Dez Reviews: IRON MAN

The latest in the unstoppable march of comic book-based summer flicks (see previous post on this subject) is Iron Man. As stated in my super hero movie post, I was looking forward to this one, since I have always thought Iron Man was one of the more intriguing comic book heroes. I am happy to say that the film did not disappoint.

Iron Man is successful on the backs of the actors. That is a refreshing thing to say in a genre usually dominated by CGI effects that render the actors fairly disposable. Much has been made of the perfect casting of Robert Downey, Jr. as millionaire playboy/weapons magnate Tony Stark/Iron Man. But the great casting goes beyond the title role. Gwyneth Paltrow brings more than you would expect to the role of Pepper Potts, and the always excellent Terrence Howard sets up the character of Jim Rhodes for what already has been announced will be an expanded role in the Iron Man sequel as sometimes ally superhero Jim Rhodes/War Machine. From what I understand from the comics, this is a very uneasy alliance, and I hope they will keep that dynamic for the film. And then there is Jeff Bridges. All of the talk around Downey overlooks just how great Jeff Bridges is in the movie as the villain, Obadiah Stane (any better name for a villain? Anyone?) Bridges builds the character nicely, and you can somewhat sympathize with him for his disdain for Stark.

But in the end, the movie is about Robert Downey, Jr. The choice of a recovering drug addict/alcoholic Hollywood wildman with prodigious acting talents to play an alcoholic, womanizing, troubled hero with prodigious talents may sound obvious in retrospect. But what comes through is that Downey does not look down on the material. In fact, he seems to absolutely relish the role, and that enthusiasm comes through in every frame of the picture. Director Jon Favreau knows how to get the most from Downey, and Favreau's own background as a comedic actor serves the film well, as it is full of comedic moments and lightning fast quips from Downey.

BELOW: A superior cast for a comic book movie. (From left) Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robery Downey, Jr. and Jeff Bridges


As I stated before, I was interested to see how they would treat the political overtones of the original comic. Iron Man was the ultimate flawed Cold Warrior, who often unwittingly did as much destruction as he actually helped people. Whereas in many comics the politics are in the background or only hinted at, politics are front and center in the world of Iron Man. Stark profits as an arms dealer, and he uses Iron Man to right some of the wrongs that his own products have wrought on the world. The film wisely (and in a risky move) updates the conflicts to modernday Afghanistan. While it may be a stretch to believe that getting captured by Taliban-types is what forces Stark to realize for the first time the true consequences of his products, it does make for an interesting "origin story" premise (he is captured by Taliban-type terrorists who try and force him to make weapons for them. Instead, he creates Iron Man and kicks Taliban ass).

ABOVE: Iron Man kills more terrorists in one afternoon than George W. Bush has in eight years

Funny enough, the weakest parts of the film are the parts that usually save other superhero flicks. The action scenes and culminating battle between Iron Man and Obadiah Stane are entertaining enough, but Stark is so interesting that you sometimes find yourself looking forward to the next scene when Downey is out of the suit and is delivering great lines in a conversation. This is not to diminish the action sequences, which are adequate. But I found myself enjoying most the scenes with Downey in his lab creating Iron Man through some very amusing trials and errors.

***1/2 out of *****