Viewed: In theatre
Release Date: May 2, 2008
writer: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum & Matt Holloway
director: Jon Favreau
Is Iron Man the greatest superhero movie ever?
No.
But it's also not far off.
What makes a great superhero movie? Well, it's one that can take decades worth of stories and character development as well as a plethora of supporting cast and villains come and gone and distill them all down to the bare essentials and then rebuild using the best bits but also allowing for the the necessity of appealing to a more modern and broader market, not to mention the limitations of live-action filmmaking. Comic book companies have been tearing down and rebuilding their characters on a fairly regular basis (as much as a couple times a decade) so it should be a cakewalk for cinema to do the same, but it rarely is.
The problem historically with most cinematic translations of superheroes from the comic page is the screenwriter doesn't know or appreciate the character or their history. They take icons and write them as they perceive them to be (or think they *should* be), and instead of taking that which a few hundred thousand comic fans like and passing it along to millions, they forge their own path, resulting in failures if not financially, then critically.
Iron Man doesn't fall into this trap. Though four writers are given credit on the screenplay, Paramount wisely brought in a brain trust of comic book writers and editors, each with some affiliation to the character, to read through the script and ensure it rings true to the character. While generally I'd be suspect of any movie with a script-by-committee, in the case of comic book films, it's the right way to do it, especially this way. And Iron Man succeeds, yes, because it is entertaining, but also because it stays true to the character and his history.
Release Date: May 2, 2008
writer: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum & Matt Holloway
director: Jon Favreau
Is Iron Man the greatest superhero movie ever?No.
But it's also not far off.
What makes a great superhero movie? Well, it's one that can take decades worth of stories and character development as well as a plethora of supporting cast and villains come and gone and distill them all down to the bare essentials and then rebuild using the best bits but also allowing for the the necessity of appealing to a more modern and broader market, not to mention the limitations of live-action filmmaking. Comic book companies have been tearing down and rebuilding their characters on a fairly regular basis (as much as a couple times a decade) so it should be a cakewalk for cinema to do the same, but it rarely is.
The problem historically with most cinematic translations of superheroes from the comic page is the screenwriter doesn't know or appreciate the character or their history. They take icons and write them as they perceive them to be (or think they *should* be), and instead of taking that which a few hundred thousand comic fans like and passing it along to millions, they forge their own path, resulting in failures if not financially, then critically.
Iron Man doesn't fall into this trap. Though four writers are given credit on the screenplay, Paramount wisely brought in a brain trust of comic book writers and editors, each with some affiliation to the character, to read through the script and ensure it rings true to the character. While generally I'd be suspect of any movie with a script-by-committee, in the case of comic book films, it's the right way to do it, especially this way. And Iron Man succeeds, yes, because it is entertaining, but also because it stays true to the character and his history.
Now, I've never been a huge fan of Iron Man in the comics. I've read a dozen or so stories that feature him, but in the character's forty years (and my 25+ of reading comics) that's not much exposure (I imagine, however, that the layperson has even less). Still, there are aspects to the character that are widely known...he's a hyper-smart businessman and inventor, he's had a history of alcoholism, he's a bit of a right-winger, and he's got a moustache. You can bet the movie captures that, and it does so by bringing in the exact right person to pull off the role in Robert Downey Jr.
The rumour was, years ago when Marvel first started shopping the Iron Man movie idea around that Tom Cruise was their preferred choice to suit up for the role (so much so that when the company relaunched their Iron Man title, the illustrator copped Cruise's visage for the character. Well, thankfully Cruise's career self-imploded and someone wisely thought that a real, solid actor and not a superstar would be right for the role. Given Downey Jr.'s past troubles with substance abuse etc., he could surely bring a depth to a cocky industrialist with an appreciation for libations and ladies. And he does. Downey owns this movie.
Even though he's never headed a blockbuster before, watch any of Downey's films from the past decade and you can see of of the most incredible screen presences in modern cinema. From brilliant supporting roles in Zodiac and A Scanner Darkly to starring roles in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and The Singing Detective, Downey commands the screen, and this movie will be the first time that many sit up and take notice. His Tony Stark is dry, wry and punchy, full of arrogance but not unlikeably so. He doesn't pretend to be an everyman, but he doesn't care to self-aggrandize either. It would be so easy to play a character like Stark wrong, as someone to revile, but Downey gives him a humanity beyond his intellect, one that seems to constantly surprise him.
