Movie #209: Iron Man

Movie #: 209
Movie Title: Iron Man
Year Released: 2008

Director: Jon Favreau
Notable Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrance Howard, Jeff Bridges

Short Description: When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #80
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 6/27/2013

What I Liked: I firmly believe that Robert Downey Jr. was the quintessential choice to play Tony Stark and without him Iron Man would not have the same impact. The tone of the movie is serious but not so much that small, sporadic interjections of comedy are unwelcome. It's gotten to the point in the movie industry that complimenting great CGI doesn't mean much because with today's technology it should be expected, but the Iron Man suit is a thing of beauty. I love that four years before The Avengers, Marvel was already setting up the future by introducing us to S.H.I.E.L.D. and mentioning The Avengers Initiative in the post-credits scene.

What I Disliked: I don't know why but whenever I watch this movie I don't get the feeling that Obadiah Stane is a strong villain. Jeff Bridges plays the character well and the rational for him being a villain is sound, but it just seems like something is lacking and I can't put my finger on it.

Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: Marvel hit a home run by casting Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and by betting on the future with references to S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers.