Iron Man Review

Posted by on May 2nd, 2008   Filed under: Action, Movie Review

Iron Man
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Written by: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard

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The first major blockbuster of the year has finally arrived, and believe me, it couldn’t have come at a better time. The initial months of 2008 have been near torture for moviegoers, and while the big dumb studio spectacles of summer may not always deliver, they do at least give us an excuse to be enthusiastic about a trip to the theatre once again.

Yes, Iron Man is yet another second or third string Marvel superhero with a silly name, but this particular adaptation directed by Jon Favreau shows some surprising relevance and a clever modern twist. I can’t really claim to be a hardcore follower of the Iron Man comics, but I do like the fact that they seem a bit more rooted in reality since the technology for exo-suits is currently nearing the realm of possibility.

I think many people would agree that “mortal” superheroes (like Batman) are a lot more interesting simply because they are more relatable. Indeed, Tony Stark has a lot in common with Bruce Wayne: both are billionaires, both are basically geniuses, and both are charming, good looking and a hit with the ladies. However, Tony Stark relies completely on his technology to fight crime, while Bruce Wayne balances his gadgets with his own athletic prowess. Also, Bruce Wayne is more quiet and secretive, while Stark is a very public figure — a rock star if you will. As such, the casting of Robert Downey Jr. seems quite inspired, and he clearly has a lot of fun with the attitude and one-liners given to him.

Director Jon Favreau seems to revel in the quick-talking womanizer angle as well, so much so that I can’t help but think he is substituting Robert Downey Jr. for his buddy Vince Vaughn at times (Favreau even worked himself into the movie and allows Downey to play off him as one of Stark’s personal bodyguards). Indeed, one of the movie’s greatest strengths is its sense of humour. It does get a bit cartoony at times with some of the suit’s misfires, but hey — it’s a comic book movie. I’ve got no problem with that.

I do think that there was something missing that would have made Stark a more compelling character though — we never really feel for him since he thinks everything is a joke. They hint at his loneliness, but that’s about it — maybe the whole alcoholism thing (a staple of Stark’s character in the comic books) could have added a little more depth, even if it meant sacrificing some humour.

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Also, in their eagerness to express the rock star vibe of Tony Stark, the music in this movie gets to be a bit much at times. Thankfully, they reserved the Black Sabbath song for the end credits, but overall the abundance of hard rock tunes threatened to make this the second worst comic book movie soundtrack to date (behind Daredevil, of course).

It is becoming more and more commonplace for comic book movies to attract A-list actors nowadays, and Iron Man is fortunate to have a stellar supporting cast. Jeff Bridges in particular shows his versatility in playing Stark Industries advisor Obadiah Stane. Gwyneth Paltrow is also both beautiful and believable as Stark’s manager Pepper Potts, while Terrence Howard plays Stark’s friend (and eventual heir to the power suit) Jim Rhodes.

I can see some comic book fans possibly complaining about a lack of action in the film, since we only see the suit truly being used about three (maybe four?) times in total. This is an unfortunate side effect of the “origin story” syndrome… the ratio of Tony Stark to Iron Man heavily favours Stark, but I didn’t mind much since Tony Stark’s life is interesting enough to carry the majority of the film. Plus, the final battle more than made up for it all — it makes you wonder what Transformers could have been like without Michael Bay’s chaotic editing.

My only real complaint about Iron Man is the fact that the story was a little bit too straightforward and predictable; we’ve seen many of the same plot elements used numerous times before. I guess comic book movie fatigue is really starting to set in for me.

Ultimately it’s kind of a shallow flick and it never really does much with the intriguing terrorism and weapons black market threads, but as a popcorn film it’s pretty consistently entertaining. I suppose they could be setting some things up for further exploration in the sequel, and although the thought of Iron Man 2 doesn’t really excite me that much, it has the potential to be even better (just think of Spider-Man 2 and X-Men 2, for example). Until then, I will gladly accept this as a solid start to the summer movie season, and give Jonny Favreau a pat on the back for a job well done. — Sean

SCORE: 3 stars



Recommended If You Like: Lord of War, Transformers, Swingers



  • Reed Farrington

    Sean, there are some superhero geeks that will probably take exception to some of your opinions, but allow me to comment since no one else has started the fray.

