So I went with my wife to see Iron Man last week. All I really need to say is that it's the best superhero movie ever and you should go see it. But since I haven't posted for a while I should expand on that.
First of all, it's true enough to the comics for me. Now I was a Marvel fan for years, and I read Iron Man for years, but I'm not exactly an expert on the details of Iron Man's origin. But I do know enough to say this fits in as well--or better--with the original story than most comic book movie adaptations. The special effects are great. And by great I mean they're used just enough--at the right moments and in the right amount to be exciting but not silly.
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly:
Good: Fast paced, exciting story. It clocks in right around 2 hours, but I was left wanting more. Wanting more in a good way, that is. It's like a trip to Chuck E. Cheese*...you never want to leave, but eventually you run out of tokens. Downey and Paltrow are excellent as well...great chemistry/tension and a believable interpretation of the characters. The suit looks fantastic. It's much like the "ultimate" version, which makes sense given the age of the original version. Overall, everything succeeds in being a modern interpretation of the classic story and characters.
I thought the actor playing Rhodey was...interesting, but he does the part well. Watch for subtle hints about "War Machine."
Be sure to stay all the way through to the end of the credits for an extra scene. I won't spoil it except to give a very "shielded" hint that if you miss it you'll be "furious."
Bad: Hmmm....hard to say....I could have watched about 2 more hours of it, so maybe I'll complain that it's too short. But that's just silly...it should leave me wanting more. I guess I'll use this space to say that the action figures are only so-so. Of course I went out and bought Iron Man and Iron Monger right after the show. They're okay, but not great. Iron Monger is the better of the two.
Ugly: Jeff Bridges. Of course the character is ugly, so it works, but man...he's just a nasty old man.
My favorite moments: the whole Mark I armor/escape the terrorist scene. You can hear the gears whirring and the whole thing looks very real. His first "mission" to liberate some people being harassed by the bad guys has some great moments as well...love the precision targeting from his shoulder guns.
*I know, Chuck E. Cheese is soooo not retro cool. But I thought it was more recognizable these days than Showbiz.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
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