The sheer greatness that is Iron Man can be summed up in two words: perfect casting.
As brilliant but flawed industrialist Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. single-handedly elevates director Jon Favreau's superhero pic from good to great. Putting his bad-boy image to good use, Downey as Stark is a debaucherous, sharp-tongued businessman who's redeemed after seeing the error of his ways.
One of the keys to Iron Man's success, and the reason it should have a broader appeal than simply fans of the Marvel comic, is the realization on the filmmakers' part that Downey's Tony Stark character is far more appealing to watch than his superhero self, the evolution of the suit notwithstanding. At one point Stark concedes, "I'm not the hero type, clearly." And that's precisely what makes him interesting - he's human, and his superhero abilities aren't bestowed on him at birth or through a freak accident, they're engineered.
It's a riot seeing Downey embracing his imperfect image onscreen. The film's early scenes see him skipping out on an awards ceremony in Vegas where he's the guest of honor in order to play the tables with gorgeous girls by his side.
Later he charms the pants off a reporter writing an investigative piece about his weapons manufacturing company Stark Industries, which, thanks to his innovative mind, puts out the deadliest tools known to man. Stark learns this the hard way on a trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate his latest weapon, the Jericho. The convoy of American soldiers he's travelling with is attacked by insurgents, ironically using Stark weapons. The soldiers are killed, and Stark is kidnapped.
Downey in a scene from Iron Man
He wakes in a cave to find an electromagnet embedded in his chest to keep the shrapnel inside his body from reaching his vital organs. His captors instruct him to build a Jericho weapon for them, but instead he uses his ingenuity to fashion a suit of armor that will enable his escape. Thus, Iron Man is born.
Stark's first order of business when he returns to the U.S. is to shut down the highly profitable weapons division of his company, sending stocks plummeting and setting tongues wagging about his mental health. Most alarmed by this new development is Obadiah Stane (a wonderfully malevolent Jeff Bridges), who ran the company from the time Stark's father died to the point when Tony the reins. We know Stane's not quite the father figure he appears to be, but the movie doesn't reveal his true intentions right away and he's far from a cookie cutter bad guy, which is refreshing.
When Stark learns of an evil plot that could have global ramifications he sets his mind to making a new and improved version of his suit - one of the film's best sequences involves an accident-prone trial-and-error phase - in his high-tech Malibu pad.
Aiding him along the way is his loyal assistant Virginia "Pepper" Potts, ably played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Looking ever-stylish, Gwynnie takes what could have been a thankless role, the Moneypenny to Stark's Bond, and adds just the right amount of sass and heart. Though sparks fly between the pair, their relationship leaves the audience hoping for more in a sequel.
And there must be a sequel. Like Christopher Nolan's fresh take on Batman, Favreau's Iron Man is too good to simply be a one-off.
Posted by Cate Jones
Agree? Disagree? Email Cate at criticizecate@gmail.com
Iron Man **** out of 5
Rated: PG
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Written by: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway
Related links: Official site, IMDB page, Apple trailer
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