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Iron Man (2008)

post #1 of 19
2/1/10 at 3:41pm
Thread Starter 
Had a bit of a movie marathon night with the family last night.

12 Angry Men (I swear I've seen a thread for this, but I'm not having any luck finding it)
Election (which I started a thread for last night)
Iron Man

I put this on as a lark. Never thought we'd actually finish watching it. Also, my mom's not into sci-fi-ish stuff. But she totally stuck with it and enjoyed it. Found RDJ to be completely appealing (she asked me during the movie, "This guy's really popular isn't he?") The movie absolutely works and was a totally deserved success.

My thoughts on the film are about the same as they were back when the movie came out. RDJ makes it. Charisma factory! The supporting cast works great around him. Paltrow is radiant. Favreau sets a fun tone that's grounded without becoming dull (which I believe is another reason my mom was able to stomach it). The realization of the suit is fantastic. But...

... this is a rare superhero action movie where I'm waaaaay more involved with character interactions and feel let down when the movie must go into action mode (something I felt with the trailer for IM2 as well). In terms of action, it really peaks with Stark's mission in Gomira (spelling?). It's dramatically important to Stark's character, and there is a fun sense of discovery seeing what his suit can do.

The climactic showdown is weak. Something must've snapped in Obidiah, because he suddenly turns into a lame movie villain, spouting off cliche after cliche.

"Your services are no longer required."
"Ironic!? Isn't it, Tony!?"
"I'm gonna kill you with your own invention!" (paraphrased...)

It's not all that involving and it overstays its welcome a bit. It also burdens itself by having RDJ have to deliver a lot of sudden exposition about the Ark reactor to Paltrow which I could really give a shit about, since it basically comes down to "PUSH THE BUTTON!" That underwhelming sensation wasn't too far off from Shia LaBeof defeating Megatron out of nowhere by holding up the cube in Transformers. "Uh... ok. Good for you, son."

The sense of danger is pretty weak too, as Pepper just does what she's told as she clomps around in her high heels. The whole affair ends up feeling flat and generic, which betrays the good work that came before it.

HOWEVER! The movie goes out on a high note by bringing it straight back to the characters and having Tony make a choice that simply makes so much sense and differentiates himself from most other superheros. A great way to kick off a franchise.
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post #2 of 19
2/1/10 at 4:26pm
mcnooj82, Iron Man was...Awesome! However, My favorite scenes include...RDJ in his Iron Man suit. I love the final battle with Obidiah Stane in his Iron Monger suit. It was, Heavy Metal Mayhem at it's...MARVELous best. I eagerly await, Iron Man 2, this May. The end of the trailer to that...STEEL cool original, proves that Jon Favreau has the...METAL, to be a great director of superhero films.
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post #3 of 19
2/1/10 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 
You ARE relentless, Duke! I'll give you that!
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post #4 of 19
2/1/10 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by duke fleed View Post
proves that Jon Favreau has the...METAL, to be a great director of superhero films.
noooo you should have said he has the minerals!
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post #5 of 19
2/1/10 at 5:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
Pepper just does what she's told as she clomps around in her high heels.
How is that a problem? I got half an erection just reading that line.

Ultimately bad news for Paltrow as an actor, but she's never been more appealing than in this movie.
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post #6 of 19
2/1/10 at 5:36pm
I disagree about the action in the Iron Man 2 trailer. The best moment is "You complete me!" but that last shot of War Machine and Iron Man back to back promises a bit more on the thrill side of things.
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post #7 of 19
2/1/10 at 5:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Ultimately bad news for Paltrow as an actor, but she's never been more appealing than in this movie.
I would've wholeheartedly agreed with you had I not stumbled upon Shallow Hal on cable this weekend. The movie's ok, but Paltrow's gorgeous in it. It's ridiculous the way the movie always lights her from the back to give her that ethereal glow. But I ain't complainin'...
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post #8 of 19
2/1/10 at 5:44pm
You just like Poltroon in the fatsuit.

For some reason she blew it up in this.
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post #9 of 19
2/1/10 at 5:44pm
I understand that it's the chain that sponsored the movie, but the idea that a billionaire genius living in Southern California would crave a burger and accept one from BK still pulls me out of the film. I suspend disbelief when it comes to such a person being a modern Hephaestus in the desert and making a suit that can fly. The guy not asking for In N Out? No.
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post #10 of 19
2/1/10 at 5:52pm
Thread Starter 
Tony Stark is a man of the people! He likes what we like! And he likes it delivered to him with the BK logo on the bag perfectly facing the camera!

