The incredible achievement of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: an interconnected series of films that each tell a distinct story, but which reference and play off each other to form a single coherent universe, began in 2008 with the release of Iron Man: a quirky, unusual superhero movie that at times felt more like a classic screwball comedy, while other times delivering some of the very finest superhero action scenes to date. It takes one of the less famous denizens of the Marvel universe and turns him into a uniquely delightful figure: a quick-witted, fallible, all-too-human figure who nevertheless reveals himself when the time comes to be as heroic and courageous as any of his fellows.
The story begins with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. in a career-defining role): a Howard-Hughes-esque genius-celebrity-billionaire who is simultaneously hailed as one of the most brilliant minds of his day, designing the smartest, most powerful weapons in the world for the U.S. Military, and equally famous for his drinking, gambling, and womanizing antics. One early scene has him approached by a skeptical reporter, whom he seduces with a few quick pick up lines. When she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself alone in Tony’s cavernous mansion…except for Stark’s assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who notes that her duties include “taking out the trash.” Later Potts finds Tony hiding in his basement workshop, tinkering with his hot-rod.
“How’d she take it?” he asks offhandedly.
“Like a champ,” she sighs with a look of clear disapproval.
Tony, in short, is an irresponsible dick. Pepper knows this and does her best to rein him in, while Tony’s best friend and military contact, Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Terrance Howard) openly confronts him about it. “You don’t respect yourself, so I know you don’t respect me,” he says. On the other hand, Tony’s business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), seems to like Tony just the way he is.
It’s become somewhat surprising in a mainstream Hollywood film to see a character so clearly disapproved for playboy-esque behavior. The film makes it clear that Tony is a self-centered jerk and makes no apologies or justification for it: our hero is simply not a very good person.
All that changes, however, during a weapons demonstration in Afghanistan, during which Tony is ambushed, maimed, and kidnapped by the ruthless “Ten Rings” terrorist group (the film thus nicely plays off of real-world politics without becoming too on the nose). Now dependent on an electromagnet installed in his chest to survive, Tony discovers that the weapons he designed to protect American troops are being used against them. Not only that, but the Ten Rings intend for him to build them his latest missile, rendering them even more powerful. Disillusioned by his life’s work, Tony notes that even if he does what they want, he’ll probably be dead in a week anyway. “Well,” says fellow prisoner, Yinsen (Saun Toub), “This is an important week for you.”
With Yinsen’s help, Tony hatches a daring plan to escape: first he replaces the car-battery powering his electromagnet with a miniaturized ‘arc-reactor:’ an advanced power source that could “power his heart for fifty lifetimes…or something big for fifteen minutes.” Then, under the guise of building the missile, he constructs an armored power-suit and fights his way to freedom.
Once back in the U.S., Tony takes Yinsen’s last piece of advice (“Don’t waste it”) to heart and sets about perfecting his suit’s design. Meanwhile, he shuts down his company’s weapons department until he can find out how his inventions ended up in terrorist hands…a move that alarms Obadiah and causes Pepper and Rhodey to wonder if he might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Meanwhile, the Ten Rings group has been recovering his discarded original design…
The film’s primary strength is its rapid-fire dialogue, which at times makes it seem almost like a Howard Hawk’s movie. Apparently, the actors were not given an actual script for most scenes: instead they were told the points they needed to cover, the basic blocking, and allowed to pretty much ad lib the whole thing. It’s a technique that could have backfired spectacularly, but thanks to the skill and humor of the principle performers it pays off in spades. The dialogue is quick, clever, and sparkling with that fresh quality that comes from genuinely talented and good-humored actors just having fun with their rolls. Downey Jr. and Paltrow have particularly good chemistry, and their scenes together are some of the best in the film, with Paltrow playing the straight-woman to Downey’s rapid fire snarker. When she points out in an early scene that he’s three hours late for his flight, he responds with “I figured the plane wouldn’t leave without me. I mean, doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose of owning a plane that you still have to catch it?” Indeed, the dialogue and character interaction is so much fun that you sometimes actually forget you’re watching an action movie, and it’s a little startling to see these same characters suddenly turn into serious action stars when the movie calls for it. Startling, not jarring: the film handles these transitions well and in spite of everything you can actually believe that this is the same Tony Stark putting on the Iron Man suit and doing battle in the hills of Afghanistan.
