Iron Man Plays Well to the Marvel Movie Formula
Written: May 02 '08
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Follows Marvel's recent super hero formula for movies, well-timed super hero humor
Cons: Lacks some personal impact, some incongruencies with Iron Man's capabilities
The Bottom Line: Go see the film if you like the Marvel movie formula. It's worth the money.
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| swopedesign's Full Review: Iron Man |
I was a comic collector in the 1980s. Among my favorite characters were Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and the Fantastic Four. Peter Parker/Spider-Man is a strong character for many reasons. The Hulk in the 1980s was nearly as strong a character, for similar reasons. The Fantastic Four are, IMHO, not as strong, but still moving. Why? They all had something personal at stake in these comics. They had values and courage. Believed in doing good, helping others, improving their world.
Iron Man appeared a few years later than Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four (in 1968 I think) in the comics. But that character did not speak to me like the other characters. His stories were shallow and impersonal; his character wooden. I read a few Iron Man comics, but not very many. I did not follow his story lines year after year like I did the others.
I did not think much about the announced Iron Man movie, because I was not attracted to the character when I was growing up. I did not think I had any reason to be attracted to the character now. I assumed it was the same character and story line, with a modern facelift of gadgets and CGI. Typical fare for 2008.
Then I saw the trailers. And my interest was piqued.
Iron Man was re-vised, redrawn, recreated, to the successful Marvel movie formula: take a regular human character nobody thinks much about except his closest friends or family; change him either thru science, cosmic rays, or trauma; give him the choice to be hero and help others (he must take it, of course); and force him to face himself, his deeds, his desires, his impact on others (be it those in his neighborhood, city or global). This is mythic, moving material.
Iron Man plays well to the formula. Tony Stark is a wealthy, shallow playboy given a fortune and company by his father, but does not understand responsibility, personal or corporate. As others have mentioned, this mirrors the Batman character in competing DC comics. After being kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists (there is more to this than first revealed in the film), and forced to build a weapon called the Jericho missile for them, Stark instead builds an iron suit to escape. But he is a changed man. He has seen harm up close and personal. Been a victim of it himself.
In today's modern world of rising prices and record oil company profits at the public's expense; huge CEO salaries, bonuses and fringe benefits; even greater corporate white-collar embezzlement, fraud and corruption (Enron, for example) followed by failure to promptly punish to the guilty; lack of personal responsibility in businesses large and small (think of the companies that give you exemplary customer service if you can...these are the exceptions) by both policy and hiring practices; I am moved by Tony Stark's character who comes to realize how his company and the weapons they developed and sold have been abused. He had never much cared before, hidden behind the corporate curtain, far from the people actually using those weapons and those falling victim to those weapons as well. It reminds me of the decision makers at large companies we all know, how do not rub elbows with their employees or the customers coming to their offices and stores in any honest capacity. How can these decision makers make decisions without understanding what happens at the local level?
This, then, is the difference in the Iron Man movie and the comics. This theme I cannot recall from the comics. Probably because it did not concern me then as a boy. Maybe because it was never present. I'm glad it has made its way into the Iron Man film. It would be an entirely different film without it.
The Iron Man film is true to the comics in other regards, however. The first Iron Man suit built in the film resembles the first Iron Man suit in the comics; it is crude, raw, simple gray metal. The polished suit is yellow and red and sleek. Tony Stark's appearance is also similar to the comics. This should delight Iron Man fans; or those who remember the comics, even if they did not read them.
The special effects in the film are what one would expect from a modern super hero film. In this, I mean that there is nothing immediately exceptional or new about the special effects. In fact, they remind me much of the special effects in the first and second RoboCop films in regard to RoboCop himself (though those effects are not CGI). They are for the most part convincing, as are all things with a dose of the willing suspension of disbelief.
Iron Man's first full flight sequence is an exhilarating experience for the most part. He engages two jet fighters after destroying a terrorist camp, but his flight capabilities are not as advanced as the audience is lead to believe with the time spent with Tony as he develops the ability to fly in the suit. Instead, he is nearly shot down and attaches himself to the bottom of one of the jets, hiding from radar. Since these jets are nothing unusual with unusual weapons or capabilities, I was disappointed that Iron Man, with his smaller size and therefore greater capacity for maneuverability, is shot down so easily. Any terrorist could do it!
I also need to mention that I am surprised that Iron Man, as he first attacks the terrorist camp, a surprise attack mind you, is shot by a tank! Iron Man is a small, unannounced, fast-moving target, and he is shot by a tank. Perhaps this could happen, but I've not been shown in any film or documentary that tanks can hit such a target. I don't even understand, as an aside, why the tank has to shoot him out of the air! The tank could just as effectively shoot him after he has landed. This scene just doesn't work for me at this point.
Much to my surprise, the roles of Robert Downey, Jr. and Jeff Bridges are superbly played. Jeff Bridges wowed me in Starman. I did not recognize him in this film at first, had it not been for his familiar voice. Downey, however, steals the Iron Man show. Though I've liked Downey's movies in the past, his drug and rehab problems from the past made him all but forgotten (for me anyway). When I learned that he plays Tony Stark, I was very surprised. One would not expect Downey to be a good choice, due to his nearly-now-unknown status at the box office. In Iron Man, theater goers are nearly guaranteed to forget about the actor and focus on the character of Tony Stark, Downey plays him so well. Downey also appears to have bulked up for the film, which helps the film succeed. The Downey we've known couldn't convincingly lift a suit of iron.
If you like super hero films, you'll enjoy Iron Man. If you read the comics, you'll enjoy Iron Man. If you like explosions, you'll like Iron Man. If you like guys in technologically advanced metal suits, you'll like Iron Man.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Action Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Plot
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Epinions.com ID:
swopedesign
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Member: Mike Swope
Location: Wichita, KS
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Graphic/web designer. Grew brother's retail tire business. Now managing a similar long-established business.
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