IRON MAN
US, 2008, 126 minutes, Colour.
Robert Downey Junior, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Clark Gregg, Jon Favreau.
Directed by John Favreau.
The Marvel Comics company must be more than marvelling at how successful their movie franchise has been over the last ten years or so: X Men trilogy, Spiderman trilogy, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, more Batman films, Wolverine coming up soon and plans for a number of the popular comic books to be brought to big screen life.
And here is Iron Man to make a strong contribution to the success.
One of the good things about Iron Man is that he was not genetically modified by any bites. He doesn’t have any unearthly powers. Rather, like Bruce Wayne who becomes Batman, Tony Stark is a wealthy (that takes care of his labs and technical and technological developments), highly intelligent (that takes care of his inventions being more than we can anticipate), patriotic (he is in the arms production and distribution business) and, generally a hail-fellow-well-met.
However, he is more than something of a playboy (not like the austere Bruce Wayne). Since the film has been updated from Vietnam to the present, the focus is on war in Afghanistan. Out there to arrogantly and vainly present his latest missiles, he is captured, tortured and sees for himself what damage his arms do. In 2008, with opinion against the war in Iraq and occupying forces in Afghanistan, the film takes a turn for more peace-oriented issues. Tony Stark is a changed man and, despite Wall St stock losses, his interest is in developing his iron man flying suit for positive purposes.
Gwynneth Paltrow is his noble and faithful assistant, not exactly a Lois Lane but rather the attractive equivalent of Bruce Wayne’s butler and secretary.
When we hear Jeff Bridges’ voice and look at the screen, many of us do a double take – just who is this bald and grey-bearded man? Yes, it is Jeff Bridges, all set up to be the villain of the show (in something of a parody of Dick Cheyney and his vice-presidential power behind the throne and the companies he has been associated with having huge contracts in post-invasion Iraq).
Which leaves us to comment on Robert Downey Jr being a superhero. He is not exactly the actor who comes to mind to portray a superhero (and neither was Michael Keaton, a comedian who made a rather grim Batman). However, Tony Stark is more extraverted and Downey is obviously relishing the chance to be the man about town turned zealous patriot and do-gooder. He also gets the opportunity to do a lot of stunts as most of the action in the latter part of the film has him testing his suit as he flies to Afghanistan, checking out its possibilities both in the lab and in the skies above LA and, finally, in his combat with a villain in a giant-sized iron man suit.
Some wit in the screenplay and performances from the cast who are presenting it all quite seriously means that this is one of Marvel’s entertaining blockbusters.
1. The popularity of the film? Heroes? Comic book heroes?
2. The Marvel Comics and their popularity, the stars and heroes? The emerging film tradition?
3. A more realistic hero? The explanations of his background, wealth, character, scientific genius, technological know-how, his experience in Afghanistan, the injuries, his inventions, the change, the difficulties with his heart, his work at home, his mission?
4. The United States and the wealthy background, the weaponry, the laboratory, the factory? The American military? The Afghanistan villages, caves, deserts, mountains? The war? The musical score?
5. The technology, the military, the weapons, science, the climax with the confrontation between the two iron men?
6. The introduction to Tony Stark? Robert Downey Jnr in a comic strip hero role? The opening, the drive in Afghanistan, his manner, talk, taking the photos with the men, the sudden explosion, the ambush, his fleeing, being taken prisoner, the torture, his assistant and the translator? Yansen and his domination, wanting missiles? The Afghans and their attempts on Stark’s life – and the irony of the revelation about Obadiah? Stark and his building the machine, his escape, the attack, the destruction of the enemy, wandering the desert, the helicopter rescue?
7. The flashback to the dinner, the awards, the speeches, the DVD of Stark’s life in Korea, his father, Obadiah, his not being present, Jim Rhodes’ speech? His gambling, the journalist and the interview, the sexual relationship, Pepper Pots and her help? Getting rid of the woman? His skills, workaholic, achievement?
8. The experience in Afghanistan, the change, his return, wanting the burger, the casual press conference, Obadiah trying to smooth things over, Jim Rhodes and the military reaction? The stocks in the company going down? His not wanting to make weapons any more?
9. Tony’s character, his work, skills, the testing of his new suit, the dinner, the journalist and her questions? Pepper and her dress, the dance? His going to Afghanistan, avenging the people in the village, the deaths of the attackers, the incident and his injuries?
10. The military, the flights, seeing Iron Man flying, wanting to shoot him down, breaking the wing of the plane, his being on the bottom of the plane, Rhodes seeing this? His return?
11. His heart, survival, the magnet stopping the shrapnel going into his heart? The improved model? Pepper and her wariness in changing it? His testing his suit, the flights, Pepper seeing him, the ice and the test?
12. Obadiah, going to Afghanistan, the plan to kill Tony, with Yanson, killing him? Pepper, her downloading the information?
13. Obadiah threatening Pepper, threatening Tony, paralysing him?
14. Pepper, Agent Coulson and the agency, wanting the assistance of Tony? The arrest, Obadiah?
15. The build-up to the confrontation, Section 16, the enormous suit, Obadiah and the fight, going high, the ice and the confrontation on the roof, Tony getting Pepper to press the button?
16. The end, the press conference – admitting he was Iron Man?
17. The battles between good and evil, change, effort?
18. The background of the war in Iraq, American arms deals – and the parallels with the contemporary American military situation at the beginning of the 21st century?
