Iron Man: The Robert Downey, Jr. Show
When you get frisked by security guards looking for concealed cameras at press screenings in Sweden you know it is that time of the year. Iron Man kicks off the summer blockbuster season and fanboys everywhere have been obsessing about this film ever since the teaser first appeared. The results seen on screen is inferior to many other similar adventures… but expect a sequel, and I would also advise studios to pay Robert Downey, Jr. a lot of money to guarantee his return in the lead.
Tony Stark (Downey, Jr.) is one of the most desired bachelors in the world; an unusual position for a man who makes a living selling weapons to the highest bidder. Tony may be a simple (but shamelessly wealthy) playboy, but he is also a genius whose groundbreaking arms systems made his father’s company a money-making machine. On a visit to Afghanistan where he’s due to show top military brass his latest invention, the Jericho, Tony is attacked and kidnapped by terrorists who provide him with the means to create weapons for them. He reluctantly agrees to do so, but secretly plots to build himself an exoskeleton powered by a special pacemaker that Tony needs after surviving the terrorist attack. His project is a hit; he manages to fight his way out of captivity and returns to the U.S. as a changed man. While trying to improve his construction, Tony tells the world that his company will no longer be part of worldwide destruction. However, his “Iron Man” is about to face serious competition.
Mr. Downey, Jr. is the greatest thing about this movie. Director Jon Favreau picked him partly because of his past troubles with drugs, and the star probably recognized some of the dilemmas facing Tony Stark. In any case, the star’s laidback charm carries every scene that he’s in and gives this film a much-needed sense of humor. It’s a long movie, but entertaining and fun to watch; the visual effects are pretty solid and you get the expected bang for your buck. It’s also an interesting story with a social conscience… even though it ends with a very predictable showdown between a bad guy and a good guy. Jeff Bridges plays the man who would turn into the Iron Monger, and Gwyneth Paltrow does Stark’s assistant; they’re respected actors but their characters are very cardboard and they’re unable to do anything original, which is too bad. Another problem is that Mr. Favreau is not an experienced director of action movies and some of the sequences, not least the climactic fight between the Iron Man and the Iron Monger, are a bit confusing. There’s also a tangible lack of truly eye-popping, edge-of-your-seat sequences… you kinda get what you thought you would, but there’s nothing here that gets you excited about the prospect of a sequel. Still, fans of the comic book know that Terrence Howard’s character will also turn into a superhero and maybe that’s what’s coming.
Tony Stark is nevertheless one of the most interesting characters ever to don the costume of a crime-fighter with supernatural powers, at least in Mr. Downey, Jr.‘s guise. As far as billionaires go, who would you like to grab a beer with, Tony Stark or boring old Bruce Wayne?
Iron Man 2008-U.S. 125 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Jon Favreau. Comic Book: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, Jack Kirby. Cast: Robert Downey, Jr (Tony Stark), Gwyneth Paltrow (Virginia “Pepper” Potts), Terrence Howard (James Rhodes), Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane), Leslie Bibb, Shaun Tob… Jon Favreau. Cameos: Samuel L. Jackson, Stan Lee.
Trivia: Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise were allegedly considered for the part of Stark. Mr. Downey, Jr. also plays Tony Stark in The Incredible Hulk (2008).
film movies robert downey jr gwyneth paltrow jeff bridges jon favreau IMDb
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