Iron Man : Movie Review

Reserved Seats ( Reel Reviews )

“Iron” Clad Directing Seals One of the
Best Superhero Movies of all Time

Reel Content : * * * out of * * * *
Entertainment Value : * * * * out * * * *
Rewatchability Value : * * * * out * * * *

I never liked Iron Man as a comic book hero. I mean, compared to other Marvel heroes like the X Men and Spiderman, Iron Man is a boring one â€“ just a giant tin can with weapons. Among the Avengers (Marvel's group of heroes similar to DC's Justice League ), I'd choose the cooler looking DarkHawk, or the more agile Wolverine, or the Mighty God of Thunder Thor anytime. Besides, the real person behind this junk of steel, Tony Stark, is a big time alcoholic and, as the comic story reveals, was a total pain in the ass. Far from the mild mannered Clark Kent, the nerdy Peter Parker, or the warm hearted billionaire Bruce Wayne.

So given my dislike of the comic hero, did I enjoy the movie? Oh, you bet I did! This is one great example of how to do a superhero movie the right way. Kudos to Director Jon Favreau and his team of screenwriters for actually bringing life to this otherwise boring character to come out with one of the best superhero movie OF ALL TIME.

Brilliant scriptwriting, fine blend of characters and just the right amount display of CGI effects make this movie a surefire winner.
Playing Tony Stark is Robert Downey Jr. who is as colorful in real life as the character in the movie. A gifted genius who inherited his father's arms manufacturing business, Stark has made a fortune developing weapons of mass destruction. The movie starts with Stark being ambushed and taken hostage by Afghan terrorists. Kept alive by a mechanical chest plate that acts as his cardiac regulator, Stark is asked by his captors to make his company's latest and most powerful weapon, the Jericho Missile to be used for, you guessed it, world domination! Realizing that this is every inch an anti American plot by the terrorists, Stark, The genius that he is, instead put up a mechanical armor made from pieces of steel junk. Three months later, he would use this crude armor suit for his escape. This steel suit, which looks like Wizard of Oz's Tin Man that shoots weapons, would later on be the prototype for the Golden and Red hero.

With his new life, it dawned on Stark that what he's living for is all wrong . He now realizes that he must use his vast wealth and genius to save the human race. This leads him to build the new armor suit which he will use to fight injustice. (Hey this is a comic book right?) Not only did this pave the way for the Invincible Iron Man, it also gave more problems for Stark, including the birth of an equally powerful nemesis which If I go on will reveal spoilers.

Director Jon Favreau (who played one of Stark's bodyguards in the movie) hit all the right buttons in this movie. He created a film that is never too serious, pulled off great laughs but never degenerated into a comedy. The action is fast and furious, with explosions everywhere, a breathtaking chase between Iron Man and US stealth fighters and of course, that inevitable final showdown versus Iron Monger. Yet, it didn't suffer from CGI effects overload or battle sequences like, say, Transformers, that leaves you exhausted and nauseous at the end. For someone who merely took up the cudgels from Quentin Tarantino who was first approached by the producers back in 1999, Favreau has definitely arrived and has etched himself as one of the â€˜biggies”.
I'm not a fan of Iron Man the comic hero but I'm running out of superlatives for Iron Man the Movie. I'll just let the numbers speak as the opening night numbers say it all — $102 Million in the US alone. $95 Million in the first 5 days of screening all over the world. $200 Million in less than a week. It's now the 10th top grossing film on opening night OF ALL TIME, just behind Spiderman's $114 Million opener..

Asking if the movie is really THAT good or if it is worth every million it earned is like asking if Superman can fly. Iron Man comes with a very easy, whole hearted recommendation for comic fans and non comic fans alike and for all those who simply wants a good time in the movies.

Reel notes: Please stick until after the credits roll for a delightful surprise. You'll see Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in what can be a prelude to Iron Man the Sequel. (Darn, I missed this one â€¦)

Score Sheet Table:

Content

* * * * Classic Story Line. Destined to be a Great Movie.
* * * Very Good. Time will tell if it's gonna be a Classic.
* * Lacks substance. Poor story.
* What story?

Entertainment Value

* * * * Highly entertaining. You'll tell all your friends to watch it.
* * * Entertaining enough to recommend to some friends
* * Hmmm.. not sure if you'll like it but I did
* Left me as cold as ice. AVOID.

Rewatchability Value

**** High. You can't wait to see it again. And again â€¦
*** Average. You'll probably see it again but that's it.
** Okay, fine. Next movie please.
* Total waste of time. SKIP IT.