The first big blockbuster of 2008 descends upon theaters. The trailers bleed action and amazing special effects. Robert Downey Jr. looks like he has the role of Tony Stark nailed and perhaps we have a new superhero franchise we can cheer for. Though, while the origin story of Iron Man works it comes up short as an overall appealing film.
Like Batman, the easy connection to Iron Man is that it is, for the most part, based in the real world. Tony Stark, as played by Robert Downey Jr., is a real man enhanced by the suit he wears and the gadgets he creates. Iron Man is a techno version of Batman, and it is very cool stuff.
Downey’s Stark is the alter-ego to Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne. He’s cocky, arrogant and craves attention. It’s a perfect fit for Downey and he absolutely is this movie. Without Downey in the lead role a lot of the charm and witty humor would be lost on a less capable actor. Getting to know Tony Stark is fun and he is easily likeable — despite the ego.
The other character in the film, the more important character, is Iron Man’s suit. This thing is remarkable. Determining what is CGI versus what is the real suit they made for the production is impossible. However, pretty much everything that is great about the suit has already been shown to you in trailers outside of the final massacre, which smells more like Ang Lee’s Hulk than it has anything in common with the rest of what this film was selling.
There is a moment in Iron Man where you feel like you are truly getting into the guts of the action. Tony Stark has a vendetta out on those using the weapons his company created for evil and sets out to make things right. Just know, when Iron Man lands in the Middle East, it is the beginning and the end of the bad ass nature of this movie. What comes next are blockbuster fight scenes in what amounts to Iron Man vs. a giant metal monster. This isn’t to say the bright and flashing lights aren’t entertaining, it just feels like a lame sell-out for a movie with a story above such things.
Iron Man is a film you will enjoy watching, but it feels like nothing more than a setup for a sequel including Terrence Howard eye-balling a prototype suit saying, “Next time,” and the fact that there is still a lot left for Stark to clean up. The most satisfying thing is that Robert Downey Jr. seems just as invested in the character as Christian Bale is into Batman and to get stars of this caliber excited for films of this nature is a true blessing for the genre.
