Iron Man Movie Review: The Stark of Iron Myth-making

Finding great escapist twists on an exhausted genre, Iron Man is one of a handful of exceptional superhero movies to date. Unlike most rusty superhero origin stories created for the big screen, this film solders its ironclad hero into an organically-driven figure with a thrilling mix of high-tech dazzle and good old-fashioned charisma. Funny without being cartoonish and serious without being dull, this difficult balance is carefully achieved in this well directed, shot, paced, edited, and acted cinema translation of the comic book superhero Iron Man.

Paramount Pictures' and Marvel Entertainment's screen adaptation of the comic book story about the industrial superhero keeps a balance between the real world stakes and the needed superhero surrealism - creating a musical screen time for Iron Man's armor and its many pieces clicking into the right places like the rest of the film working together effectively. It transcends its genre obligations to new heights through the solid direction by Jon Favreau, the tour de force performance by Robert Downey Jr., and the loads of action, humor, and political commentary provided by the rest of the people from the thematic, technical, and performance departments.

As a well-crafted launch to another lucrative franchise preparing itself to be mined for future storylines, Iron Man propels the story with entertainment and brains in complementary measure. In fact, it is a rare comic book-based movie that makes the prospect of a sequel seems like a promise instead of a threat or annoyance. And on the bases of verve, brawn, spirit, and whiz-bangery, the film is able to appeal to nerds and civilians alike. It makes up a popcorn entertainment made with wit and class.

By the standards of the genre, the presentation of its armor-plated hero becomes one of its major strengths. For many times, stories about superheroes talk about being young, poor, out-of-place, mutated, and alien. It is actually rare to have a forty-something billionaire with a taste for one-night-stands, metallurgy, scotch, and math to become the superhero who will boost a smart, high impact comic book movie as this. Interestingly so, Iron Man provides several adrenaline-pumping moments with its invigorating war-machine effects while staying focused on the real story about a man learning to take responsibility for his actions. For all its firepower and CGI slickness, the requisite spectacle of its issue-laden storyline having a heart to go along with its brain is what makes Iron Man really fly. Its 'humanness' beats in every action without getting too heavy on it, and it has enough self-respect to be sincere in its form of entertainment.

Favreau and company give the movie a quirky superhero flavor it can call its own. He has directed it with a wit and intelligence to match Downey's extra mile of richly human acting. His effortlessly nuanced performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man is a dark delight combining pop culture wit and genuine emotional depth. Like Tony Stark, the film uses its intelligence and ingenuity to build a high-tech story armored by creative brilliance - and escaping captivity from dull comic book adaptations and franchises so rampant these days.

Handsome and charismatic while toggling in between his impish goatee, billionaire lifestyle, and full-metal body, Downey renders such a dominant performance in his career-defining role as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Treating the goofy and genius character with the needed humor, naughtiness, and drama, Downey gets to compensate for the movie's flaws - elevating it above the mere cash cow standards of many film adaptations. It carefully mounts its wealth of plots from the comics world to build a steady momentum that leaves you wanting more. He is pitch perfect as Stark as he slyly infuses the character with hedonistic appeal, insouciant personality, and comedic one-liners dryly rolling off his tongue. And while he spends a certain amount of screen time inside the iron suit, his face still carries the film (giving it the needed emotional weight and resolute intensity). Physically and metaphorically, he has this consistently interesting glint on his eyes that definitely add that spark to Stark.

The supporting roles of Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Terrence Howard (Jim Rhodes), Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger), among others all provide smart and subtle acting performances that further uplift this film to soaring heights.

Iron Man is another ideal example of learning lessons to pay respect to the people who have made this film possible by staying until the showing of the end credits is complete. If you want to know more of what I'm talking about, then stay for the rest of the scrolling credits.

For those comic book fans, this 126 minutes of industrial strength comic book fare for the big screen shall remind you of why you liked comics to begin with. For those who are merely looking for an action and special effects-filled popcorn spectacle with heart and brains, this shapely piece of mythmaking breathes life and energy into an otherwise run-of-the-mill comic book movie endeavor. Indeed, the audiences looking for grand escapist fare at cinemas shall find Iron Man such a valuable pick.