What surprised me, though, was that when I dug this review out of my archives, I was surprised to find that I only gave the film four out of five stars. I’ve definitely corrected this error from a young film critic who was probably trying to be a little too critical as he developed his writing skills.
Also, I mention that Jeff Bridges is the weakest part of this movie and that he played it a little too over-the-top. First off, no he didn’t. Bridges gave a great performance, but the problem was that this was the start of a curse for most villains in the MCU.
Obadiah Stane is a grossly underwritten character and, ultimately, a forgettable villain and that would become the trend in the MCU. Most baddies were just created for our heroes to ultimately fight in the final act with no real character development.
Still, this issue doesn’t take away that “Iron Man” remains one of the best superhero films ever created and I’ve rewatched it several times since its release. In fact, after I finish updating this review, I may just go and throw it in again!
THE ORIGINAL REVIEW
Robert Downey Jr. plays arms manufacturer Tony Stark who is captured by terrorists that use Stark Industries weapons that they’ve stolen to meet their desired goals. They tell Stark to build them a missile or they will kill him. Instead, Tony covertly builds a rough suit of armor that he then uses to escape from his captors.
After returning home, Tony builds a more refined version of his armor and becomes Iron Man in order to protect the innocent and get his weapons off the streets. After saying that Stark Industries will stop manufacturing weapons, he finds opposition from his late father’s former partner and Stark’s mentor, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges).
The best part of this film is without a doubt Downey as Tony Stark. Downey is able to bring his dry wit and humor to the role as well as show off Tony’s own inner demons as well. Once you see Downey as Iron Man, you will never again envision another person in the role.
Iron Man is ready to fight for the people in "Iron Man".
Another great aspect of the film is the film’s special effects, which are some of the best ever put on the silver screen. ILM has done a great job making Iron Man a fully functional character with all the nuts and bolts perfectly in place. The action sequences, ranging from Stark’s escape to a fight with those same terrorists in his new armor to a climactic showdown in the third act, are some of the best ever fabricated.
Another good point to make is the fact that director Jon Favreau and the writers had the foresight to know that this was the beginning of a series (it is already rumored that “Iron Man 2” will be released in 2010) and they take their time telling a true origin story for Stark and his alter ego.
Much like “Batman Begins” did before it, the first half of the movie is Stark trying to figure out how his suit needs to work and how to deal with his company’s reluctance to stop making weapons. Once the action begins, however, it never lets up and it comes to a proper ending establishing Iron Man as a new hero for the people.
If I have anything to say that is negative about the movie, it is that the villains are two dimensional and are just there to move the story along and give Stark an obstacle or two to punch through. Bridges’ character is the weakest link for me. I just that that he was a little over-the-top at the end when he finally became the film’s big bad. It should be noted, though, that none of these are big enough of a problem to distract from the rest of the film.
With an amazing performance from Downey, great special-effects, and a good origin story for one of Marvel’s iconic characters, “Iron Man” is up there at the top with the likes of “X-Men” and “Spider-Man 2” as one of the best superhero films to come along in a long time.
P.S. - Be sure to stay after the credits for a big scene that any Marvel fan would get excited about.
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