Movies I Watched Instead of Writing: Iron Man

The boy and I caught a preview screening of Iron Man yesterday, and I have to say that even with my high expectations, I left the theater pretty damn satisfied. Despite some initial reservations after learning that it was rated G, I've got to hand it to director Jon Favreau. He managed to make an entertaining superhero flick that was adult enough for me to enjoy, but tame enough to deliver the wide audience the studio wanted. It's pretty violent without being exploitive and Favreau is able to imply quite a bit without really showing anything.

While the plot is pretty standard and simplistic, the true strength of the film is the performances. Robert Downie Jr. is perfectly cast as the narcissistic scientist bad-boy come superdude Tony Stark. His dry wit and luminous charisma create a character the audience wants to root for, regardless of your familiarity with the original comic book. Jeff Bridges is predictably good and makes for a smooth and compelling villain, easily matching wits with Downie but never outshining him as often happens in these types of films. Terrence Howard is serviceable as Jim Rhodes and Favreau even gives himself a bit part as Stark's driver, Hogan.

Most surprising of all is Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Stark's long suffering assistant. Often the female lead becomes a super-hero film's greatest weakness (see Halle Berry, Kirstin Dunst, Katie Holmes, etc...), but Paltrow is one of those few actresses who "gets it". She does not resort to camp, although her portrayal of Pepper is delightfully flighty, and she is able to participate as a close equal to Stark. She is at turns on the ball and out of her depths, a sidekick but never second banana. The chemistry between Paltrow and Downie is also very strong and I would even say it is one of the film's great strengths.

The film clips along at a decent pace, lacking the bloat of many recent superhero movies being just over two hours long. The effects are impressive and fluid, never hijacking the story and the designs for the Iron Man and Iron Monger suits are beautiful to look at. If you like action movies, R.D. Jr. or superheros, see this movie. Also, stay until the very end of the credits for a special treat...