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Sideshow Dusty’s Iron Man Movie Review
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Sideshow Dusty’s Iron Man Movie Review
May 2, 2008
IRON MAN - Best Superhero Movie Ever Made?
There were many questions racing through my mind last night as I entered the theater to watch a pre-release-day screening of the new IRON MAN film. Would it live up to the expectations launched by its bevy of awesome trailers, TV spots, and high-res photos? Would John Favreau prove that he was truly the man for the job? Could Robert Downey, Jr. really pull off a big-time, action-hero role? And what happens when you have to use the restroom while jetting around in the Iron Man suit?
So, you ask: Were all of my questions answered, and did I leave the theater fulfilled and at peace with the world of superhero movies? Let's just put it this way... The bar for superhero movies has been raised and the rest of this year's summer blockbusters have some very large shoes to (attempt to) fill. In fact, I'm having a very hard time focusing on getting this review written for you guys (and girls)... All I want to do is go see it again RIGHT NOW! But I will tough it out because I care - and I want to spread my love for this film as far as I possibly can! So, on with the show...
**CAUTION - AS HARD AS I TRIED TO KEEP THIS SPOILER-FREE, A FEW SMALL SPOILERS MAY HAVE SNUCK IN! So don't read another word if you would like to remain a 100% pure IRON MAN virgin.**
The Good: There is literally too much good in this flick to list! Want awesome technology, fast cars, and loose women? Check, check, and check. Want romantic chemistry, human redemption, character development, and adorable pet robots? More checks across the board. How about clever humor and a few truly great nods to the comic book source material (including a geekgasm-inducing, post-credits scene, which you will kill yourself if you miss)? You betcha! But what makes it REALLY great is that all of the above are peppered (pun intended) with restraint and joy across a brilliant plot line and script, which transcends the average 'superhero movie' stigma. Toss in a hugely charismatic lead actor, a talented director with a passion for the source material, and $140 million, and you've got yourself one heck of a feature film. (Of course it doesn't hurt to add in a few more Oscar-caliber performers, for good measure - Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes, and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane.)
What's the BEST thing about the film, in my opinion? You will absolutely love how director John Favreau made the various incarnations of the suits become characters in and of themselves. I really adore these suits, perfectly captured by a combo of flawless special effects and Stan Winston Studio mastery. (The audience literally "ahhhed" at one point during a Mark 3 suit sequence - IMPOSSIBLE to tell the CGI from the physical, it's THAT good.) The suits are pure artistry combined with bad-ass functionality - they simply could not be better. The scenes showing Tony creating and testing the suits are some of the best in the movie, and you can really feel the love for Iron Man pouring out of John Favreau in these moments of unbridled enthusiasm. Not only is Stark a brilliant engineer, but he is also an artist, deeply appreciative of the beauty of his inventions, which is perfectly captured by Robert Downey, Jr's performance. And when I say perfect, I mean PERFECT - spot on, note for note - PERFECT. (There's a scene on an airplane before he becomes Iron Man that just SCREAMS 'Tony Stark' - well, you just have to see it to believe it.)
In contrast to the artistry and beauty of the Iron Man suits (even the Mark 1, to a certain extent), the enormous and brutal Iron Monger suit is truly a hideous thing to behold. It's just pure EVIL, and you can tell simply by looking at it that it was created by a person who only cares about destruction. It's big, and loud, and cumbersome - a complete opposite to the agility and stealth of the Iron Man Mark 3 suit. Watching that fight is like watching a ninja take on a sumo wrestler. That being said, the Iron Monger suit is not to be missed, especially for the weapons-lovers out there, and the machinery and engineering of it is magnificent.
I could go on (and on and on and on) about the good, but I don't want to bore you with the details - plus I have to leave some things a mystery so that you, too, will "ahhh" in the theater. After all, audience energy and participation is the best thing about seeing a great action flick with 400 of your closest friends!
