Iron Man (12A.)
Directed by Jon Favreau.
Starring Robert Downey Jr, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Leslie Bibb. 126 mins.
This time last year Marvel comics’ most famous superhero Spider-man was making a not entirely convincing return. Now, for the first of a series of movies that they are making with all their own money (the major studios only get to distribute them,) Marvel have turned to one of their lesser known figures and the result is a movie that, as far as it goes, is exemplary.
A very rich, super intelligent playboy who dresses up in suit to fight crime - you suspect that Iron Man was the product of some serious Batman envy. After being kidnapped on a trip Afghanistan, Tony Stark (Downey) vows that he will use his gifts for something other than making weapons and proclaims that he will get his company to steer away from the arms trade.
Setting it in the context of the War on Terror and having the hero be a self satisfied womaniser gives it some depth but deep down it’s quite a simple, straightforward piece of old fashioned fun.
Robert Downey Jr is a daring choice for a superhero lead but it pays off. Like the film as a whole, he gets the balance between humour and playing it straight just about perfect. It’s worth it just to hear the son of a radical counter culture filmmaker fight his way back to the States from an Afghan cave and say the first thing he wants is, “an American cheeseburger” before indulging in a nice piece of Burger King product placement.
Where Spiderman 3 was cluttered and overloaded, Iron Man is lean and to the point. It does what it does really well but, much like a franchised Burger product, it is a bit sparing with the portions. The action sequences, when they come, are thrilling though you don’t get that many.
Directed by Jon Favreau.
Starring Robert Downey Jr, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Leslie Bibb. 126 mins.
This time last year Marvel comics’ most famous superhero Spider-man was making a not entirely convincing return. Now, for the first of a series of movies that they are making with all their own money (the major studios only get to distribute them,) Marvel have turned to one of their lesser known figures and the result is a movie that, as far as it goes, is exemplary.
A very rich, super intelligent playboy who dresses up in suit to fight crime - you suspect that Iron Man was the product of some serious Batman envy. After being kidnapped on a trip Afghanistan, Tony Stark (Downey) vows that he will use his gifts for something other than making weapons and proclaims that he will get his company to steer away from the arms trade.
Setting it in the context of the War on Terror and having the hero be a self satisfied womaniser gives it some depth but deep down it’s quite a simple, straightforward piece of old fashioned fun.
Robert Downey Jr is a daring choice for a superhero lead but it pays off. Like the film as a whole, he gets the balance between humour and playing it straight just about perfect. It’s worth it just to hear the son of a radical counter culture filmmaker fight his way back to the States from an Afghan cave and say the first thing he wants is, “an American cheeseburger” before indulging in a nice piece of Burger King product placement.
Where Spiderman 3 was cluttered and overloaded, Iron Man is lean and to the point. It does what it does really well but, much like a franchised Burger product, it is a bit sparing with the portions. The action sequences, when they come, are thrilling though you don’t get that many.