I don't get Poltroon...
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post #11 of 19
2/1/10 at 6:06pm
Jake, I am not a scientist...Ore, I would have gotten that right.
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post #12 of 19
2/1/10 at 6:13pm
The climactic battle doesn't quite disappoint me in the way it does you, Nooj, but I know exactly what you're saying. The way that the entire scene plays out, Obadiah could have just been any asshole; there's almost no sense that these two men have been lifetime acquaintances. Shit, they're practically family. There's a lot more that could have gone into their ultimate confrontation than just mustache-twirling and trite one-liners. For me, the action saves the climax, but only just; overall it's the biggest slump in the entire movie.

The real joy of Iron Man definitely lies in the character moments rather than in the action beats. It's a stellar cast, and each actor plays wonderfully against his or her fellow cast members. I particularly enjoyed watching Howard beside RDJ, and that, for me, is going to be one of the biggest "too bads" about the sequel. I'm sure that Don Cheadle and Robert will work well together, too, but there's so much unmined potential in Howard's chemistry with Downey that to not see them reunited is a big shame, but that's another story for another time. Here, they totally click, and seeing their relationship develop is great fun.
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post #13 of 19
2/1/10 at 9:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuchulain View Post
I understand that it's the chain that sponsored the movie, but the idea that a billionaire genius living in Southern California would crave a burger and accept one from BK still pulls me out of the film. I suspend disbelief when it comes to such a person being a modern Hephaestus in the desert and making a suit that can fly. The guy not asking for In N Out? No.
Yeah, but what if it was Fat Burger? Tony could afford it though.

I guess Louis IV would have been okay.
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post #14 of 19
2/3/10 at 5:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuchulain View Post
I understand that it's the chain that sponsored the movie, but the idea that a billionaire genius living in Southern California would crave a burger and accept one from BK still pulls me out of the film. I suspend disbelief when it comes to such a person being a modern Hephaestus in the desert and making a suit that can fly. The guy not asking for In N Out? No.
Jeez, lighten up.
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post #15 of 19
2/4/10 at 7:28am
He could have had a master chef make him a burger, but Burger King(Hungry Jacks to the Aussies) are pretty tasty burgers in my opinion. Terrible for you, sure, but tasty.
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post #16 of 19
2/4/10 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuchulain View Post
I understand that it's the chain that sponsored the movie, but the idea that a billionaire genius living in Southern California would crave a burger and accept one from BK still pulls me out of the film. I suspend disbelief when it comes to such a person being a modern Hephaestus in the desert and making a suit that can fly. The guy not asking for In N Out? No.
Burger King is also an in joke.

On or around Independence Day in 2003, he stopped at a Burger King on the Pacific Coast Highway and threw all his drugs in the ocean. And while he was sitting there chewing on a burger, he decided he was done. This being America, five years later you can walk into that Burger King, and if you order a Kids Meal you can get your own Robert Downey Jr. action figure, wrapped up in gadget ware. (And what does Tony Stark want when he escapes his kidnappers? A good old American cheeseburger — from Burger King, natch.)

RDJ mentioned -although I can't find this now - that the burger itself was so off-putting that the taste coupled with the vast amount of drugs he had, motivated himself into getting clean.
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post #17 of 19
2/4/10 at 1:14pm
If Bill Gates and Warren Buffet can eat at Hooters, Tony Stark can eat at Burger King.

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post #18 of 19
2/4/10 at 3:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oafley Jones View Post
RDJ mentioned -although I can't find this now - that the burger itself was so off-putting that the taste coupled with the vast amount of drugs he had, motivated himself into getting clean.
It's true. He found the burger so fucking nasty, he decided to get clean. Yet Burger King ran with, "Yo, Robert Downey Jr. loves Burger King! Iron Man FTW!!"
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post #19 of 19
2/4/10 at 4:15pm
I found the film enjoyable, kinda a Batman Begins with a dash of Marvel fun. That said, it was hard to not compare the film to it (jumping timelines, awesome start, weak ending, origin story, millionaire superhero), that it ranks slightly below it in my eyes (since I saw the villains slightly more of a treat than The Dude shouting one liners).

The film works on Downey's sheer charisma, but when he goes into action mode, the film really loses something. I hope the sequel finds the balance, and that the sequel is its own thing, and I don't have to directly compare it to The Dark Knight.
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