This summer has officially started off with a bang. I listed Iron Man #2 on my movies to see this summer. The only concern I had about this movie was Robert Downey Jr. I wondered if he could pull of Tony Stark. Would he be Bale in Batman Begins or Ben Affleck in Daredevil? Not only does he pull it off, Downey looks like he’s having fun doing it.
Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, a billionaire weapons maker who is as rich as Bruce Wayne combined with the intelligence of Peter Parker. Stark is kidnapped and mortally wounded on a trip through Afghanistan. His only escape is constructing a metal suit to fight his way out.
After escaping Starks devotes his life to fighting the very people who use his weapons for evil. He uses the prototype metal man suit he made to engineer a sleeker version, giving us Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr gives us one of the better super hero performances. It’s easy to hold a moviegoers attention in the Iron Man suit. The special effects, gadgets, eye-popping special effects, or even the cool colors can sell themselves. The scenes where he’s not wearing the suit is where we need to see the actor shine. Downey does a masterful job with his witty performance as Tony Stark. He’s so believable as a billionaire/playboy/egomaniac that I’m not even sure if he’s acting.
Terrance Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges round out the supporting cast in the film. All accomplished actors who did a really good job. Whoever casted for this film did a wonderful job of getting actors who could hold up the scenes that didn’t have explosions or cool Iron suits in them. I didn’t find myself bored, staring at my watch waiting for another action sequence.
One of the villains in the movie is Raza played by Faran Tahir. Raza did not have a lot of lines in the movie, but his presence seemed necessary. I look forward to seeing him in some more movies.
My suggestion: Iron Man is a fun ride for everyone. One of the better comic book adaptations that’s been made over the years. Jon Favreau did a magnificent job constructing this film, and including some of the nuances of the comic book. The storyline is good, the action is great, not to mention the script is funny and keeps you engaged for the whole film. The action reminds me of mornings sitting up ignoring my chores, reading comic book after comic book. I would have never imagined we would see those same comic book heroes on such a big stage. Next up, The Hulk!
