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September 30, 2008
Iron Man (2008) - Repost
Should I see it?
Yes

Should I see with with small kids?
No


Short Review: Far more interesting than Nickel Man.
Click below to view the trailer
Robert Downey Jr. gives the most inviting and outright fun performance since Johnny Depp dressed up like Keith Richard in Pirates of the Caribbean. Downey's career still stinging from his drug issues and time in the hoosegow manages a remarkable comeback performance in this silly flick. He obviously had fun portraying the weapon industrialist turned iron-clad superhero Tony Stark. He gives Stark a belligerent, but sharp minded snarkiness that lights up the whole picture.

The movie itself isn't going to win any awards for originality. The plot a bit copy and paste and only serves to introduce Stark/Iron Man. The points of the plot tick off predictably but the movie as a whole works because screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hank Ostby (Children of Men) smartly keep the focus on Stark rather than Iron Man. The time it takes for the transformation from man to superhero takes almost the whole film. If you're heading in to see Iron Man kick the stuffing out of bad guys and perhaps throw something through a building, you won't be completely disappointed but you're going to have to wait. Don't take this patience to mean this is a moody and ponderous film like Batman Begins. This more like Spider-Man - the story is properly developed so there's less time for the visual eye candy we have come to expect from content free films like Fantastic 4, Tomb Raider, and Daredevil, X-Men: The Last Stand.

***Spoiler Warning - I'm going to ruin some things about the film in the next paragraph***

What is interesting, at least to me, with this film is its view of the United States. In a time when Hollywood can't seem to say anything positive about America, this movie goes out of its way to be fair. Stark, a weapons dealer, gets kidnapped in Afghanistan. The American soldiers in the field with him are shown as heroic and kind. Given how they've been treated for the past twenty years, this is a notable exception. On top of this, the duality of America's foreign policies is also carefully displayed. Yes, we blow tons of things up and we've caused a great deal of pain. Conversely, we have also fed and saved millions through humanitarian aid and protection. When Stark's friend lies dying in an Afghan cave surrounded by American weapons they're using on our troops, it is not an accident the dying man is lying on top of a bag of grain also from the States. Finally, the villain Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), Stark's business partner, is only identified as the villain when it comes out that he is a turncoat against America and is selling weapons to our enemies. Again, in a time when many in Hollywood would be more than comfortable not making a distinction between terrorists and America, this a worth noting.

If you can turn your brain off and gloss over the details (and ignore the plot conveniences) this is an enjoyable film on many levels. It doesn't rise above its comic book origins. Then again, its about a guy in an iron suit, its not meant to be an Oscar contender.


Cautions: Given that the Iron Man toys have hit the shelves and the franchise is off to a stellar start, many parents will be tempted to take their children to see the movie. For parents I'd give a warning that the movie does have some frank sexual behavior. Stark picks up a reporter and they are shown rolling in the sheets. She is then shown draped naked on the bed, blurry eyed, the morning after. Stark is a womanizer and this is referenced a number of times throughout the film. The violence is not gory but people are shot, beaten and thrown around like rag dolls. It should also be noted that small children will probably be disturbed by the frightening robots and loud voices.


Worldview: The movie contains a very valuable lesson on defining oneself through ones works. Stark is filthy rich, brilliant and insanely successful but his life is hollow. His mentor, once he learns Stark is without a wife and kids points out that Stark is a man who has everything but it means nothing. Much in the same way he sleeps around with women but never experiences love, Stark turns when he looks at his life and recognizes that works for their own sake are without value. The script does a great job of bringing this to life through the use of an obtuse symbol of a chuck of glowing technology that essentially replaces his heart. He only becomes a man when he lives to serve others and not his own selfish needs.


Related Reviews:
Superhero movies
Superman Returns (2006)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)


Other Critic's Reviews:
Oxford Film Freak
The Film Chair


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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 9:00 AM




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