Iron Man [M]

Upon giving a weapons demonstration in Afghanistan, billionaire weapons designer Tony Stark is kidnapped and held captive by terrorists. Severely injured by a missile blast and holding a lot of immovable shrapnel in his chest, a fellow captive creates a radio magnetic device that keeps Tony alive. When asked to build a missile for the terrorists, Tony becomes increasingly alarmed that his company have been supplying his products to America’s opposition and instead, he builds a suit that uses the power of the radio magnetic device and he becomes Iron Man. Soon after escaping from his captors, he returns to American to stop his products being used on innocent people and sets a new course for his company. 

What is there that is left to say about these Marvel superhero movies that has not been said already? I was never a comic book person, so that’s already a flaw in my writing about these film adaptations, really. Iron Man is a good movie to be sure, one of the few Marvel adaptations where the conflicts are relevant and reflective of what’s happening globally at the time. There are no radioactive insects, no nifty superpowers, just a man with smarts and money: a bit like Batman only Tony Stark builds his own toys whilst Bruce Wayne did not. I actually really liked the movie’s lack of epic battles and over-dewy romance. 

Upon giving a weapons demonstration in Afghanistan, billionaire weapons designer Tony Stark is kidnapped and held captive by terrorists. Severely injured by a missile blast and holding a lot of immovable shrapnel in his chest, a fellow captive creates a radio magnetic device that keeps Tony alive. When asked to build a missile for the terrorists, Tony becomes increasingly alarmed that his company have been supplying his products to America’s opposition and instead, he builds a suit that uses the power of the radio magnetic device and he becomes Iron Man. Soon after escaping from his captors, he returns to American to stop his products being used on innocent people and sets a new course for his company. 

Essentially the villain’s motive is power and jealousy, like that of Scar in The Lion King, nice and easy to get the gist of. What’s good about the story of Iron Man is that it really is a journey of self-discovery and change: not a transformation in the physical sense, but one of personality and attitude. The character of Tony Stark, played perfectly by Robert Downey Jr. is a real brat: a rich prick living in his own world, completely oblivious to the perils of war across the globe and arrogantly proud of his own genius. His kidnapping and his later discovery that his company has been doing under-the-table double deals behind his back, which are not in the best interest of America, opens his eyes to the destruction and hurt that his creations cause. He then sets out to stop the use of his own products and steers his company down a different defensive path. The whole thing is a really a good moral story with the added element of action and comedy to keep the audience enthralled. 

Special applause has to go the special effects and art design teams. The suit was totally awesome and the battle sequences as well as practically all bouts of action in the film were pretty damned cool. So special applause to all those who made that happen. 

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Clark Gregg, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Terrence Howard, and Paul Bettany, Iron Man is a great superhero movie packed with action, change, romance, comedy, conflicts, and self-discovery. I love it.