Iron Man tells the story of billionaire defense contractor (a fancy name for 'arms dealer') Tony Stark, who is part Bill Gates, part Richard Branson with a bit of Howard Hughes thrown in. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a weapons system, Stark is captured by some terrorists (a very generic and multi ethnic Islamic group) and forced to recreate the weapon system for them. It's no secret (if you saw the teaser trailer) that Stark creates a motorized iron suit (the Mark I armor), escapes and then finds that he has an even bigger (literally) enemy back at home.
Iron Man's forty five year old origin is now a composite of the traditional, modern and “Ultimate” Iron Man mythologies. So fans of nearly every period of the character can find some elements that are familiar to them. One notable (and smart) change is the location, the film takes place in Los Angeles instead of New York where 95 percent of Marvel Comics characters reside.
The effects are stunning and the combined efforts of Stan Winston and ILM have done their best to make sure that the the film did not “look like you are watching somebody else play a video game.” The Iron Man sequences have a streak of realism in the way they are shot, with the exception of one brief scene (involving a tank) that probably had too many cg elements on the screen at the same time.
The cast is top notch and probably the most talented cast in a comic adaptation since Batman Begins. The seemingly miscast Robert Downey Jr. pulls a Michael Keaton and nails the conflicted playboy/genius character of Tony Stark. Jeff Bridges brings great depth to his performance as Tony's partner and mentor, Obadiah Stane. Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow appear as Stark's confidants Lt. Colonel James Rhodes and “Pepper” Potts. Director Jon Favreau plays Stark's bodyguard, “Happy” Hogan and while he is a good actor, it was a bit distracting to see him on screen as often as he was.
The film takes a more adult approach to the source material. Iron Man does not pander to the youngest members of the audience or tone down the adult themes of the film while still having a lot of fun.
Tony's butler Jarvis, Wu-Tang MC, Ghostface Killah (aka Tony starks) and a certain Marvel spy agency all manage to find their way on screen. Don't expect any surprises after the credits roll (like in X-Men 3 or Daredevil) but do stay for the awesome end titles. Favereau created a very stunning credit sequence (on par with the first X-Men film) but chose to put it at the end of the film.
Iron Man exceeds all expectations. It works as an action film as well as a comic adaptation. More than a typical popcorn summer film, with its themes of personal responsibility, ethics and war profiteering. Comic fans as well as mainstream movie goers are going to get more than they bargained with in Iron Man.
CraveOnline Rating: 9 Out of 10
