Iron Man is one of the best superhero flicks ever made, in my book – a well-crafted piece of big-budget entertainment that never take itself too seriously and features a truly career-defining performance by Robert Downey Jr. as the title character.
He plays Tony Stark, a playboy and billionaire/genius industrialist who, after nearly being killed by one of his company’s products and then subsequently held hostage, decides to put his cutting-edge technology to, shall we say, more positive use.
Downey makes the guy refreshingly real and likeable, even before he changes his tune, and in turn makes it easier for us to accept the admittedly silly idea of him flying around in a high-tech suit of armor. He’s funny and serious and heroic and cocky and immensely entertaining to watch.
He gets top-notch support from people you wouldn’t normally find in a film like this, including Gwyneth Paltrow as his loyal assistant Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard as his military buddy and Jeff Bridges as his corporate #2, a guy who effectively exudes bad guy vibes with his bald head and goatee.
The film overall is not flashy or arty or psychologically dark. The storytelling is relatively straightforward and the action sequences, though not as plentiful as you might expect, are energetic and well-handled by director Jon Favreau, especially the opening stuff when Downey’s military convoy is attacked and Downey’s escape from his Afghan captors.
The effects are nicely low-key for the most part and support the story and characters instead of vice versa, like when Downey is testing out the suit and it shuts down on him. Such scenes are amusing and reminded me of Tobey Maguire trying out his new powers in the first Spiderman.
The only real false note is the climactic CGI-rendered smack down between Downey and the main villain in their respective metal suits. It’s hard to keep track of who’s who, though it’s still not nearly as confusing as the robot battles in Transformers.
But I quibble. Downey and the film make for a real good time and, to paraphrase Downey’s reaction to the fact that a female soldier is driving his humvee in the aforementioned convoy, I honestly could not have called that..
Action/Adventure/Drama
Rated PG-13
DVD Release Date: 9/30/08