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Downey Is Stark...
Tony Stark is a wunderkind, a boy genius who has taken control of his late father’s weapons company and, with the help of Stane, turned it into a global player, and become incredibly wealthy in the process. However, when he is kidnapped by a faction under a Middle Eastern warlord and is coerced into re-creating his company’s latest weapon (The Jericho) for their use, he instead creates the first prototype of what would later become the suit he will wear, and use, as Iron Man, which he uses to escape the prison they have created for him . |
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What follows, without spoiling anything, is a tour de force of fast flying, funny dialogue, strong character moments, and ultimately a positive goal for a man who has had, thanks to being double-crossed and seeing the devastation his life’s work can cause in the wrong hands from the pint of view of those it has harmed, an epiphany. It shows that even the most cynical of people can find they have a heart after all. And it does it without resorting to sappy moments or ingratiating dialogue. Due to its fast pace and witty, sharp dialogue and terrific (and funny) action scenes, it seems to be shorter than its 126 minute run time. If there is anything about this film I would have any complaint with, it is Paltrow’s character of Pepper Potts. I have no idea how much say Ms. Paltrow, a fine actor whose work I admire, had into her character’s development, but I found at times that she was reduced, from a potentially strong supporting role and character in the beginning, to a more or less stock female in distress who is left running and screaming during moments of mayhem, where it might have been more effective to see a little more strength. However for me that’s still not enough to ruin what is a wonderful roller-coaster ride of a movie. The visual effects, by a number of houses including the famous ILM, are absolutely top-notch, simply perfect. Part of what helps the effects is the style of cinematography in this film, which is at times made to feel hand-held, or cinema-verite’ and for this film, coupled with adroit editing, it works perfectly. The dialogue is funny, snappy, and sometimes so quick that you’ll be laughing over the next lines, they come so fast. |
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The DiskThe DVD is released in two versions: the less expensive single disk, and the deluxe two-disk version, which actually comes packaged in a hard plastic shell formed as the Iron Man’s mask. The second disk features extensive background on the making of the film and visuals and sound, as well as the history of the character and some of the process of the actors in rehearsals and during shooting. One little treat is one of the film’s executive producers who also appears briefly in the film as one of Stark Industries’ chief engineers: Peter Billingsly. That’s right, A CHRISTMAS STORY’S own Ralphie, minus his Red Ryder BB gun, with both eyes fully intact, is seen briefly in the film, as well as numerous times in interviews behind the scenes. I do wish, however, that they had taken time to interview the actor who played the films main antagonist, Faran Tahir as Raza, the warlord who is behind Stark’s kidnapping. He was very powerful on screen, and as such I was very curious to see him in “real life.” All in all, I felt that IRON MAN was well worth the $24 I spent on the DVD set, and I look forward to its inevitable sequel.
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Marvel
Studios’ IRON MAN, which stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, Jeff
Bridges as Obadiah Stane, Terrence Howard as Col. Rhodes, Gwyneth Paltrow
as Pepper Potts, is a modernized look at the iconic Marvel Comics character
created by Stan Lee, of SPIDERMAN fame.
Robert Downey, Jr. is on top of his form once again, at least as
strong and effective as he was in the starring role in CHAPLIN, so many
years and so many personal crises’ ago. His character of Tony Stark
is irreverent, glib, quick-witted, sarcastic, and ultimately very engaging.
Balanced against Bridges’ character of Stane/Iron Monger, who is big,
beefy, with a bald pate and thick beard that make the normally approachable
Bridges into a very menacing, intimidating force who nevertheless keeps
a twinkle in his eye, these two work with and against one another brilliantly.
Terrence Howard is completely likeable as Col. James Rhodes (Rhodey)
who is Stark’s U.S. military liason.
