MOVIE REVIEW: Iron Man

IRON MAN

Six of Seven Cows

Iron Man is going to be a blockbuster. Who would have thought that someone so incredibly flawed as Robert Downey Jr. would be America’s next great superhero? In a town where substance abuse and debauchery is considered essential for artistic cred, Downey was considered pathetically, embarrassingly, contemptibly broken. And now he’s the man of steel… er, iron? Perhaps we should call him Irony Man.

But there’s no way around it -- Iron Man rocks.

Downey was always an absurdly gifted actor – just watch the amazing Chaplin: The Movie -- and more than any blockbuster in recent memory Iron Man is wholly dependant on one actor’s performance. That trust is well-placed, as Downey delivers his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in a style uniquely his. He gives the character a depth that the script alone could not, and though Stark is a bit of a cretin, like Downey himself he’s a fairly loveable one.

Gwenyth Paltrow does a fine job as Pepper Potts, Stark’s assistant, though it’s Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane that really stands out. Just seeing Bridges grey, bald and bearded is a bit of a shock, though he’s perfect as Stark’s unscrupulous business partner. I didn’t know I missed him until seeing him here.

Some of Hollywood’s favorite clichés are on display in Iron Man, and can be mildly annoying if you let them. A vague anti-war theme runs throughout, and of course there’s the unscrupulous weapons manufacturer that happily sells to our enemies for a few extra quid. I just assume Hollywood’s elite can’t make a film of their baby’s first step without inserting a political message, and I don’t let it bother me.

If you’re bringing children just understand that Tony Stark is a deeply flawed baby-sitter. The sexual innuendo and imagery is thick, especially early in the movie, and though there’s no actual nudity there’s a couple of scenes that may make a parent cringe.

Humor, talent and wit can go a long way in helping others forgive one’s faults, and in this sense Downey’s role as Tony Stark mirrors his real life. Iron Man is undoubtedly the first of a franchise, one that should hold it’s own next to the Spider Man and Batman series. Bravo for Robert Downey Jr., and may the sequels in both his real and screen lives be as successful as Iron Man.