    You’re probably right in that most people pefer “mortal” superheroes, but we have to ask ourselves why Superman is so popular. I love Superman, and the major appeal for me is that here’s someone who could use his powers to do anything and have anything he wants, yet, he uses his powers unselfishly. He is a role model for all ages and lifeforms even.

    One aspect of Batman that you failed to mention is that Bruce Wayne does rely on his intellect to fight crime. After all, Batman is featured in Detective Comics. But I guess you were making a comment on the gadgetry, and not really discussing the crime fighting methods.

    So I guess your opinions are all good. No need to fight.

    I must admit in having a blindspot when it comes to evaluating superhero movies. I liked Ang Lee’s Hulk as much as the first two Spiderman movies. (Haven’t seen the 3rd, yet.) Daredevil did bore me, but I think it’s because Ben Affleck bores me.

    The promos for Iron Man look great. Your review was great, too. I’m looking forward to buying the used DVD for it.

  • Primal

    Great review Sean. I agree with most of your points, but even though I am not a fan of the music being played throughout the movie, I didn’t think it was that bad because it seem to really fit the personality of Tony Stark and the mood of the film. During it’s serious moments, it would have a lot of that Batman Begins-ish/CSI-like mood sounds which I thought stood out more. I am fairly happy with the limited action in the film and the abundance of time spent on creating the suit.

    By the way, did you stay until the end of the credits Sean? The setup for anything after this movie is there I think ;)

  • Phil

    Maybe the second Iron Man movie should be about Tony Stark starting the Avengers, gathering them and acting as a team leader somewhat.

  • Swarez

    If you wait after the credits Phil you will see that The Avengers is indeed on the horizon.
    And that worries me.
    Iron Man has a very “realistic” feel to it and bases most of it’s technology on reality. Adding more fantastical superheroes in the mix would completely ruin that.
    I loved the feel of the film and I think that putting characters with actual superpowers around Stark would throw that off and it would become a completely different movie.

  • rot

    Iron Man: a few laughs between the snores. Eyes glazing over from the repetition of formula, questioning my aesthetic priorities, calculating how much this cost me, surveying the enthusiastic audience members for signs of intelligent life, wondering whether bursts of light and sound would suffice. Spank dicks in applause.

    I want to give you all the benefit of the doubt, but I just do not get it, how someone can try and nuance a difference between this and Transformers and every other tired cliche-ridden paint-by-numbers burger king sporting, wink wink jack-off condescension that has been sent down the assembly line at Hollywood Inc.

  • Yeah, I didn’t stay until after the credits but I should have known there was something coming since all the fanboys were still glued to their seats! Either way, we kind of know that Marvel wants to do an Avengers movie at some point, but we’ve also heard that Favreau wants to do an Iron Man trilogy so who knows what would come first.

    I’m not sure how I feel about an Avengers movie yet. I like superhero teams, but if the characters are strong enough to stand on their own then it may be too much to fit into one movie.

  • Reed: I do like Superman but I think he’s difficult to write for… you really have to give him crazy bad ass intergalactic enemies to fight. I think Superman Returns was an attempt to humanize Superman and it went in completely the wrong direction.

    Rot: As much as I am looking forward to some of the movies coming out this summer, I am pretty sure I am going to be sick of all the blockbusters by the middle of July. Hopefully there will be some worthwhile indie flicks to give us a few alternatives when we need a break from Will Smith and Angelina Jolie.

  • rot

    I think I have truly outgrown the appeal of superhero films, and think it more than most is a genre that most people can easily outgrow, because it is the most dogmatic in its formula, and like a tired joke told over and over again, eventually it ceases to be fun. Because most of us have grown up on the superhero stories there is a natural endearing quality to the genre that has been imprinted from those formative years, and I can understand the clinging to these tropes because of their familiarity and association to happier times, but like the ratty teddy bear you may have had at your bedside I think there comes a time when we need acknowledge the obsolescence of things, and that we change, mature, develop.

    There was such shock when Phantom Menace sucked balls, and really we all should have seen it coming, except we had forgot that the story is made for children, it is made for people not bothered by the creaky formulaic devices that even the first Star Wars possessed. With something like Iron Man there are attempts to PG-13 it up, make it seem okay for grown adults to still like this sort of thing. But the creaky formulas still remain, and unless you are incredibly good amnesiac you cannot help but feel bored by this replay. I think television has conditioned us to accept and embrace this replay, and the familiarity is turned into some warped virtue (straight out of a Brave New World).

    Genre should exist not as an end in itself but as a source of expectation to be manipulated by the storyteller. Superhero films are the most formulaic of all genre films, and the least experimental. This is why I can no longer stomach them, and amazed by those over the age of 13 who can.

  • This film would have been better if it had been about Obadiah Stane and his segway.

  • NaziKilla

    This is the worst movie of all time, jeff daniels preformance is extremley unbelivable, gwyneth paltrow is ugly as shit and i want to rip her guts out.

  • Goon

    Failure to see a difference between Iron Man and Transformers is like failing to see a difference between Unforgiven and Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

  • Gee, rot, it’s amazing you even summoned the energy to drive to the movie theatre, plop down your $10 and stand in line with the rest of us mindless, fattened cattle instead of just rolling out of bed and blowing your face off with a shotgun because life is such a bummed out ride.

  • I think maybe Hancock with Will Smith may break that tired formula…but, I kinda like my superheroes non-ironic and non-cynical, because everything else in this silly world is…

  • I wonder if Roman audiences ever got tired of the same old show? Guys fight, guys die, the crowd cheers. Were they fools dulled by bread and circuses? Or were they celebrating life by triumphing over death? Were they doing the fantastic through the deeds of others? Shouldn’t that be the way?

    The masses go with the flow so that society is timeless, if we were all iconoclasts moving in thousands of different directions nothing would get done, there would be no society. I cheer for Ironman for the sake of society and history.

    Everything is a template, a tired formula, a cliche of sorts. Fashion, film, writing, tv etc.

  • rot

    “I wonder if Roman audiences ever got tired of the same old show? Shouldn’t that be the way?”

    I give you the Decline of the Roman Empire. The Romans also had crucixions, I suppose that would be a worthwhile argument to keep that going to.

    “Everything is a template, a tired formula, a cliche of sorts. Fashion, film, writing, tv etc.”

    and I am the one who is cynical and in need of shooting myself in the head? The what is ‘art’ debate is raging full on at RowThree for those who wants to share their input. In the Shyamalan thread (purely coincidental).

  • rot

    @Joel

    I AM deeply ashamed of seeing Iron Man, and this is my repentence.

  • stevie_boy

    Movie wasn’t so bad, just the shameless ‘brand cameos’ that stuck out like a sore thumb every now and there. You know, the “I want an American burger” scene and they’re thoughtful enough to flash us the bag with Burger King logo. Or the fact that Audi’s logo is displayed even more prominently than it was in I, Robot.

  • You people need to grow up and stop complaining. It wasn’t like I thought it was waah waah waah. Iron Man is a great movie so shut the **** up. I think Will Smith should play Jim Rhode instead of Terrence Howard but that’s just me. As for all you critics SCREW YOU!!!!!!!!!No one is going to give a shit about what you say about Iron Man or superhero movies or any other negative thing you say bout something on here. You’re just wasting your fingers typing that garbage. Nuff Said

  • NaziKilla

    You shut the fuck up you stupid piece of shit!! Do you honestly think a movie can’t be critisized and your thought is high and mighty? And then you go off and critisize with your dumbass will smith comment! FUCK YOU SUPER SAIYAN KID!!! YOU DESERVE TO BE PUT THROUGH A WOOD CHIPPER YOU 8 YEAR OLD DIP-SHIT!!!!

  • Goon

    “I AM deeply ashamed of seeing Iron Man, and this is my repentence.”

    Anyone who can non-ironically say they are “ashamed” to see ANY movie, is someone I never want to meet.

  • You know what nazi-killa no one except for you gives a rat’s ass about what critics have to say. No matter what they always go and see it anyway. By the way I meant no one cares about critic’s negative opinion’s dumbass. Who do you think could have played him huh? Ice Cube? Eddie Murphy? I just think Will Smith was a great choice for the role that’s all. Denzel Washington also could have done a good job as Jim Rhodes. I didn’t even know Terrence Howard even existed because I’ve never saw or heard of his movies. The only three good choices are Smith, Washington, and Howard because they’re the only black actors that do action (that I’ve heard of) and the rest do comedy. While I was typing this I went back to your May 4th entry and you sound worse than a Nazi with your comment about Gwyneth Paltrow and your comment about me. When you grow up (if you ever do) you’re going to down in history as someone who was worse than Hitler. You need to be given eternal life and then thrown into the flames of hell so you can suffer for all eternity. Do you even know what my screename is from? Doubt It dooshbag.