The Bad: Ummmmm, the only bad that comes to mind - and it's not even 'bad' just slightly annoying to my analytical brain - are a couple of scenes / montages that require a bit more suspension of disbelief than I am comfortable giving, even during a superhero movie. They both involve an armor suit: 1) During the creation of the Mark 1 suit while his captors are watching his every move, and 2) when 'the bad guy' handles the brand-new, never-before-tested Iron Monger suit like a pro. Plus, there are the status-quo, "There is NO WAY he could have survived that!" physical stunts that boggle the mind. But most of them are hysterically funny and / or so cool that you just don't care.
Also, the film never answers the BIG questions of suit functionality, like what happens when you have to 'relieve yourself' while wearing it? What if you ate a few too many beans - is there fresh air circulation and ventilation? And how about all that free-falling, twisting, diving, and breaking the sound barrier? Wouldn't that bring on an overwhelming need to, well, vomit? (Maybe it's just me that asks these questions, but I'd really like to know! Y'know, just in case I find myself in possession of an Iron Man suit someday, it'd be nice to know how it works.)
In short, go see IRON MAN in theaters at least once, if not five or six times - I promise you won't regret it! — My score: 4 1/2 out of 5 Repulsors
Warning: Be careful when taking small children to see this film (10 and under). There are some pretty intense human-on-human violence sequences, most notably one featuring a very brutal terrorist group separating mothers and children from their husbands and fathers. Plus, it's SUPER loud - which, of course, is only a problem for small children. For the rest of us, who lost the better part of our hearing long ago, it's totally awesome!
Disclaimer: I have never been a huge comic book fan, although I am somewhat familiar with the story lines of all the 'major players'. This does not include Iron Man. I was completely unfamiliar with the story of the billionaire playboy Tony Stark before I became part of the Sideshow culture. As far as I can tell, there isn't much in this film for fans of the comic to nitpick, but of course, I don't really know, do I? So if you must, nitpick away - but don't deny the incredibly fun and entertaining energy of this movie!
© 2008 MARVEL. Manufactured by Sideshow, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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5 STARS
Good review by the way
I agree with the fact that children under 10 shouldn’t see it as it contains a fair bit of violence in it
It is an awesome film. I haven’t had that much fun watching a Marvel movie n a long time. I already can’t wait for IM2.
Think about this. Aside from the computer graphics, this type of film doesn’t usually get Oscar talk. And I would love to see RDJr. get an Oscar for his portrayal of Iron Man.
I think this movie ROCKED!! I will be surprised if an Academy award DOES NOT goto Robert Downey. A perfect fir for Tony Stark!
Great job on the review Dusty dear. *high five* Of course I loved it myself, one of the best Marvel movies to date. I sure hope this is a sign of the direction Marvel is headed in the movies, bigger and better all the time. Rock on peeps!!
This is the way a movie should be done. Let great actors carry the story and don’t get too far fetched or throw in any crappy video game foreshadows, or give in to dummying it down for the masses.
John Favreau has arrived! RDJ was great. Paltrow was great. Bridges was spectacular! Tell a good story, have a sense of humor, and show us the origins of a hero! Done! Definitely the best Marvel adaptation ever done. No flaws at all. Brilliant job by Robert Downey Jr. of keeping a sense of humor and not taking anythign over the top. The story and characters were as shiny as the special effects. They all meld into the perfect movie experience that leaves no dissapointment at all. Give me a good movie like this any day, any time, anywhere! It’s about freakin time! You can’t give Favreau enough credit. I always liked that guy. He’s one of us. He gets it. He knows the true fan can spot bullshit, so he leaves it out. Bravo, well done, Cheerio, and all that!
Great review Dusty, I totally agree with you on all points. RDJ gave a fantastic performance and really does fill those big iron shoes of Tony Stark immensely well. It was a fantastic experience and I already cannot wait to see it again. Awesome flick.
I think the one thing that made this movie so great is Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark as a guy who does’nt take himself to seriously!…i.e. the press conference scene when he’s eating his Burger King cheese burgers while in his “Dalai Lama” seated position.
