Iron Man - Movie Review

I must admit that when I first heard that Robert Downey Jr. had been cast in the title role of Iron Man, my reaction was “so the armour must have some form of retractable nose plate to allow for easy cocaine-to-nose access.”

Oh ok, I know that was a cheap shot, but you have to admit that it’s hard to imagine Downey as the superhero type; the weedy small-time burglar type (ala Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) maybe, but a billionaire-turned-superhero? Please!

Five minutes into this movie you’ll realise that there is no one else in Hollywood that could have played the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man better than Robert Downey, Jr.

Downey’s battered good looks and roguish charm make him perfect for the part of the carefree, amoral playboy that is all-too-suddenly given a big dose of cold, hard reality via being captured in Afghanistan by terrorists wielding his own weapons.  Stark’s evolution as a character is a surprisingly deep and enthralling one, and his journey is one that the audience can relate to, especially with the quick wit and dry humour that Downey brings to the role.

The main focus of the movie is on Tony Stark’s growth as a character, and his decision to become Iron Man and help the people that his weapons manufacturing had once hurt.  Stark’s ongoing transformation forms the crux of the film, with the other characters and even the main villains taking a backseat to Downey’s powerful charisma; his larger than life character steals every scene it is in, and manages to overshadow the supporting cast, even though Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Terrence Howard all put in strong performances in their respective roles (particularly Paltrow, whom I normally cannot stand).

All the focus on character growth and developing relationships isn’t to say that Iron Man is boring or lacking in action; there’s a great deal of exciting action in this SFX extravaganza, far more so than in many other superhero movies.  Indeed, the pacing and development of the action scenes has a great deal more in common with the first Spiderman movie than it does with rapid-fire combatathons like X-Men.

Actually, speaking of Spiderman or X-Men…well, there’s just no easy way to say this to all the fans out there, but Iron Man is easily the best Marvel superhero movie so far, and is only slightly behind the sheer awesomeness that was DC’s Batman Begins.  Jon Favreau has managed to create a movie that pleases both the average consumer and the hardcore comic nut, and has reinterpreted a long-serving character in a way that should appeal to everybody.  

In short, this movie has just the right mix of character development, powerful action, gorgeous special effects, and superb humour to make it a hit with all audiences; after all, a standing ovation in the cinema can’t be too far wrong!

     

I rate Iron Man: 9/10 (A superb superhero movie that manages to be brilliant even for those who have no interest in Iron Man or comics.  Jon Favreau’s movie is tightly structured, well produced, and massively entertaining.  Robert Downey, Jr. has found his “Captain Jack Sparrow” role with this character, and is assured of being a massive success.)

   

- Tim Sweeney