Movie Review - Iron Man (2008)

Movie Review - Iron Man (2008)

Distributed by Paramount Pictures
126 minutes

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins set a very high bar for modern superhero films, one other would-be giants have struggled to leap over. With its attention to detail, faithfulness to the spirit of the comics, and well-implemented deviations that add to the mythos of the character, Batman Begins is monstrously impressive. Here’s the good news: Iron Man has that same vibe.

Tony Stark is the wealthy CEO of Stark Industries, a world leader in technological advancement, mostly for the purpose of weapons production. A flirtatious playboy and charismatic smooth-talker on top of a remarkable intellect and an amazing command of engineering, Stark is arrogance personified, uncaring of the pain he helps inflict, and on top of the world. But his world comes crashing down when, whilst in Afghanistan demoing a new killer missile, he is captured by terrorists who demand that he build a missile for them. During the ordeal, he is critically wounded. Yinsen, a doctor and fellow hostage, saves Tony’s life, and the two resolve to escape by building a suit of metal armor. They succeed, though the price is high, and Tony develops a new outlook on life, one that drives him to build even better armor in the hopes of righting the wrongs he has committed developing weapons.

What makes Iron Man so good is its rich characters, especially Tony Stark. I’m not sure what sort of preparation Robert Downey Jr. undertook for the role, but the man IS Tony Stark, and he handles the transition from better-than-everyone to humbled-with-newfound-purpose with great expertise. Marvel comic fans will have little to complain about: everything that makes Tony Stark who he is translates to the movie beautifully; his flirtatiousness, his inner turmoil, his wit… It’s all here. Gwyneth Paltrow also shines as Pepper Potts, meshing nicely with Tony’s charm. Ms. Potts is an admirable character, holding herself above the kind of woman that Tony usually involved himself with, yet convincingly worried about the man she has grown to care about. Tony and Pepper have a nicely complicated relationship that is a breath of fresh air compared to the quintessential romantic pairing forced down my throat by other superhero flicks.

Director Jon Favreau added two important elements that flesh out the film: humor and political commentary. The movie makes very liberal use of the former, but this isn’t over-the-top Michael Bay “humor.” That is to say, it is oftentimes subtle, genuinely funny, and makes the characters all the more endearing. Interspersed with the film’s more serious moments, the excellent application of humor ensures that not just comic book fans come away pleased; even movie-goers with absolutely zero former knowledge of Iron Man will very likely enjoy the film. Strong political undertones abound, and Iron Man doesn’t shy away from showing that there are good and bad people everywhere in the world, from all walks of life. It ends up being more profound than, say, The Kingdom, which engaged in too much American hero worship instead of asking the hard questions of why America makes war in the first place. The existence of good and bad in places you may not expect one or the other to exist is the film’s central theme, and though there is an ultimate villain for Tony to overcome, this a character-versus-self story at its core.

Favreau clearly didn’t want to rush the film into its action scenes without taking care to develop characters, and thank whatever deity you believe in for that. Make no mistake, however: when action hits, it both intense and thoughtful, brought to life with glorious special effects. Augmenting the visuals is a very fitting musical score, kicking in to high gear when the armor is donned. It’s very high energy music in action scenes, and more reserved throughout, which is perfect.

That’s the good news. Here’s the bad: a sequel is a painful two years away. But if Jon Favreau remains the director, I doubt I’ll have anything to worry about. Iron Man is an exceptional piece of work. Would I call it the best superhero movie ever? … Maybe. Don’t miss it, no matter what walk of life you hail from. And I cannot stress this enough: stay after the credits start rolling!