Iron Man
It would be an understatement to call the Super Hero movie genre close to my heart. It’s been a facet of our popular culture that I have spent far too much time obsessing over, analyzing and scrutinizing, since I was a child. In college, my senior exit show was a series of paintings portraying actors in their super hero fatigues from short run and failed TV shows and low budget films. These actors let the allure of playing an iconic figure ruin their careers. They put on the tights despite their better judgment. They got caught up in the fantasy.
The latest breed of Super Hero films has been a revelation. Going back to 1990’s Batman, the comic book movie has seen a renaissance through better scripts, larger budgets and better acting talent. There have, of course, been stumbling blocks (especially in the Batman franchise) but by and large these films have been enjoyable, if not world-class cinema. The relaunch of the Batman franchise, Batman Begins, raised the bar even higher and with Marvel’s latest – Iron Man – a new standard has been established.
I enjoyed Iron Man from start to finish. It was a fast, fun movie that didn’t disservice the original material. While it was a cleverly updated version of the character, it bent over backwards to pay homage to the decades of pulp comics that preceded the new vision. The effects were all top-notch and didn’t distract from the (admittedly light) plot and complemented the overall tone of the film. But it was the acting that made Iron Man so different. There were no weak links (although why did director Jon Favreau cast himself as Stark’s driver?) and the A-list talent was able to flirt with camp without crossing the line into parody. I never would have thought of Robert Downey Jr as hero material – but with Iron Man, it’s all suit and attitude. Who knew that Gwyneth Paltrow could so easily play a supporting role without overshadowing the leads? It was one pleasant surprise after another. The relative meekness of Terrance Howard’s character was the only odd portrayal – but not a deal breaker by any stretch.
As a general rule, I consider Marvel’s pantheon of heroes to be strictly B-list. Maybe that’s part of the reason I enjoyed this film so much. I could care less about Iron Man. They could have completely rewritten the character, changed the suit and made him half-zebra and I wouldn’t have gotten upset about it. So I didn’t have anything to lose from a childhood-touchstone standpoint. Instead, Marvel made a fun summer action movie that didn’t leave die-hard comic fans disgusted or scratching their heads. And, it’s gotten me excited about their upcoming slate of films including a Hulk revamp in a few weeks as well as Captain America, The Avengers and (the inevitable) Iron Man 2. It’s time for DC to pick up their game.
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