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Year of Release: 2008 Date Of Review: May 2008 Hip, cool and totally “hot-rod red”, “Iron Man” will knock your socks off! Yes, finally we have a superhero film that we can stand up and cheer about. This Robo-cop with thrusters is an utterly watchable comic book extravaganza that is laced with themes and ideas prevalent to modern times. It takes today’s political climate by the scruff of the neck and is unafraid to tackle some of its issues head on, albeit lightheartedly. The war against terror and the development of weapons of mass destruction are just some of the themes that the film touches upon. That’s not to say that “Iron Man” is a political film, it’s far from it, but it is a bold attempt to use the world’s arms problems as a backdrop to bring relevance and realism to this larger-than-life superhero film. Robert Downey Jr. puts in a first rate performance as Tony Stark, a wealthy industrialist/inventor who after a weapons demonstration in Afghanistan is almost killed when terrorist’s attack his vehicle and capture him. Stark uses his technological genius to build an Iron Man suit that will help him escape his captors. On his return to America, Stark vows to put an end to his development of military weapons and thus use his newfound power, or should I say suit of armor, for the good of mankind. Who would have thought that Robert Downey Jr. would make a successful mainstream comeback and of all things as a superhero? One thing is for sure, Downey has certainly made this character his own, lending his ironic wit and snappy attitude to his performance. Billionaire Tony Stark is a secret-agent type-character, one part international playboy, one part technological genius and one part weapon’s expert. Everyone wants a piece of him and now with his Iron Man suit, Tony Stark is one part superhero. Downey may have been one of the unlikeliest of actors ever to don a superhero suit but he has now left his mark on what looks set to be a winning formula. “Iron-Man” also comes with a flavorsome supporting cast. Gwyneth Paltrow is delightfully low-key as Pepper Potts, Downey’s personal assistant and romantic interest. Surprisingly, the two share some engaging chemistry together. Paltrow’s light performance doesn’t overpower or get in the way of the proceedings and brings a nice balance to things. An almost unrecognizable Jeff Bridges, complete with bald head, is gruff as Obadiah Stane, Downey’s cigar chomping business partner, turned Villain. Terrence Howard is competent as usual, playing Downey’s military man buddy, Jim Rhodes. While I think “Iron Man” is the best superhero movie since the original “Spider-man”, if I had to dig deep to think about any negatives there would only be a couple of soar points. The “Transformers” type finale which sees good Ironman versus bad Ironman is okay but overall a bit of a letdown for this above average superhero flick. While the battle between the metal giants is one of the films few missteps, it nevertheless picks up the pieces and thankfully redeems itself with a neat epilogue finish, with Downey delivering a rather revealing speech at a press conference. The only other small gripe I could make would be that at 126 minutes running time it could have benefitted with a nice trim, maybe 15 minutes or so from the middle third would have improved the pacing and moved the action along a little better. “Iron Man” features a few interesting cameo appearances. Director Jon Favreau pops up as Hogan, a member of Downey’s entourage while Marvel Comics maestro, Stan Lee, appears briefly with a bevy of beautiful women. In this scene Downey Jr. mistakes Stan Lee for Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner and as for the girls; maybe they’re on loan from Hefner’s Playboy mansion. I am not sure about that, but Stan certainly looks like he's having the time of his life in that scene. The most talked about cameo, however, is the infamous Sam Jackson appearance. Apparently, some people claim to have seen it, while others have claimed that their cut of the film did not feature the cameo. The talk on the internet is that some preview screenings contained the cameo while others didn’t. Some have felt cheated, while others are thinking of returning to the cinemas to see if they can catch it second time round. Whatever the case, the print of the film that I saw came complete with the Samuel L. Jackson cameo intact. However, if you want to see it you will have to be patient to the very end. There is quite a wait because it doesn’t appear until the film’s final black credit rolls off the screen. When Jackson, complete with eye patch, eventually appears, he is standing in Downey’s house looking through the window. When Downey enters the room, Jackson turns around to face him. There is a brief dialogue exchange and Jackson introduces himself by saying “I am Iron Man…..you’re not the only superhero in the world”. When Downey asks him “Who Are You”? Jackson’s reply is “I’m Nick Fury of Shield….and I’m here to talk about the Avengers initiative”. Obviously the filmmakers have set themselves up nicely for a sequel. Leaving “final footnotes” during or after credit sequences seems to be a trend that is now becoming popular with some filmmakers. Maybe, it’s just a ploy to keep audiences watching right to the very end or maybe it’s just another way of creating some more “hype” about the film. Whatever the case, Jackson’s cameo has definitely created some buzz for “Iron Man”. Although, far-fetched and tongue-in-cheek, “Iron Man” is ultimately irresistible. It serves up a concoction of winning elements that should make it one of this year’s big box office winners. The Script, the acting, the direction, the cinematography and the CGI effects are all great with Downey’s performance being the film’s standout. After seeing what Downey has done with it, it would be difficult to see anybody else in the role. At 40 something Robert Downey Jr. has made this comic book flick accessible to an adult audience, while the suit of armor, the action, the stunts and Downey’s cool factor make it also appealing to kids of all ages. Just like his character, Tony Stark, Downey Jr. might not be "the superhero type" but he has enough talent to make you believe he is one. Heck, Downey Jr. hasn’t had this much positive publicity in years and I am certain that in “Iron Man” he has netted himself a nice franchise. Well what are you waiting for…. don’t miss this one, it’s an absolute blast! © Copyright Pick Of The Flicks. All rights reserved. Animated "Iron Man" - Now Available on DVD: The Invincible Iron Man (2007) [DVD] Robert Downey Jr. DVD Collection - Now Available: Terrence Howard DVD Collection - Now Available: Jeff Bridges DVD Collection - Now Available: Gwyneth Paltrow DVD Collection - Now Available: Pick Of The Flicks - Recommended Links: TV Superheros at Hollywood Cult Movies Action & Mayhem at Hollywood Teen Movies Pick Of The Flicks Blog Spot / Messageboard: Use the search bars below to search our site, find your favorite movie or find your favorite poster:
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Cinema Synopsis: Iron Man is the story of Tony
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