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Iron Man 9.5 out of 10
Running time: 2:06 MPAA rating: PG-13 (Some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.) Peruvian rating: Mayores de 14
Cast:
Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard,
Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir.
Script:
Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art
Marcum & Matt Holloway |
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Warning: Spoilers? Maybe.
Iron Man is definitely one of the most entertaining and intelligent comic book movies I've ever seen, and one of the best Marvel flicks too. Iron Man is amazing not only because it features amazing special effects and tense action sequences - which it does -, but because, unlike other origin stories such as Daredevil or The Fantastic Four, it presents its characters and situations in a compelling and smart fashion, and doesn't make the viewer feel as if the movie is just a mere introduction to the character - Iron Man is a real film that tells an interesting adventure for the superhero, and it manages to introduce Tony Stark as well as providing with a compelling storyline and great action sequences. For my money, this flick right here is as good as the likes of, for example, Batman Begins, although Iron Man is definitely more of a crowd-pleaser and less philosophical, which doesn't make it any less effective.
The film begins in Afghanistan, with an American troop convoy escorting billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). The convoy is attacked, and those protecting Tony are killed. He's only wounded - seriously, though - and is taken by the bad guys. After this, we are presented with flashbacks that introduce us with Tony and the people that surround him; his assistant, Virginia "Pepper" Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow); his partner in the company and former friend of his deceased father, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges); and his best friend, colonel Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard). Tony goes to Afghanistan to make a demonstration to the military about Stark Inudstry's latest missile model, and that's when we return to the beginning. When he wakes up, Tony's in a cave, wearing a device connected to car battery that keeps shrapnel fragments from his reaching his heart. The man who saved his life, Yinsen (Shaun Toub), has now become his assistant in creating a missile for a guerrilla leader (their captors), Raza (Faran Tahir). Stark decides to do something different, though: he uses the available materials to construct a bulletproof, weaponed suit of armor that allows him to escape from the caves and return home. Once safe, he decides to eliminate the weapons division of Stark Industries, and perfect his new armour that helped him escape from his captors.
What sets Iron Man aside from other, mostly mediocre, superhero origin stories, is that it presents its characters in an intelligent manner, and that it doesn't feel like an origin story. Typically, the first movie of a franchise ends up being really dull and sometimes even tedious, because the filmmakers have to introduce a new character and establish the main conflicts and the overall situation. That's not the case here. What I admire from Iron Man is that it manages to marvelously introduce its characters (Tony the playboy, faithful Pepper, Jim the best friend, and of course, the bad guys) and the conflicts, as well as to provide with amazing action sequences, great special effects, and an interesting storyline. This is something very few origin stories (like the first Spider-man or the aforementioned Batman Begins) managed to do.
Performances are amazing, and are one of the many reasons why the film works. Robert Downey Jr. is, simply put, perfect as Tony Stark/Iron Man. He's charismatic, funny, likeable, brave but, most importantly, well-developed. He's more than just a face to put inside a suit of armour; he's a real human being, and although Stark is not the most conflicted or complex character in the world, Downey Jr. manages to make him credible and interesting. We actually care for him. In short, his performance is awesome; the movie belongs to him. That's not to say supporting performances are lackluster, though. Gwyneth Paltrow is great as Pepper Potts (his relationship with Stark is deliciously under-played and remains platonic through most of the flick); Terrence Howard doesn't have much to do but nevertheless manages to create a memorable character, and Jeff Bridges is delightful as Obadiah. Cameos by the likes of Stan Lee (as always) and Samuel L. Jackson (stay after the credits!) are welcome.
Action sequences are wonderfully executed and generate tons of tension. Jon Favreau (Elf, Zathura) proves that he's a great director for both action sequences and character-building scenes. His direction is solid throughout the whole movie, and he, along with the screenwriters, managed to make the action scenes exciting and tense not only because they're expertly shot, but because we actually root for Tony, since he's a realistically-developed character. Special effects, while not as abundant as in other summer, pop-corn flicks, are totally credible and awe-inspiring. Although I'm pretty sure Favreau and his team used only half the budget of Spider-man 3, the CGI present in this film is two-hundred times more believable than the computer imagery present in last year's comic book blockbuster. The Iron Man suit looks amazing, and the flying sequences, instead of looking like a videogame, make the viewer feel excited and entertained.
Unlike other superhero movies (like Batman Begins, which was pretty awesome in its own right), Iron Man isn't too philosophical or dark. It takes itself seriously when it needs to take itself seriously, but it also contains a large quantity of humour and witty lines. The thing is, they don't feel neither awkward nor out-of-place because they're actually funny, and because they somehow seem to belong with the witty and sarcastic character of Tony Stark. Unlike other comic book films, which take a darker and more "mature" point of view, Iron Man is more of a crowd-pleaser, a fun film that, while not goofy, is pretty light when compared to the likes of Christopher Nolan's tales of the cape crusader. The film's not dark, but it sure does develop its characters and situations in a very mature way.
In short, Iron Man is a superb motion picture. Many people were unsure whether Jon Favreau would be capable of handling a big-budget superhero film, but given the evidence at hand, it seems he was the perfect man for the job. Although it is a superhero flick, Iron Man seems to be something more: a character study, a believable movie in its own right which happens to be telling the tale of a superhero. This film will not only appeal the most hardcore of fans; this is a great motion picture because it can be entertaining to all kinds of audiences. With its excellent performances, amazing and credible special effects, considerably interesting storyline and well-developed characters and situations, Iron Man is one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen, and one of the most entertaining flicks to come from the Marvel cast of characters. This is one of those rare times in which I'll actually be waiting for the friggin' sequel.
©2008 Sebastián Zavala - Star Wars Epica