Amazon Holiday

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Iron Man

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?


A: A billionaire weapons specialist, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) questions his life’s work after being held hostage by terrorists and creates a high-tech suit of armor, allowing him to become the iconic super-hero, Iron Man.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Robert Downey Jr., Terence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Clark Gregg, Faran Tahir, Samuel L. Jackson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo! The Marvel super-hero ‘origin story’ has been done to death, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from finding pure entertainment and fun in watching the birth of Iron Man. Filled with eye-popping visuals and a standout performance from Downey Jr., Iron Man is simply one of the best comic-book hero movies to hit theaters EVER.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Downey Jr. throws off witty asides throughout that stay true to the character and will keep you chuckling.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but that shouldn’t be a strike against it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Tech awards probably await, but the acting should not be overlooked. If Johnny Depp can be Oscar-nominated for playing a Disney pirate, why not Downey Jr. for a super hero? Yes, he’s that good.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Where so many super hero movies give short shrift to character, Iron Man gets it right because Downey makes us actually care about this guy, and what he’s doing. Jeff Bridges is perfectly cast as the villain, and Gwyneth Paltrow plays the lovelorn assistant to absolute perfection, bringing a nice balance of current and classic heroine to the role.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jon Favreau’s biggest hit to date was Elf, and his comedy chops serve him well in this movie. All the action is top-notch, but the comedy and character development are given equal weight and he balances it all perfectly. One can only hope he signs on for the inevitable sequel. As much as Bryan Singer put his personal stamp on the X-Men franchise, Favreau does the same with Iron Man.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It’s an origin story so there’s not a lot that we haven’t seen before, but at least it’s original to this particular super-hero, and for that reason alone the script is a winner. We’re (thankfully) spared scenes of Iron Man saving kittens from trees, and instead his heroics are organic to the story that’s being told. It’s a refreshing change and goes a long way toward making this movie a great start to the summer movie-going season.

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2 comments:

Fitzy said...

Yeah, I loved this movie. Probably one of the best origin stories since Batman Begins and the first Spiderman movie. I'll be curious to see what the sequel coming out in 2010 holds for Tony Stark, Rhodie, and Pepper Potts!

Lizzy said...

I'd definitely give a vote to Downey Jr. He's just amazing in this film. He deserves as award. It's really different from other super hero movies.