Movie Review: Iron Man - Starring Robert Downey Jr. & Gwyneth Paltrow
Released: May 2nd, 2008
Runtime: 2 hr. 6 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Red Vines
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard & Gwyneth Paltrow
Director: Jon Favreau
Rating: Worth a Full Price Ticket
Synopsis: A billionaire industrialist, who is a genius inventor and notorious playboy, is captured in Afghanistan after demonstrating his company’s latest weaponry. A fellow captive saves his life. Together, instead of building the weapons their captures want; they set out to build a powered suit of armor to aid their escape. During the escape his, now friend, and fellow captive is killed. He returns home a changed man, who wants to change his ways. He starts working on a new and improved version of the suit, so he can protect people.
Review: Iron Man is one of the best movies in the comic book genre. It ranks up there with Spider-Man and Batman Begins. It gives another great example of what can and should be done when turning comic books into movies. But, it isn’t just that, it is also a really good movie in general.
Iron Man does the main thing that should be accomplished, in the first of a possible comic hero franchise, it tells you the origin story, in detail. No five-minute overviews or voiceovers, etc., so you can get right to the action. You get to see how Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. (Zodiac, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), becomes Iron Man. This is the reason why I liked Spider-Man
Jon Favreau (Zathura, Elf), he also appears in the film as Stark’s driver Hogan, opens the film with a bang and then flashes back and takes you through the events leading up to his capture. This grabs your attention and then allows you to get to know the Stark character before his capture. You then see his captivity, first suit creation and escape. The escape being the next time there is any action. Yet, you never lose interest. The bulk of the action is in the second half of the film.
Next, you follow his building of the Version 2.0 prototype. This is filled with a lot of slapstick type comedy, as he perfects his suit, things don’t always go well. This section is a whole lot of fun. It provides a great comic interlude between the seriousness of his captivity and his using the suit in battle for the first time. There is actually a lot of comedy throughout the whole film.
As someone that new nothing about the Iron Man comic characters going in, I really enjoyed the movie. Iron Man is worth a full price ticket and makes for a great start to the summer movie season, even if it is still spring. Oh, and don’t be in such a hurry to get out of the theater before the credits finish, as everyone else I saw it with was, if you want to see Samuel L. Jackson (Jumper, Coach Carter) as Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.E.I.L.D., talk to Stark about the “Avenger Initiative.”
What did you think of Iron Man? Let us know in the comments.
What New Movies Start Friday, May 2nd?
This week, there are six new movies hitting the big screen. Two are opening everywhere and four are in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, May 2nd:
Movie: Iron Man (PG-13) (Read Review)
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard & Gwyneth Paltrow
Genre: Comic Book Sci-Fi Action
Synopsis: A billionaire industrialist and genius inventor gets captured and builds a suit of armor to escape and then once back home, goes about building a better version of it, so he can protect people.
First Thoughts: Don’t know much about this comic book hero, other than he seems to resemble Batman in many ways. This is the first big budget blockbuster of the season and I can’t wait to watch it this Friday.
Movie: Made of Honor (PG-13)
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd & Sydney Pollack
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Synopsis: A very successful guy that has no trouble with the ladies finds that his life is just not the same when his best friend leaves for six weeks. She comes back engaged to a well-to-do Scotsman. While she was gone, he realized that she was the girl for him and is shocked to learn the news of her pending marriage when she returns and more so, when she asks him to be her “maid” of honor. He decides to do so, only because from the inside, he thinks he can make her see that he is the guy for her.
First Thoughts: Looks to be decent counter programming for those not up for a comic book actioner this weekend.
Movies in Limited Release:
- Fugitive Pieces – Psychological drama about a boy that saw his family killed by the Nazis and then was smuggled out of the country and eventually ended up a poet and translator in Canada.
- Mister Lonely – Psychological drama about a Michael Jackson impersonator that meets Marilyn Monroe and moves in with her and Charlie Chaplin and their daughter Shirley Temple.
- Redbelt – Tim Allen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emily Mortimer, Alice Braga, and Joe Mantegna star in this action sports drama about martial artists that deplores competitions, but after saving a famous action star, he gets ushered into the industry and ends up in a prize fight.
- Son of Rambow – Coming of age comedy about two young friends in 1980s England set out to make a homemade movie that recreates Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo: First Blood.
For New Movie Friday there are two new movies to choose from this week. They are Iron Man and Made of Honor. What new movie looks good to you this week?
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