iron-man 3 movie review

Let me begin by saying that I went to the movie with dubious expectations.

As of lately, I have went to many a movie with the distinct realization that I had seen the best parts in the movie trailers alone, whether the fight scenes, car chases and monumental tag-lines.

With the lackluster crop of super-hero movies (i.e: the Super-hero Movie and Superman Returns) I have been left with a bitter taste in my mouth that I have been unable to wash out.

What could I expect from a second string comic book character called ‘Iron Man’?

What I expected and what I saw were two different animals.

I like to think that I am an intelligent person and there are things that I can accept as logical and within the realm of physical laws. But the comic book geek within has little tolerance for deviations (such as Spiderman’s organic web-shooters, nano technology and a botched lab experiment creating the Hulk, Hellboy being turned into a love story…you get the picture.)

To say the least, this summer will see the release of many a comic or anime based movies and by-products to make all fanatics happy.

Or will they?

Well, I have to say that Iron man delivered.
Robert Downey delivered. Jeff Bridges delivered. Even Gwyneth Paltrow delivered.

Robert Downey Jr. (or Rdjr.) played the lead character, the ridiculously rich, spoiled and bored billionaire industrialist Tony Stark. I doubt if the first choices of Tom Cruise, or Nicholas Cage could have carried it out with such conviction. After looking at the real-life rich guys who seemed ego driven and plastic, I enjoyed this take on the carefree genius. Everything was a joy ride for him.

It wasn’t until he went to Afghanistan that his trouble began. In the comics, it was a trip to Viet Nam, but that would truly date the movie…Stark was ‘Hoisted by his own petard’ or in street terms ‘Fucked-up by his own shit’. I’m not saying anything new to all you comic book geeks who read Iron Man since the beginning!

In an environment where a clean goat is considered a luxury, Tony realized that his billions didn’t mean squat. Rdjr was able to emote the frustration, disorientation, fear and anger of his situation. I doubt that the aforementioned actors who were considered before him would have done so good a job. (Sorry Nick, but you could’ve acted stronger in ‘Ghost Rider’ and I feel that all Tom Cruise plays is himself in any/all roles especially the Mission Impossible movies A note for future MI movies: it’s about the WHOLE Impossible Mission Force, not one guy!!!. And Cruise seems to have the acting range of Mr.T.

Anyway, surrounded by fanatical assholes with guns, I assume that is a good time to re-evaluate you priorities and decide on a fresh direction... if you live long enough to carry it out.
I know.

The baddies in this millennium are Iraqi Terrorists. Before them were Ninjas, and before them Nazis and the Mafia et cetera. In this movie, they were treated a little more humanely, even though they had some personality and I couldn’t understand half of what they said, I still understood that these guys were assholes. But then again, I guess I’d be somewhat pissed if I spent most of my life in squalor with a foot constantly on my neck.

The one thing that I greatly appreciated was the fact that they showed Tony Stark’s often-neglected genius. Using the sparse materials found and cannibalized, he was able to create a device that would save his life. It was later revealed that it was so far ahead of its time that no one could duplicate it and that the villain had to steal the only one in existence.

This was more impressive than say, Batman Begins. (Sorry Mr. Nolan, but Batman had Morgan Freeman/Lucius Fox inventing the stuff while Christian Bale/Batman was research and development. It was a great movie nonetheless!)

Considering his crude accommodations, I also found the battle and escape from the terrorist stronghold quite impressive. Considering that Tony never came off as a fighter, he took care of business rather well. But then, flame-throwers usually do the job…however the flight from the exploding camp should’ve resulted in ’Tony Stark Soup-in-a-can. I don’t care how sturdy the armor was, the impact would’ve liquefied any one.

The eye-opening experience of his Iraqi capture changed him convincingly into a pseudo-apologetic tree-hugger. Unlike the unacceptable/instantaneous transition of Anakin Skywalker: Jedi-in-training to Darth Vader: Turncoat Baby-killer.

At least they clarify that Tony was missing for 3 months.

Now there may be those of you who may say that the construction of the modern armor was a slow point, but I found it interesting. They banter and the build-up fleshed out the new Stark and the situations around him. But some things were left up to either your imagination or your ‘Comic book recall’. No one explained that Obediah Stane (Jeff Bridges) was borderline insane and a homicidal maniac with delusions of grandeur. (Spoiler Alert: You’d have to be insane in order to put on the Ironmonger suit and want to personally kick-ass. Unlike the present day cowardly Lex Luthor created by john Byrne. He became a rich, pudgy miscreant who would hire some misbegotten dupe to do the dirty work rather than ‘Man-up’.

Another point in the characterization of Iron Man was the fact that you felt Tony Stark more than you felt the Iron Man. Unlike Spider-man, where the director felt you needed to see Tobey Maguire through the costume. He missed the fact that once the mask was on, Spidey was a new person, doing and saying what Peter never would. Spidey would quip and wisecrack. I barely heard the movie d do that.

But Iron man was more about Tony Stark, from bored to terrified to determined.

All I gotta say is that his armor must’ve had one helluva shock absorption system for all the beating he took. Most of those physical encounters would’ve resulted in Tony Stark being poured out of his suit.

…but then again, this WAS a comic book based movie…

The Fight sequences were great, especially with the jets. Unfortunately the end of the Ironmonger throw-down seemed a bit too cliché’d for me. The old ‘Blow-up-the-Deathstar shtick’ should go the route of the dinosaur. Be more original, or at least take notes from the Iron man/Titanium man fights. While you’re at it, Ironmonger came across like a poor man’s Titanium man. Why not use the real thing…unless that’s what the sequel will be?

Spoiler again: I also did not appreciate the fact that Tony admitted to the press that he was Iron Man. What is it with these movie guys that a hero can’t keep his mask on? The Tim Burton Batman would’ve resulted in Alfred getting a Gotham-City beat-down. I’m hoping that the press thought that Tony was obviously ‘Fuckin’ around’ and just didn’t take him serious.

But then, Iron man doesn’t have an aging aunt or devoted, yet naïve loved one to protect.

Oh, by the way, I loved Gwyneth as a red-head.

The last minute cameo by Samuel L. Jackson was an added touch for the next stage, leaving the door open for the rest of the Marvel universe. To say the least, I’m waiting for Ed Norton’s ‘Incredible Hulk’.
So, go see Iron Man.

You will be entertained and you don’t have to be a comic book geek to enjoy it.