Iron Man

-
Perfectly straddling the line between comic fantasy and contemporary reality, Iron Man is the most gratifying movie of the blockbuster season so far. Unlike so many superhero films, which attempt to layer on the angst – the Spider-Man series grew especially tiresome and whiny over time – the emphasis in Iron Man is purely on fun.


Of course, the #1 reason that the Iron Man movie succeeds is the character of Tony Stark, portrayed with perfect cynical wit by Robert Downey Jr – an unconventional, but spot-on choice for the role.

Unlike billionaire Bruce (Batman) Wayne, that other very human hero with a technology fetish, Tony Stark is not a deep brooder. While Wayne adopts a playboy persona as a façade, Tony Stark IS a playboy, irresistibly cocky and loveable. No scene makes this more evident than an early saki-fuelled sequence on Stark’s private jet. Even after his life changing experience as a hostage in the Middle East, Stark doesn’t lose his sense of humour… or arrogance. His final announcement of the film, at a press conference, positions him in direct contrast to the vast majority of comic heroes. Stark is a complete attention hog.

Downey Jr is supported by a perfect A-list cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard as Stark’s frequently frustrated but loyal assistants, Pepper Potts and Jim Rhodes. Jeff Bridges rounds off the cast as Stark’s long-term business partner and fellow weapons developer, Obadiah Stane. All turn in excellent, credible performances.


In terms of storyline, Iron Man isn’t the most original film, with Stark attempting to undo the damage caused by his hi-tech military hardware. However, what the film loses in originality it makes up in pure class – Iron Man offers the best in glossy, action packed, visually stunning entertainment audiences could hope for.

And I challenge anyone to leave the cinema and not want at least one piece of Stark's mind-blowing, impressive gadgetry... or his Audi.

Whatever you do, though, don’t leave the cinema until the credits have rolled. Comic fanboys and girls will be rewarded with a fantastic cameo appearance that hints at the direction future Iron Man and Marvel films will head.

Comments

Anonymous said…
apparently at the end, after the credits theres a short scene that is an intro to "Iron Man 2". I missed it... anybody have any details?
10:54 AM
Pfangirl said…
SPOILERS AHEAD:

Basically Tony Stark returns to his mansion where he discovers S.H.I.E.L.D. head Nick Fury (played by eyepatch-wearing Samuel L Jackson) waiting for him.

Jackson asks Stark if he'd be interested in joining the Avengers project, which implies future Marvel superhero team-ups.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers_%28comics%29
11:08 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is the rebooted Lara Croft gay? Evidence for and against...

-
Image
As some of you know, I’ve been fangirling hard over the new Tomb Raider , the first entry in the video game series since 2008, and ostensibly a reboot for the entire franchise . Taking the form of an origin story, Tomb Raider 2013 depicts the events that transformed a beautiful, if bookish, archaeology graduate into a pistol-packing adventurer with a devil-may-care attitude. We meet Lara Croft as a pretty, fairly ordinary 21 year old, brooding over her work notes, listening to her mp3 player and very much confined to the shadow of her male mentors. By the end of the game, however, she’s taken charge – she’s had to! – and, battered, bruised and bloody, she’s both a survivor and hero, right down to rescuing the princess and carrying her away in her arms. Yeah, this is probably the best point to mention that there will be some Tomb Raider 2013 spoilers in this post, so read ahead with caution. Anyway, I loved the game. Technically it’s near faultless, it looks beautiful, the ov...
Read more

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Queer Icon (Part 4)

-
Image
Part 4: The mystery of Lara Croft’s sexuality “Now what’s a man gotta do to get that kind of attention from ya?” – Larson Conway (Tomb Raider, 1996) Despite being an icon for many queer pop culture consumers, Lara Croft’s own sexual orientation remains ambiguous. Outside of the Top Cow comics and live-action films – where Lara is blatantly heterosexual, with a fondness for slightly scruffy bad boys (who keep betraying and hurting her) – the character comes across as primarily asexual. Kurtis Trent is the only male figure who even comes close to being a love interest in the game series. Lara's apparent sexual disinterest is despite the adventurer appearing very sexually attractive herself; a figure of desire with bee-stung lips, voluptuous breasts, toned stomach and impossibly long, athlete’s legs. Yet Lara is never dominated by sexual yearnings or romantic affections. She is very much in control of herself at all times. It’s worth noting, however, that over time th...
Read more

Ladies I Love: Part 2 - Rhona Mitra

-
Image
Following on from the first post in this series , you may realise that I have a very definite type. Anyway, today we profile model-turned-actress Rhona Mitra . This 36 year old Briton is of English, Irish and Indian descent. You'll have seen her pop up on the big and small screen multiple over the past decade and a half, although Mitra's claim to fame is that she was the second ever model (some say first if you rule out "unofficial"  Nathalie Cook ) to play iconic video game character Lara Croft . From 1997-1998, Mitra could be found in PR material, as well as at trade shows, events and conventions as a flesh-and-blood embodiment of Tomb Raider 's kick-ass archeologist lead. There have been many official Lara Croft models over the years , but as far as I'm concerned Mitra remains the best. In my mind, of all of them, she most closely resembles the video game character in terms of facial features. Plus she comes from money and had a rebellious boarding...
Read more