Iron Man

I grew up reading DC comics. I knew Batman, Wonder Woman, and my all-time favorite Superman. Later in my college years, I discovered the Sandman.

I browsed over some pages and bought an issue or two to discover what people raved about in the X-Men and Spiderman. The Marvel universe didn’t really give me the flight-from-reality thrill that I get from reading my weekly Superman subscription. I never dived into the reasons. Nevertheless, that was years ago, when I had a comic book budget.

Now, I get my fix, the flight-from-reality thrill by watching live action films. I thought the Spiderman series were great. So did the X-men trilogy. So-so with the Incredible Hulk. Not so with Daredevil. This May 2008, Marvel Studios brought another one of their comic book heroes to life in Iron Man.

Iron Man, the character created by the great writer-editor Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appeared in Tales of Suspense in 1963. Tony Stark, played by Oscar nominated actor Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man’s alter ego. Stark is the genius son of wealthy industrialist head Howard Stark of Stark Industries. He inherited his father’s company after his parent’s accidental deaths.

Stark is injured and held hostage in Afghanistan. His fellow prisoner Yinsen operates on him to prevent the shrapnel from piercing his heart. Stark recuperates and creates a new magnetic chest plate for his heart and the plans his escape by building a battle armor.

His fellow prisoner is killed during their escape. Stark is rescued by best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes, an army pilot. Oscar nominated actor Terrence Howard as level-headed Rhodey complements Downey’s easy-going Stark. This is Act One.

Act Two begins as Stark surprises everyone in his welcome press briefing by announcing that Stark Industries will stop producing weapons for the US military. Profit plummets as stocks drop and mentor-partner Obadiah Monger is enraged by Stark’s irrevocable decision. Actor Jeff Bridges is Obadiah. He is an unlikely but inspired choice for the role. How many can play determined and principled for all the wrong reasons – in short be the bad guy and remain watchable?

Also in Act Two is Stark’s loyal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow another Oscar nom). She is on hand to pick up his suits from the dry cleaners, spy for him (stole files from Obadiah’s office computer), and save his life (twice). Here are some spoilers for those who haven’t watched the film. My prediction is Pepper Potts will do more than these in the last two installments for the Iron Man series. I sure would like to see Gwyneth last as Pepper… unlike Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series when alas Richard Harris was untimely replaced by Michael Gambon (both superb actors).

The bulk of Act Two is Stark developing his Iron Man armor. As mentioned by Wikipedia, Iron Man’s standard weapons are the repulsor rays fired from the palm of his gauntlets. The armor for this movie designed by the Stan Winston Studios is a feast for the techno-hungry eyes. Iron Man’s armor has a “single fire arm-launched missile and a multi-targeting ballistic weapon that pops up from the shoulder blades…” (Learn more details on the armory in Wikipedia.)

The movie’s awesome visual effects are from Industrial Light and Magic. Advanced Iron, the fanzine notes that Iron Man director Jon Favreau loves practical effects vs. CGI. It really doesn’t matter what is CGI or not as long as it’s believable and seamless. This is what makes it thrilling. This is from a regular movie-goers point of view.

Act Three begins as Stark discovers his enemy is long time friend and mentor Obadiah Stanel who engineered the attack and supplied the Afghans with Stark’s weapons of destruction. Obadiah steals the magnetic chest armor and creates a bigger armor, the Iron Monger.

Again, CGI and the action sequence in the finale outdo the scene where Iron Man makes his first red and gold appearance being tailed by a pair of US fighter planes – the F16s. Who won the mano-a-mano between Iron Man and Obadiah’s Iron Monger at the Stark Industries?

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson helps Tony Stark prepare to meet the press (again). Tony and Pepper discuss are they or aren’t they involved with each other. And the film ends in an uproar as Tony Stark announces he is Iron Man.

Iron Man is an entertaining live action film that delivers punchy dialogues and smart storyline from scriptwriters Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Arthur Marcum and Matt Holloway. (Not to complain, but I want more?!) I rate this movie with four stars (five as highest).

I have not read the Iron Man comic book…

Iron Man wallpapers