Stark Industries, Tony's company, is a munitions manufacturer developing high-tech weaponry for the US government. His latest weapon is a super-missile that can smash a mountain and it's when he's in an undisclosed middle-eastern location to show it off that his military escort is ambushed and Tony is taken captive, in the process a piece of shrapnel lodging into his heart. He's saved by a scientist who is also his co-prisoner, awakening to find he's captured by Al Qaeda-analog captors. Upon discovering his identity, they request he build them the same super-missile, and along with the scientist, Tony deceives them building himself a hydraulic suit of armor which allows him to escape. But it's the realization that the terrorists who had captured him did so using weapons from his own company that deeply disturbed him, and upon returning to America he declares his company no longer manufactures munitions and holes up in his lab, pursuing a better version of the armor he created.
This is but the first thread of the story of Iron Man, the origin aspect which turns Stark from a greedy capitalist to someone who sees humanity for what it is, full of the corrupt and the innocent, and he decides he needs to be the balance. Obadiah Stain (Jeff Bridges), the man who helped Tony's father build Stark Industries, and has been Tony's right hand man and business mentor, questions Tony's state of mind and gives him the excuse to close himself away and develop the Iron Man armor. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Tony's loyal assistant also finds his new obsession unhealthy and is greatly concerned with his new path, and the dangers it presents. His army consult (and likely best friend), Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard) feels stabbed in the back by Tony's new stance and distances himself.
In his dealings with all these people, Tony is always in the right, and he's got the brains and the tongue to convince people, at least enough to know that he's not going to think otherwise. Intellect such as his leads to brashness and stubbornness and Downey handles it perfectly.
Every aspect of this movie develops and advances the character and his goals. By the end of the movie, unlike other superhero films, you don't get the sense that Tony's just going to go out and fight crime, but instead shape the world in his own grand vision. He's not a tyrant or a conqueror or even a leader, but a businessman turned humanitarian (of his own kind). If there's a second movie (and given the business the film is doing) you know Tony's not going to be patrolling the streets fighting criminals - that's what cops are for - but instead he'll taking on Communist regimes or liberating the oppressed. Tony Stark thinks big.
The character's focus is one major differentiating factor from other superheroes, but so too is the type of superhero he is. Tony Stark is not a physical fighter, he's not going to get into a fist fight like Batman or Spider-Man, or smash things like the Hulk, or a duel of powers X-Men style, he's going to use his brains to end things as quickly as possible. Where most other origin stories find the character in their teens or mid-20's, Tony is at youngest late-30's. Pepper is equally his age, and their chemistry is that of mildly flirtatious but both old enough to know better than to blow what they already have by going beyond it. There's a definite charm to having a mature superhero movie, and all the actors in the film seem to rise above the admittedly juvenile origins and build something that's attuned to adult sensibilities.
There's obviously an oversimplification of the political climate for this movie, and the business angle is appropriately comic-booky, but the conflict is more than just man vs. machine, machine vs. man, there's an intellectual component to solve (although a big metal on metal showdown is inevitable). Is the action hot? Are the effects spectacular? Is this the first big blockbuster of the season? Of course, but it's also intelligent, very funny (but not distractingly so) and intriguing. Fact is - and I so rarely say this about superhero films - I could have watched an entire film just about Tony Stark, sans armor, and been happy (although the armor does look really, really, really, really cool. Really!). Downey's scenes out of costume are the heart of this film and its truly the special effects that take a side for him.
Just a note, though. Iron Man is probably not suitable for kids younger than 10, as it does deal with non-comic book subjects like war and weapons and corporate brew-ha-has. Great fun for teens and up.
Rating: 4.5/5
The rumour was, years ago when Marvel first started shopping the Iron Man movie idea around that Tom Cruise was their preferred choice to suit up for the role (so much so that when the company relaunched their Iron Man title, the illustrator copped Cruise's visage for the character. Well, thankfully Cruise's career self-imploded and someone wisely thought that a real, solid actor and not a superstar would be right for the role. Given Downey Jr.'s past troubles with substance abuse etc., he could surely bring a depth to a cocky industrialist with an appreciation for libations and ladies. And he does. Downey owns this movie.
