Batman... Superman... Spiderman... and now, Laddddiiiieeeessss andGenttttlllllleeeeemen (sorry, that sounded like Heath Ledger’s first few lines in ’The Dark Knight’), let us welcome the newest member of the superhero fraternity with his own cool movie; Iron Man!
Now, Iron Man was not a well know franchise of the Marvel Comic Group(not as much as other superheroes), and frankly, I didn’t pay much attention to the movie when it was released. But now I realize how wrong I was in missing what is surely one of the more effortlessly entertaining Superhero films on the millenia.
Well, just to have a quick recap of the story, it is about the protagonist Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.), who is a genius in charge of his own military hardware company; Stark Industries. Once, on a trip to Afghanistan to showcase his new missile system, he gets ambushed and captured by some militants, who want him to build that missile for them. Instead, he build a suit of armor to escape, and upon his return to the US, decides to make a better suit to help those innocents who were affected by the deadly effects of war...
This movie, like the First Spider Man Movie, is about letting us get to know the character’s origins better, and are generally less in terms of fights and villains than their sequels (just to confirm, an Iron Man 2movie is due in 2010). But it is this part of the movie which is also very interesting, to getting to know how a character develops into a hero. And this part of the movie is especially brilliant.
But let us first come to who makes Iron Man so brilliant, it is Robert Downey Jr. who delivers a knockout performance as effortless, but no less compelling, that Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. Just because Tony Stark is a much lighter character doesn’t take away from Downey’s performance. He infuses Stark’s character with wit, humour and an overconfidence that simply make it enjoyable to watch. He is what we would describe, bluntly, as simply being ’Cool’.As the multi-billionaire, he has got the cool house in Malibu, California, and an expensive garage of exotica. But it is his Robotic Computer ’Jarvis’ and the cool tech of building the Iron Man Suit, that make it even more fun to watch. There are many experiments in testing the suit, and quite a few funny moments, as Stark perfects his Iron Man outfit.
The time when he first puts it on read-to-use is really cool, as we seethe character morph to life as a superhero. Iron Man’s cool white/blue LED eyed give him a demeanor which is a whole lot more refreshing than most superheroes.
Of course, Downey is assisted by a wicked sense of humour and a great script, with many brilliant moments. A couple of notable ones are:
The dogfight sequence with the two F-22 Raptors.
When he is being chased by the villain into the stratosphere; the villain catches him as says, "My suit’s better in every way", to which Tony replies "How’s you solve the Icing problem?", a cue to his earlier tests of the suit.
The supporting cast is equally top notch. Gweneth Paltrow as Ms. Peppet Potts, Tony Stark’s secretary, is a refreshing change from all the recent heroines in superhero movies (Mary Jane Watson and Rachel Dawes, I’m referring to you). Her character is nice and different as not being a love interest for the hero. Indeed, she plays a pivotal part in the end in helping Iron Man defeat the villain. But it is still fun to seethe pseudo-romantic moments between Stark and Potts, interrupted in an amusing manner, with both resuming professional decorum shortly thereafter.
Jeff Bridges plays the role of Stark’s business partner and friend Obadiah Stane, who later turns on Stark and tries to develop an Iron Suit of his own, resulting in a climactic battle between both of them.Of course, he is not sinister or evil in a frightening manner, unlike the Joker, but then, Iron Man is supposed to be a much lighter movie than The Dark Knight.
Terrence Howard is good in his small part of James Rhodes, Starks’ close buddy and military liaison.
Music is top notch in Iron Man; and it helps keep the cool theme of the movie running throughout. The music is mostly metal and rock, and suits the character’s theme very well.
In the end, Iron Man proved to be a surprise treat, and definitely worth more than a one time watch. It doesn’t try to be too serious, like the Dark Knight, or make you introspect your inner self. It is just about seeing a movie and enjoying it for what it is. These days, when even James Bond is becoming dark, brooding and serious, it is nice to find a character who manages to stay cool, yet very entertaining at the same time. Iron Man, indeed, delivers a solid knockout!