  • “Anyone who can non-ironically say they are “ashamed” to see ANY movie, is someone I never want to meet.”

    Ditto

  • Where are you nazi-killa are you too scared to respond or can you just not come up with a comeback. I guess you’re just a wittle baby. You’re probably going to go to your mommy when you see this and say mommy super saiyan kid is making fun of me waaa waaa waaa.

  • Yo nazi-killa you while I was signing off I noticed you couldn’t even spell criticize correctly. c-r-i-t-i-c-i-z-e dumbass. You need to go back to elementary school and rettak 1st,2nd, and 3rd, grade to learn how to spell correctly.

  • I’m back because I just realized why you’re not on yet. You were trying to type a comeback but you broke you wittle finger and got a boo-boo and had to have mommy kiss it and get a band-aid.

  • Worst discussion ever.

  • Come ou Come out where ever you are nazi-killa. I even came up with a theme song for you Who’s afraid of the big bad nazi-killa? big bad nazi-killa big bad nazi-killa. Who’s afraid of the big bad nazi-killa tra la la la la

  • (yawn) Getting really bored waiting for you to respond nazi-killa. So when you’re ready to be a man and type back just go ahead. I check the site daily.

  • As I was signing off I noticed that like some of you are saying the same thing. I’m growing sick and tired of seeing. What is going on with that? Can you people be original or have you never heard of that. That means you goon and ditto. BE ORIGINAL!!!!!!!!!!!

  • This is my last entry for the day but did you know that’s Marvel is planning a live action Thor movie? I mean of all the dumb ideas for them. Thor? Honestly, that movie has no chance and will be a failure even if it does come out. Me and my brother both won’t go to that one. I think the movie’s bad and my brother thinks Thor’s stupid in general. Notice that Thor was absent from ALL of the Marvel 90’s television shows If Marvel really wants to waste their money on a Thor film they should make a third-rate animated one like they did for Doctor Strange. In fact they should do that for all Marvel heroes who can’t get their own live action film(no idea why they did that for Iron Man probably an earlier draft of the movie) but are famous. I think Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2 were the only thing we’ll out of Avengers movies. If a live action film does happen I want the heroes to be Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver(Due to their abscence from the X-Men trilogy but they don’t say any X-Men or Magneto references because it wouldn’t make any sense) The Vision, and Hercules(replacing Thor). Thor would sound like He-Man on the big screen. By the power of Asgard(By the power of Gray Skull). If it does happen that dude who played Legolas in Lord of the Rings is the only guy who can play him and do a good job.

  • Suddenly Me & Goon talking about Lives of Others or Jaws doesn’t seem so horrible now does it? :D

  • Does anyone here know where I got my screename?Just curious. Nazi-Killa if you know I’ll take it easy with the insults. Don’t bother looking at any log-ins for hints because I won’t post any. By the way I’m gonna try to change it to super saiyan 09. Since 09 is my high school graduation year I thought the “kid” part had to go. Plus it just sounds better.

  • Hey everybody feel free to type something anytime.

  • Saw it again this weekend. Was Obidah Stane Ultron? Also after the credits there’s a preview for the Avengers in case you didn’t already know. Also where are you guys? Come on please type something.

  • I had given up on seeing nick fury and i was looking to see the hulk, i got caught off guard. nevertheless it was still cool to se ol sam jackson.

  • Berzerker

    Wow, 12 comments all talking to yourself. You don’t have a life, do you kid? You’re very reminiscent to that of a stalker with lines like “I’m back because I just realized why you’re not on yet” and “(yawn) Getting really bored waiting for you to respond nazi-killa.”

    1. Obadiah Stane was NOT Ultron, he is Iron Monger. Ultron is a malignant android A.I. similar to the Terminator.

    2. “Dooshbag” is actually spelt “Douchebag.”

    You seriously waited for this guy (and anyone else for that matter) for a week in a comment section? I know you’re just a kid and don’t have a life yet, but you could at least waste your time playing video games or something.

  • For your information Bezerker 1.I’m just having some fun insulting him what’s wrong with that? 2. I’m 17 3. I have a life. Do you even what my screen name is from?

  • Done with this site and all you BORING critics.