Iron Man (Marvel Comics Movie Review)

Plot
After escaping from kidnappers using makeshift power armor, an ultrarich inventor and weapons maker turns his creation into a force for good by using it to fight crime. But his skills are stretched to the limit when he must face the evil Iron Monger.

Jason’s Thoughts
This is a great example of what a comic book-based movie should be like. Iron Man is a lot of fun to watch with a great mixture of action, special effects, and a bit of comedy (but not over the top campy comedy), built on top of a great story.

I remember hearing about Iron Man being featured in a solo movie and thinking that it was an odd choice. Marvel has a rich history of characters to choose from and Iron Man wouldn’t have ranked very high on my list. Then I came across news of Robert Downey Jr. playing the starring role, and I wasn’t sure what to think of it. After finally watching Iron Man, though, I have a newfound respect for the character and for Downey Jr. as well.

Robert Downey Jr. thrives in his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man and really brings the character to life. At times it doesn’t even seem as he is acting as Stark and Downey Jr. almost seem to be one in the same with their brash and arrogant attitudes, as well as having character flaws that can be hard to overlook. As a matter of fact, it would be hard to imagine any other character in the role after Downey’s time is done.

Iron Man kicks off the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a story is well done and does a good job bringing Iron Man into modern times while keeping close ties to the original origins. The first part of Iron Man deals with said origins and the creating of the first Iron Man suit, which those of you who have seen the original drawings of Iron Man, it is a close approximation to the original design. Origins stories in superhero movies are hit or miss, and this take on Iron Man’s beginnings is definitely a hit.

The rest of the movie follows suit as it kicks into high gear and becomes a special effects extravaganza. The effects are top notch but not too over the top (ala Transformers) where it becomes to hard to even see what is going on in the scene. The music is also a high part of the film, which includes a hard rock/metal soundtrack that features AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and even Suicidal Tendencies. The final scene where Tony Stark announces that he is indeed Iron Man, which immediately goes into Black Sabbath’s Iron Man got a chuckle out of me.

As I stated before, Iron Man is the start of Marvel’s universe of movies, and this movie begins to tie things together with a special scene at the end where S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), talks with Stark about a new program called the Avengers Initiative. This tease leaves you wanting more and brought on excitement to watch the rest of the films. Of course, not all Marvel films take place in this shared universe (a few other production companies own rights to properties such as Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four), but a shared universe for a good portion of the Marvel characters is something fans of the comics can get behind and enjoy.

I have found it hard to fault Iron Man for anything, however, if I had to find one drawback, and it’s a minor one at that, is that the antagonist, Obadiah Stane (a/k/a Iron Monger) doesn’t get a good share of screen time to further develop his character. Stane, who is well played by Jeff Bridges, isn’t given proper time to shine in his role as the friend turned enemy, but seeing as this is more about Iron Man’s origins and the character of Tony Stark, it is easy to overlook the small part Stane was given.

In a nutshell, Iron Man is a movie I can see myself enjoying time and time again for years to come.

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