Review of 'Iron Man'

iron_man.jpg The first block-buster of 2008 Iron Man tells the story of Tony Stark, a wealthy industrialist whose family business sells weapons. An attack on his convey when he visits Afghanistan shows him that his weapons not only supply the US Military but also the terrorists that they are fighting. The terrorists keep him prisoner to force him to build a super-weapon but Stark takes the opportunity to build a super-powered suit to escape. He becomes “Iron Man”. Unfortunately, the terrorists are a bit annoyed so make plans to come after him…

As you might expect, the special effects are absolutely fantastic and totally believable. What yo may not expect is that the story and characters are also quite believable. Robert Downey Jr. as Stark gives a convincing performance as the wealthy and spoiled play-boy who finds his life missing meaning, meaning that he finds when he becomes Iron Man. What is also a surprise is the enhancing performance of Gwyneth Paltrow as (improbably named) Pepper Potts who plays his aide.

Yes, it is loud and, yes, it is definitely a Hollywood blockbuster but as far as super-hero movies are concerned it is quite enjoyable with the 2-hour running time (literally, in this case) flying by. The unlikeable and deeply flawed main character also makes this quite different than other such movies.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2008-05-05


Directed by: Jon Favreau

Studio: Marvel Enterprises

Year: 2008

Length: 126 minutes

Genre: Action/Adventure

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371746/


Other reviewed films by Jon Favreau: