Friday,
May 2, 2008

I...AM...IRON MAN!

Um, yeah, so this was so damn good that I didn't want it to stop, which is...well, I can't remember the last time I felt that way about a movie.

And no, I'm not going to give any spoilers, so don't worry. Let me just cover the high points:

• Robert Downey Jr. is spot-on perfect as Tony Stark -- arrogant, amusing, slick as Teflon until he's brought face to face with what his company has done to the Third World. When he realizes that it's up to him to fix what his company (and another pertinent character) have fucked up, it's a great moment. And I can only assume that RJD's own battle with addiction is what gives Stark one hella sense of being tormented. Damn good casting choice there.
  
  
• I would also be interested in knowing what percentage of the script was ad-libbed. A lot of the quips had Downey's fingerprints all over them.
  
  
• I want Tony Stark's house. And his AI.
  
  
• Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes/War Machine was just as perfect -- sharp, supportive without being a pushover, and eminently cool.
  
  
• Gwyneth Paltrow didn't annoy me even once, plus I love the fact that Pepper keeps giving Tony shit right up to the end.
  
  
• Brilliant Stan Lee cameo!
  
  

Oh, speaking of cameos, apparently Iron Man makes a brief appearance in the upcoming THE INCREDIBLE HULK, which bodes well for that flick. I'm betting this will be an Easter egg.

• Holy crap -- a superhero movie that has a real plot! And character development that feels natural and not jammed in with a sledgehammer! And doesn't just throw explosions at you until you want to hork into your popcorn bag! Whatever will they think of next?
  
  
• Having Stan Winston use physical models for some of the special effects was genius -- making this all CGI would've taken something away from the movie. As it is, you BELIEVE that Stark and another characters are wearing physical battle armor.
  
  
• The little aside to War Machine was beautiful.
  
  
• There had BETTER be a sequel to this.
  
  
• The Easter egg after the credits is required viewing -- don't leave until you see it. Everyone in the theater with us was cheering afterwards.

As for the trailers, DARK KNIGHT was most excellent (although I was somewhat bemused by the obvious shots of the Chicago skyline, lakefront and Chicago river -- um, since when did the Second City become Gotham?), SPEED RACER doesn't look nearly as silly as I was afraid it would, and a remake of THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN will be on A&E sometime next month. Lots of good stuff coming up, oh yes.

And now, I must go and walk off the popcorn, tra la!

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