Iron Man - 2008

Ever since hearing about the making of Iron Man I've been interested in what the filmmakers will do with one my favorite Marvel comics superhero. To say that I wasn't disappointed is an understatement. So it was with excitement and a little glee that I saw Iron Man today, and I wasn't disappointed. Directed by Jon Favre, the director who has brought you movies such as Made, Elf , and Zathura: A Space Adventure directed Iron Man. Favre does a great job, and gives his actors some real space to actually act. The screenplay is written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway who give Iron Man some very funny dialogue, and an interesting origin.

Iron Man starts off with a bang, and it involves you the audience to invest in the character of Tony Stark who is played by Robert Downey Jr. Downey has fun with the character, and it shows. Downey is a top notch actor, and I hope this propels Downey into more juicer roles. I hear that he is in two other films that are coming out later this year. I've been a fan of Downey since Chaplin, and always thought that Downey was a very good actor, and here he proves it.

Of course there are also other actors in Iron Man who give top notch performances such as Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The story is a bit predictable, but origin films are hard, and Iron Man's origin is a bit complex. My six year old liked the movie a lot, but he did find it slow at times. I know, I know a SIX year old at a PG-13 movie? Well with Paramount marketing to this age group by putting out the toys to Iron Man you cannot escape the desire of a little boy to see his superhero. Maybe that's where I kind of get pissed off at the studio. Clearly the movie is PG-13 for a reason, and this is only a guide for parents. Ultimately you know your own child and his or her own temperament & sophistication. Yet the studios flood the toy market with tie-ins to the movie, and this includes everything from T-shirts to action figures. To say "no" to a little boy who wants to see one of his favorite superheros is hard.

Ultimately the dialogue goes over a lot of the kids heads, and they are drawn to the creation of Iron Man and his battles. I also like it that Iron Man is a hero who is a superhero only through his own devices. Brains not brawn win here, and that's not a bad message to send to our children.

I enjoyed seeing the movie come to life. Iron Man has always been a favorite of mine. Even before Spiderman, or The Fantastic Four. I was a Marvel kid, and grew up on their comic books. Seeing it through my young boys eyes gave me a thrill that I really enjoyed. It was also great to see a good movie about a superhero. So many times studios fail to live up to the comic book, and at least here they surpass it.

It was also great to see a cameo of Stan "the man" Lee the publisher of Marvel, and the creator of so many Marvel superheros. In the end Iron Man is a fun romp through the fantastic. I hear that the actors have signed on to two more films, so I look forward to seeing them. in the future. Iron Man rules, and the movie will bring out the big kid in you. I whole heartedly recommend it!