; he’s not very convincing as a “nice” guy), his father’s right-hand man. Stark is basically a present-day Howard Hughes; drinking, gambling, and womanizing are daily elements of his life. He does, however, have a softer side to him. Stark respects his assistant, the aptly named “Pepper Potts” (Gwyneth Paltrow) and usually spends time working with mechanics. All right, it doesn’t exactly show his “soft side,” but it proves he’s neither lazy nor uncaring. In simpler words, you gotta love this guy!
In the film’s opening act, Stark is brought to Afghanistan where he presents the company’s newest missile and chats with old pal Jim “Rhody” Rhodes (Terrence Howard), who, in turn, is unhappy with his recent attitude. Afterwards, Stark continues his trip on the “fun-vee” (the one that’s not occupied by Rhody) and soon finds himself in the middle of a terrorist attack. Eventually, he is captured by a group of such terrorists and forced to build a new missile to add to the group’s collection of Stark Industries weapons. Full of remorse and guilt, however, Tony chooses instead to build himself an iron suit as a means of escape.
After Tony makes this grand escape (albeit with a few sacrifices along the way), he makes a fateful decision (not to be revealed here, as I’ve given too much away already) regarding Stark Industries and tinkers with the idea of an indestructible suit. In a few hilarious sequences, Stark tests the different elements of the suit with mostly disastrous results. His relationship with Pepper is also brought to mind and toyed with.
Iron Man is far from an excellent film (never mind the overlong first act or the overlong last act; I still can’t get over Jeff Bridges’s bizarre and distracting Daddy Warbucks look), but it does what few comic book films have been able to do. It actually spends time developing these characters, and as a result, we can relate to and sympathize with them. All right, so the special effects aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but, hey, they don’t need to be! Iron Man isn’t about Iron Man; it’s about a man’s decision to use his skills for a better cause. Add some snappy dialogue and impressive supporting characters, and you’ve got yourself one tasty treat.
Rating: 8.5/10