Even though he's never headed a blockbuster before, watch any of Downey's films from the past decade and you can see of of the most incredible screen presences in modern cinema. From brilliant supporting roles in Zodiac and A Scanner Darkly to starring roles in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and The Singing Detective, Downey commands the screen, and this movie will be the first time that many sit up and take notice. His Tony Stark is dry, wry and punchy, full of arrogance but not unlikeably so. He doesn't pretend to be an everyman, but he doesn't care to self-aggrandize either. It would be so easy to play a character like Stark wrong, as someone to revile, but Downey gives him a humanity beyond his intellect, one that seems to constantly surprise him.
Stark Industries, Tony's company, is a munitions manufacturer developing high-tech weaponry for the US government. His latest weapon is a super-missile that can smash a mountain and it's when he's in an undisclosed middle-eastern location to show it off that his military escort is ambushed and Tony is taken captive, in the process a piece of shrapnel lodging into his heart. He's saved by a scientist who is also his co-prisoner, awakening to find he's captured by Al Qaeda-analog captors. Upon discovering his identity, they request he build them the same super-missile, and along with the scientist, Tony deceives them building himself a hydraulic suit of armor which allows him to escape. But it's the realization that the terrorists who had captured him did so using weapons from his own company that deeply disturbed him, and upon returning to America he declares his company no longer manufactures munitions and holes up in his lab, pursuing a better version of the armor he created.
This is but the first thread of the story of Iron Man, the origin aspect which turns Stark from a greedy capitalist to someone who sees humanity for what it is, full of the corrupt and the innocent, and he decides he needs to be the balance. Obadiah Stain (Jeff Bridges), the man who helped Tony's father build Stark Industries, and has been Tony's right hand man and business mentor, questions Tony's state of mind and gives him the excuse to close himself away and develop the Iron Man armor. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Tony's loyal assistant also finds his new obsession unhealthy and is greatly concerned with his new path, and the dangers it presents. His army consult (and likely best friend), Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard) feels stabbed in the back by Tony's new stance and distances himself.
In his dealings with all these people, Tony is always in the right, and he's got the brains and the tongue to convince people, at least enough to know that he's not going to think otherwise. Intellect such as his leads to brashness and stubbornness and Downey handles it perfectly.
Every aspect of this movie develops and advances the character and his goals. By the end of the movie, unlike other superhero films, you don't get the sense that Tony's just going to go out and fight crime, but instead shape the world in his own grand vision. He's not a tyrant or a conqueror or even a leader, but a businessman turned humanitarian (of his own kind). If there's a second movie (and given the business the film is doing) you know Tony's not going to be patrolling the streets fighting criminals - that's what cops are for - but instead he'll taking on Communist regimes or liberating the oppressed. Tony Stark thinks big.
The character's focus is one major differentiating factor from other superheroes, but so too is the type of superhero he is. Tony Stark is not a physical fighter, he's not going to get into a fist fight like Batman or Spider-Man, or smash things like the Hulk, or a duel of powers X-Men style, he's going to use his brains to end things as quickly as possible. Where most other origin stories find the character in their teens or mid-20's, Tony is at youngest late-30's. Pepper is equally his age, and their chemistry is that of mildly flirtatious but both old enough to know better than to blow what they already have by going beyond it. There's a definite charm to having a mature superhero movie, and all the actors in the film seem to rise above the admittedly juvenile origins and build something that's attuned to adult sensibilities.
There's obviously an oversimplification of the political climate for this movie, and the business angle is appropriately comic-booky, but the conflict is more than just man vs. machine, machine vs. man, there's an intellectual component to solve (although a big metal on metal showdown is inevitable). Is the action hot? Are the effects spectacular? Is this the first big blockbuster of the season? Of course, but it's also intelligent, very funny (but not distractingly so) and intriguing. Fact is - and I so rarely say this about superhero films - I could have watched an entire film just about Tony Stark, sans armor, and been happy (although the armor does look really, really, really, really cool. Really!). Downey's scenes out of costume are the heart of this film and its truly the special effects that take a side for him.
Just a note, though. Iron Man is probably not suitable for kids younger than 10, as it does deal with non-comic book subjects like war and weapons and corporate brew-ha-has. Great fun for teens and up.
Rating: 4.5/5