Hero Inc.

IRON MAN

Before the movie even began I was given my money’s worth. That’s right. The trailers. Iron Man unveils a new Narnia, Incredible Hulk, Dark Knight, and Indiana Jones trailer. I even enjoyed the You Don’t Mess With The Zohan.

Now for the movie. Tony Stark is Robert Downey Jr. No, I didn’t write that in reverse. I meant what I meant. In the comics, Tony is a playboy who has had it all, lost it, and worked to get it all back. He is a womanizer and an alcoholic. Robert Downey Jr. is all of that and more. With this perfect comparison, people will tend to love Tony almost as much as they do when he is Iron Man. I probably enjoyed the first half of this movie more because it was about Tony and the way he became Iron Man. Within the first 10 minutes of this movie, you will realize if you like it and will enjoy the rest of it.

The visuals were amazing. Unlike the Spider-Man movies, when Iron Man is on screen, it is very realistic (at least for me). The director, Jon Favreau, stated his movie would be defined by Iron Man vs. 2 F-22 Raptors. He was almost right (RDJ as Tony was even better) because the scene was very cool and fast paced. It mixed a good collection of humor and action.

My only complaint would be the final conflict between hero and villain as well as Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth plays Pepper Potts, Tony’s personal assistant. She basically keeps the billionaire playboy in check for meetings and ceremonies. I thought she was doing a great job early on, but that’s because she had a limited role. In the end, I realized she was playing the character straight from the pages and provided no true depth to her. She could have learned a thing or two from RDJ or Jeff Bridges (who is quite believable as the corporate head that wants it all). I won’t add much on the final conflict just so I don’t ruin anything.

In my eyes, Batman Begins is the movie that other superhero movies should be measured against. In the end, Iron Man was no Batman Begins, but it was very close.

Note: When viewing in the theatres, stay to the end of the credits. A short, amazing clip is shown that you will not want to miss.

[Rating: 4.5/5]