Laughed my butt off in the last press conference scene. TONY STARK IS SUCH A FRIGGIN’ ROCK STAR! Love it!
Saw “Iron Man” this past Saturday night…WOW! As others have posted – YES!..this is by far the best adaptation – in my opinion – of ANY super Hero character! Thanks Jon Favreau! You’re my new favorite director. This is a great movie to start off the summer blockbusters! Can’t wait for “Iron Man 2″. Hope this will stimulate the creative people there at Sideshow to bring us some more “goodies” from the film. Now, I just need to find a second job so I can buy a Blu-ray player when the Disc is released later this year!
This movie lived up to all my expectations and more. The special effects were outstanding; Robert Downey, Jr., is the perfect fit for Iron Man. The movie had me so enthralled that when it was over, that time seemed to past so quickly, that it felt like I just walked in (15 minutes). It was simply outstanding.
Dear Robert Downey Jr.,
You can put your shoes under my bed any day.
Dear Everyone else:
This is the best adaptation of a comic book that’s been made in the last couple of years. It’s fun, exciting, and there’s tons of eye candy for all. Mark I and Iron Monger looked like they were moving with dirty diapers, so that might answer your question about what you have to do when you have to relieve yourself…
Yes,Robert Downey Jr. nailed the part of Tony Stark.I loved almost everything about this movie espically the scene after the end credits.The only thing I didn’t like was that Iron Monger was a very one-dimensional villan.
Awesome review, Dusty
!!!
Hey Dusty – Thanks for a great movie review – now I MUST see it! Do you think maybe you could charm the execs there at Sideshow into creating the Mark I and/or Mark II Iron Man suits in a Premium Format Fig? That would be swwweeeet!
Its a great film. And I love to see more of the armour and the HUD on his helmet. My only nitpick is how can Tony Stark carry the car battery like it was a cardboard box when he is so weak?
Good reiview Dusty, i agree with pretty much everything you said. i had the thought on the washroom as I watched Tony strap on the Mark 3 suit, at that point in the film when you realized you drank a large coke during the previews. The effects were flawless, and the blending of live action and cg showed a great depth of details including the backgrounds. I think I would have liked to see some training on the Iron Monger suit of some kind, but i don’t want to give to much away. i also would have liked another 5 minutes to the final fight, I thought a bit more would have been nice. Spoiler alert: I think my biggerst complaint, which is minor in the scope of things seems to be the tendancy to just give up secret identities, I would have liked that to have drawn out into at least part of the next film. Otherwise a great action flick, true to the spirit of the comics. Stan lee is great as always, so watch for him.
I knew little if anything about the character and story behind Iron Man though I loved the movie. The main character redemption and that Mark III suit was great! The Mark II was realy cool though too much of one color or lack thereof causes me to prefer the Mark III. I am hoping Hot Toys will produce a 12″ figure and include some neat details like they did when using springs for the air cylinders on their Robocop 12 inch figure and the opening hip holster. Their attention to symetry in the sculpt and clean lines should be award winning. I won’t buy a medicom as their scale is off from my Sideshow and other favorite 12″ figures. Shout out to Sideshow for doing a 12″ Aayla Secura. Let’s hope she ends up being prettier that the prototype pic. It would be nice if she looks like Amy Allen. Meeting her in person was cool and she is fun at the Cons. One more thing, please don’t limit me to 1 of her!!!!!!!! She has been on my Sideshow 12″ wish list since sideshow got the Star wars license. Nice job on your review Dusty.
This movie rocks 4 stars across the board it stays true to the comic book John Favero is becoming a genius director and Robert Downy Jr. was remarkable i would have cast anyone else for the role and as for the rest of the cast what a great team of academy award nominees they all win oscars on this picture in my book if you are looking for a finer out look it ranks up there with the first spiderman and first x men movie enough said.
right on my friend. that’s almost word for word the feeling I had as I left the theater.