Movie Review: Iron Man (2008, Jon Faveau)

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Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Tobb, Faran Tahir
Screenplay: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum & Matt Holloway
126 minutes / Color

Action packed, thrilling, amazing sound, a great performance or two, spectacular visual effects and a perfect screenplay to adopt the Marvel Superhero are the components that make up “Iron Man”. I must say that director Jon Faveau has outdone himself, and Robert Downey Jr. is someone to be admired now.

Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. The owner of the world’s leading weapons making company. And Americas ticket to victory against the Iraq war. But in a demo for his new, fatal weapon, Spark is kidnapped and brought to the other side to make the same weapon for them.

But Stark’s heart and body is week, leading another captivated scientist to make sort-of a electronic heart for him. With this, and his knowledge, Stark pretends to agree with the opposite side and uses the materials they give him to build an Iron suit to break him out.

When his mission is complete, and he finally gets back to his life of sex, rock and weapons back in the United States, he goes on a whole new journey with his personal assistant Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) to perfect the suit.

Stark’s mind takes him to places and he advances the suit to perfection. But behind his back, a mastermind is working to duplicate and rule. Stane (Jeff Bridge), supposedly Stark’s closest business partner, steals one of the suits he made and advances it himself, the same way Stark does his.

Now Tony and Pepper are faced to go against another Iron Man, but this time 10 times bigger. As Tony fights on, Pepper (sort of his, “love interest”) helps and they pull together and destroy the other iron monster with hard-core science.

At the end, they push through. Pepper and Tony get together but now the whole world suspects that this young billionaire might just be a superhero. They rehearse there cove-up for a press conference, but Tony just loves the limelight and states…”I am Iron Man”.

It was a great ending line. And a wonderful, simple closing to a character that defines himself at the beginning and keeps his standards to the end. Downey Jr. does this so very well…

Though I myself haven’t lost respect for great talents such as Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow (some say he’s an addict and some say she’s washed-up), but we should look pass their personal status and look at their performances. Paltrow, the leading lady, wasn’t sheer perfection, but I’m glad she’s made a project like this. It jolts her back to the screen as a star and she looks gorgeous. She’s just another unlucky Oscar winner, but I have faith in her. She can get work and she did pretty well.

Downey Jr. was spectacular. He was interesting, funny, witty, smart and exiting to watch. He did a wonderful job as Tony Spark and his alias Iron Man. This just makes me more excited for a so-called rumor hat he may portray Playboy’s Hugh Heffner. Let’s wish for the best. This guy has been under the talent radar for so long that he needs an Oscar. I think 2008 and 2009 will be good years for him. He shows us great talent in “Iron Man” and proves he can do other things than dramas.

“Iron Man” was a great combination of everything great that should be seen in a comic-book movie. It’s been the Best Comic film I’ve seen since “Spider-Man 2” (2004)! But we’ll have to wait for “The Dark Knight” (2008).

It had unbelievable effects .Not only were the visuals eye popping enough to notice the shiny flying chrome and distinctive yellow and red, but the sound mixing and editing was glorious. And so was the film editing. It was a tech masterpiece of this year, and most likely this years “Transformers” (2007).

However, like “Transformers”, I’m facing the problem that it’s being over hyped. People keep talking about it anywhere I go; I’m getting sick of this. This is far from good. Actually not good at all. When a movie like this gets too talked about it soon leads to a downfall of hate (Ala “High School Musical” amongst others). Oh welll…

Hoping it will make it to Oscar season is useless. Because it already is there (despite the downfall fear). If not acting or film editing, I’m sure that sound and visual effects like this have big chances of being honored. Good luck, because I’m rooting for you “Iron Man”.