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: Go! 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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Sex and Death 101

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A guy (Simon Baker) finds out the names of all the women he will ever sleep with, and he proceeds to cross those names off of his 'to-do' list.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Simon Baker, Winona Ryder, Leslie Bibb, Mindy Cohn, Julie Bowen, Frances Fischer, Dash Mihok, Patton Oswalt, Tanc Sade, Neil Flynn

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If 27 Dresses had been written from a male point of view, you would come out with this movie. While 27 Dresses is the female fantasy about love and marriage, this movie depicts the male fantasy of sex without strings. Alternate titles for what I saw could have been: '101 Ways to Avoid Getting Married,' '101 Women Who Don't Want a Relationship,' or-- let's keep it simple and call it, "All Women are Easy Sluts."

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's by the writer of Heathers, and the tone is similar, but the jokes aren't quite as fresh.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if you're sensitive about sex with dying old ladies, girl-on-man rape, or necrophilia.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: New Year's Eve is and always has been the most overrated party night of the year. I've only enjoyed it a small handful of times in my life, and I'm happy to announce that one of those times was at a party hosted by the writer-director of this film. So Kudos to you, Daniel Waters-- which in Greek means, 'Praise for Exceptional Achievement.' A fun New Year's party is a hard task to pull off, and you did it. You win the New Year's Eve Party Award!... Too bad you can't win 'em all.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Quite possibly where the problem lies. To be fair, without noble goals to strive for or undying love for baby animals, most of the characters aren't particularly likable to begin with. On top of which, before seeing this I thought Winona Ryder hadn't been working much because she was busy going in and out of jail, but it turns out it's because she's been going in and out of talent.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The words over-the-top and fantastical come to mind. What I'm trying to say is that no effort is made to seem remotely like real life. I'm not knocking it, it's good to pick a style. But the directing choices did remind me of the 80s for some reason.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Shallow on the surface, but quite possibly containing metaphors about the parallels between marriage and death, if you choose to analyze it more deeply.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: I could see this movie catching on in a culty way, over time.

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