Robert Berardi
Alumni Staff
The Summer's first blockbuster has arrived. This Marvel comic hero may not be as well known as Batman or Spidey, but Iron Man is a great stand-alone story that requires no familiarity with the comics or the animated series (In fact, the last line in the movie comes from the famous Black Sabbath song!)
Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a billionaire weapons designer. It's an inspired casting choice: with anyone else in that role, the character would have come off like an annoyingly over-achieving Richard Branson type. But Downey's life experience shows on his hangdog face (he looks like a Dog Day Afternoon era Pacino) and in his soulful eyes; it gives Stark gravity and a credible recklessness. You root for him.
Touring Afghanistan, Tony is critically wounded by one of his own weapons and captured by Taliban warlords. In a cave that looks right out of a Bin Laden video message, Tony first fashions an artificial heart for himself, and then a prototype Iron Man suit that successfully obliterates his captors (well, most of them).
Back in Malibu, he shuts down his company's weapons division and creates a high tech Iron Man, mostly for joyrides. The trials and many errors are very funny and make you believe the thing could actually work. Downey Jr. charms with his rapid fire banter with his assistant Pepper Potts and virtual assistant Jarvis.
Soon however, Tony's partner creates a rival Iron Man to help the Taliban conquer Asia, and the movie climaxes with a showdown of the two Iron Men.
The direction is exhilarating and the special effects blend robotics with CGI seamlessly. The script has an intricate Spielberg-like plot in which every detail means something later. The plot leaves unfinished business in the Middle East, and two hints of a sequel (one plays after the credits). Only ComicCon nerds will understand the hints (I'm not one of them, but I had it explained to me LoL). All in all Iron Man is top notch entertainment; it's a blast.
Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a billionaire weapons designer. It's an inspired casting choice: with anyone else in that role, the character would have come off like an annoyingly over-achieving Richard Branson type. But Downey's life experience shows on his hangdog face (he looks like a Dog Day Afternoon era Pacino) and in his soulful eyes; it gives Stark gravity and a credible recklessness. You root for him.
Touring Afghanistan, Tony is critically wounded by one of his own weapons and captured by Taliban warlords. In a cave that looks right out of a Bin Laden video message, Tony first fashions an artificial heart for himself, and then a prototype Iron Man suit that successfully obliterates his captors (well, most of them).
Back in Malibu, he shuts down his company's weapons division and creates a high tech Iron Man, mostly for joyrides. The trials and many errors are very funny and make you believe the thing could actually work. Downey Jr. charms with his rapid fire banter with his assistant Pepper Potts and virtual assistant Jarvis.
Soon however, Tony's partner creates a rival Iron Man to help the Taliban conquer Asia, and the movie climaxes with a showdown of the two Iron Men.
The direction is exhilarating and the special effects blend robotics with CGI seamlessly. The script has an intricate Spielberg-like plot in which every detail means something later. The plot leaves unfinished business in the Middle East, and two hints of a sequel (one plays after the credits). Only ComicCon nerds will understand the hints (I'm not one of them, but I had it explained to me LoL). All in all Iron Man is top notch entertainment; it's a blast.
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