Geared Up
Robert Downey Jr. shines in dazzling 'Iron Man,' a solid start to summer blockbuster season
Director: Jon Favreau Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges Grade: B Rated PG-13: For some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content
by Tom Long
Industrial-strength comic book moviemaking of the most entertaining order, "Iron Man" is darn near invincible fun, a perfect mix of high-tech dazzle and good old-fashioned charisma that's bound to leave audiences begging for more.
Understand, this isn't The Great Film of 2008 -- or at least let's hope not. But it is solid summertime moviemaking. Director Jon Favreau ("Elf") balances the eye candy, the corn, the comedy and the action without ever lurching or stumbling, and there's not a dead moment in the movie. It may be the most efficient superhero film ever made.
And one of the more offbeat.
Robert Downey Jr. -- reminding the world that given the chance, he can be one of the most arresting actors alive -- stars as Tony Stark, a brilliant inventor and arms dealer whose weapons are scattered all around the globe.
A playboy whose life is essentially one long brilliant party, he is helped with the particulars by his beautiful aide, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), his military pal, Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), and his business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges).
The script is wisely broken into three comics worth of material: The making of Iron Man, Iron Man versus the terrorists, and Iron Man versus Iron Monger. The progression lets our hero start at rock bottom and work his way (literally) upward.
Stark sees the light about the many weapons he has manufactured after being captured by terrorists in a remote desert. Held in a cave, the terrorists replace his heart with some sort of electrogadget, then threaten to kill him if he doesn't build them a sophisticated weapon. Unknown to them, he builds himself a huge bulky suit made of scrap iron to aid in his escape.
Once back home and munching on a cheesy burger (product placement), Stark announces he's going to stop selling and making weapons, a surprise that sends Stane spinning and has others wondering if Tony has lost his mind.
But his mind is sharp as ever, and Stark begins working on a far more sophisticated version of the metal suit that helped him escape from the terrorists.
You pretty much know (or can guess) the rest. But a good deal of the fun in this movie comes from watching Stark's stuttering struggles to smooth out the kinks in his high-tech outfit.
Eventually, though, Iron Man is up and flying, and Favreau runs him through his paces with glee.
Having Downey, a man who knows a thing or two about personal redemption, play an arms dealer out to redeem himself is simply genius. The actor has enough outside-the-role baggage to make his work in the film feel all that more real.
More important, though, is Downey's sense of comic timing. This is the guy who was nominated for an Oscar for playing Charlie Chaplin, remember; he knows how to sell a laugh and sells a bunch of them here.
He also throws plenty of punches, though, and action fans will not be left wanting.
"Iron Man" has a nice, simple moral base, but it doesn't have the transcendent potential of comics such as "X-Men" or "Hellboy," and Favreau seems to understand that. He lets the film play out without leaning on the operatics that have dragged other comic heroes down of late (you listening, Spidey?).
The result is fun without strain. "Iron Man" isn't trying to be great, it's trying to be damn good, and it certainly is that.