The plot is, perhaps, not quite seamless (the fact that Iron Man can apparently make a round-trip from Malibu to Afghanistan in a single go is stretching things), but for the most part it holds together very well. It isn’t overly complicated, but there are a number of twists that are, if not always very surprising, at least well set-up and believable. For instance, the chain of events that leads to the creation of the villainous Iron Monger is solid and entirely credible based on what we know of the characters in question. There are a number of very well-staged suspense scenes, particularly one in which Pepper has to covertly download encrypted information while the villain is in the room talking to her. These scenes are a nice balance between the comedy and flat-out action, while also demonstrating the filmmakers’ creativity and sense of pacing.
The action scenes, meanwhile, are uniformly excellent, though perhaps a little shorter and less frequent than some might like. There’s Tony’s rough, violent escape from captivity in a hulking wrought-iron suit, then his exuberant test flight of his revised model (which ends on an hilariously unexpected note), a battle scene in Afghanistan, and finally the climactic fight with Iron Monger, which is just about everything you would want from a giant robot battle. Each scene is very different from the others, ensuring that they don’t become repetitive and boring, and each has its own little moments of delight that testify to the filmmaker’s joy in the material. For instance, during Tony’s escape there’s a moment where he temporarily gets his arm stuck in the cave wall. While he’s trying to extricate himself, one of the terrorists creeps up behind him and tries to shoot him point-blank in the head…only for the bullet to ricochet off Tony’s helmet and kill him. Likewise in his battle in Afghanistan later in the movie, Iron Man pulls off the classic ‘grab them from behind the wall’ maneuver from Slasher films; a richly satisfying moment, as here it is the hero terrifying the terrorists.
As you can probably gather, the effects are quite good; the Iron Man suit feels honestly heavy and solid, avoiding the key flaw of many CGI creations that they feel weightless (see for instance the first Spider-Man movie). Most of the time you can’t obviously tell between the practical suit (designed by the late great Stan Winston in his final film project) and the CGI suit, except that the CGI suit tends to be flying. The exception is, unfortunately, the very first effect in the movie: the ‘Mark I’ suit Tony uses to escape from captivity. It looks great as a practical effect, but you can very clearly tell when it is and is not CGI. This doesn’t necessarily take you out of the scene, but it’s a little jarring and represents one of the film’s few obvious flaws. By the time the final battle rolls around, however, we’ve pretty much stopped even trying to spot the CGI and are just absorbed in the action.
As noted, the performances are some of the film’s key strengths. The movie pretty much stands or falls on Downey Jr., and he rises to the occasion magnificently. His Tony Stark is the most delightful, unexpected, and flat-out fun turn by an actor since Johnny Depp’s first appearance as Jack Sparrow. He waltzes through the movie as though living out a childhood fantasy, all the while keeping up an almost constant stream of chatter on the proceedings. It’s a performance that could easily have derailed the film if it had been allowed to run too far, but Downey and director John Favreau (who also cameos as Tony’s driver, a nicely self-deprecating move) maintain the perfect balance by alternating with scenes of almost Eastwood-like taciturn. It works. We come away with the impression of Stark as a socially-maladjusted genius: he chatters and jokes a lot, but when he’s working or thinking he zaps into focus, shutting down all distractions to direct his energies laser-like upon the problem. The very fun of the character maintains the balance of the film: when Tony gets serious, so do we.
More than just the fun of his performance, Downey Jr. adds a depth to the role that pretty much any other actor would not. For one thing, it’s refreshing to see a superhero who is actually pushing middle-age rather than a young kid. For another, Downey’s own well-known past: his fall from grace and subsequent rehabilitation, mirrors Stark’s character arc, making Stark’s redemption seem much more real than it would have with another actor.
He has great support in Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts; a self-possessed, professional woman who knows exactly what Tony is and has made it her personal mission to keep him functioning. Her role is something between secretary and live-in nurse, but the two of them have forged a firm, close working relationship in which she puts up with his antics and he responds by allowing her to be the one woman on earth who is off limits to his philandering. It’s an odd mixture of respect, professionalism, and friendship that is painted in deft, sure strokes. Their relationship is one of the most enjoyable and well-done aspects of the film and helps to elevate it above being a simple comic-book movie. Paltrow does a great job of conveying both Pepper’s intelligence and professional demeanor, as well as her awareness of the unresolved issues between her and her boss which threaten to derail the delicate relationship they’ve forged. She handles herself perfectly both in the comedic scenes (particularly one in which she has to perform some impromptu maintenance on Tony’s electromagnet) and in the more suspenseful moments, as in the aforementioned hacking scene. I’m not exaggerating when I say that she is far and away the best love-interest in any comic-book movie to date…in part because, for now at least, she isn’t a love-interest, just a very close friend and ally.
Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane likewise has a lot of fun. Personally, I like Bridges in pretty much anything, and here he has a rare opportunity to play the villain, a role he takes to with gusto. The most notable thing about his performance is the fact that, while we pretty much know going in that he’s a bad guy (would a hero be named “Obadiah Stane”? Or as Rifftrax put it, “did they consider calling him ‘Menacing T. Badperson?’”), Bridges’s natural likeability and his seemingly earnest affection for Tony, still makes it a shock when his villainous side comes to light. Bridges, in short, just seems too much fun, too jovial and friendly to be a bad guy. Unlike many traitorous characters, we fully believe that Tony would trust him, making his inevitable betrayal all the more affecting. It’s as if Han Solo suddenly shot Luke in the back. Once he becomes Iron Monger, meanwhile, he hams it up with delight, gushing “I love this suit!” as he tosses Iron Man around. In short, while it’s not really a surprise that Stane is a traitor, and Iron Monger doesn’t have a lot of screen time, Bridges’s acting in the role more than makes up for it.
The fourth central character, Rhodey, unfortunately doesn’t make as much of an impression. Terrance Howard is friendly and soft-spoken, but doesn’t have as much to do and doesn’t take to the role as eagerly as the other leads. While Downey Jr, Paltrow, and Bridges devour their scenes like they’re trying to out-do each other, Howard feels more like he’s struggling to keep up with the others. He’s not bad, he’s just overshadowed by his co-stars. In a way that kind of works for the role, as Rhodey is supposed to be the straight-laced, by-the-book professional to Tony’s maverick loose-cannon, but it doesn’t leave much of an impression.
Other roles a solidly played. Saun Toub as Yinsen projects a dignified virtue and wisdom as the man who saves Tony’s life and soul (if this movie were made back in forties, the role would have been played by H. B. Warner). Clark Gregg makes a surprisingly strong impression as the soft-spoken Agent Coulson, a representative of the Strategic Homeland Integration, Enforcement, Logistics Division (“That’s quite a mouthful.” “Yeah, we’re working on that”), who repeatedly tries to set up a meeting with Tony to discuss the “particular details” of his escape…and who turns out to be really worth Tony’s time. Faran Tahir as Raza, the leader of the Ten Rings, is almost the definition of quiet menace and cunning. Paul Bettany as Tony’s AI computer program, JARVIS, which runs both his house and his Iron Man suit, is hilariously snarky towards his creator (picture a cross between C-3PO and Jeeves and you’re in the right ballpark). Samuel L. Jackson, meanwhile, shows up for a brief cameo after the credits that is nevertheless one of the most memorable and exciting moments in the whole film. As a puppetry fan, I also enjoyed the ‘performance’ of a robotic arm in Tony’s workshop (which he refers to as “Dummy”) that apparently has a child-like personality of its own and which repeatedly douses him with a fire extinguisher during his tests of the Iron Man suit. For one thing, it shows great talent to make a sympathetic and lovable character out of a faceless mechanical arm. For another, how many other blockbuster superhero-action movies would even consider including something like that?
Thematically, the film is more or less a redemption story, with lovable-asshole Tony Stark (as Favreau described him) reassessing his priorities in the face of a near-death experience. What is interesting, and a sign of the quality of the film’s writing, is that Tony doesn’t simply become a completely different person: he’s still recognizably himself even as he strives to do something more worthwhile with his life. He’s still a snarking, fast-talking joker, and he still shows signs of irresponsibility and social maladjustment (as in his clear awkwardness at his first press conference upon returning to America, during which he announces his intention to basically shut down his company for the time being). Basically, despite the fact that he’s trying, he still has a long way to go in his redemption, which is much more true-to-life than a complete change in personality would have been. In short, the film tells its redemption story with surprising nuance and talent, making it one of the more believable and effective such tales in a superhero movie.
I also like the fact that Tony basically spends the movie fixing a mess that he himself is partially responsible for. It isn’t so much that an external villain happened to show up after he gained his powers; it’s that his new-found powers allow him to mitigate the damage from his own mistakes. In other words, the whole conflict of the film is basically a penitential action on the part of the hero, which makes this a much more interesting and engaging story than it would be otherwise. It’s nice to see a mainstream action film in which the whole plot is basically a call for its hero to step up and take responsibility for his own mistakes, especially since the general assumption these days seems to be that no one should be obliged to take any responsibility for anything (witness how even the President of the United States consistently blames everyone but himself for anything that goes wrong under his watch). Iron Man is a rebuke to that attitude: a call to take responsibility and be aware of how your actions affect those around you.
In terms of flaws, I’ve already mentioned most of them: the CGI is occasionally obvious, Terrance Howard doesn’t make much of an impression, and Iron Monger only has about ten minutes of screen time at best. Other than that, there are a few moments that stretch disbelief, such as the aforementioned nonstop flight from California to Afghanistan, and the fact that one character survived a particular event at the end while another didn’t (though that could be answered with little undue effort on the part of the audience). Not all the film’s elements really seem necessary to the story: Iron Monger, for instance, feels like he’s only there so he and Iron Man can have a big fight at the end.
But these are all minor flaws. Iron Man is a classic screwball comedy, of the kind that might have been made by Howard Hawks or Frank Capra, wrapped up in the gleaming chassis of a slick, exciting superhero action film, and animated by a surprisingly strong story of redemption and penance. It’s one of the very best superhero movies and a brilliant start to a unique series of films.
Rating: 4/5 Recommended to anyone who enjoys witty dialogue, superhero films, or both.
Memorable Quotes:
Christine Everhart: “You’ve been called the Da Vinci of our times, what do you say to that?”
Tony Stark: “Absolutely ridiculous: I don’t paint.”
Everhart: “What do you say to your other nickname, ‘The Merchant of Death’?”
Stark: “That’s not bad.”
(arriving late after sleeping with Everhart, a reporter for “Vanity Fair”)
Rhodey: “Three hours. You kept me waiting for three hours…”
Stark: (walking past him into the plane) “I got caught doing a piece for vanity fair. Waiting on you now!”
Stark (giving a weapons demonstration): “They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree: I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That’s how Dad did it, that’s how America does it…and it’s worked out pretty well so far.”
Stark: “You have any family?”
Yinsen: “Yes. And I will see them when I leave here. How about you?”
(Tony shakes his head)
Yinsen: “Ah, so you are a man who has everything…and nothing.”
Stark: “Yeah. I can fly.”
JARVIS: “Sir, there are still terabits of data required before an actual flight is considered…”
Stark: “Jarvis, sometimes you’ve gotta run before you can walk.”
(On a 3-D render of his newest Iron Man suit)
Stark: “A little ostentatious, don’t you think?”
JARVIS: “What was I thinking? You’re usually so discreet.”
Stark: “Tell you what; throw a little hot-rod red in there.”
JARVIS: “Yes, that should help you keep a low-profile.”
Rhodey: “You owe me a jet.”
Iron Man: “Technically, he hit me, so…”
(trying to duplicate Stark’s arc reactor)
Engineer: “Honestly, it’s impossible.”
Obadiah Stane: “TONY STARK WAS ABLE TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE! With a box of SCRAPS!”
Engineer: “Well, I’m sorry. I’m not Tony Stark.”
Girl at party: “Hey, Tony; remember me?”
Stark: “Sure don’t.”
(Pepper walks in on Tony trying to remove the Iron Man suit)
Pepper: "What's going on here?"
(beat)
Tony: "Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing."
(an air-born chase ascends to extreme altitude)
Iron Monger: “My suit is more advanced in every way!”
Iron Man: “How’d you solve the icing problem?”
Iron Monger: “Icing problem?”
Obadiah Stane (as Iron Monger): “I don’t usually go in for this sort of thing, but I must admit: I’m deeply enjoying the suit!”
Agent Coulson: “You’ll be hearing from us soon.”
Pepper: “From the Strategic Homeland…”
Coulson: “Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Stark: “The truth is…I am Iron Man.”
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