Iron Man

Rating: out of
Released: 2008
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr.; Gwyneth Paltrow; Jeff Bridges; Terrence Howard; Shaun Toub

Iron Man is not a movie that you need to see. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a weapons expert and generally an engineering genius. While displaying a new invention to the military, he is kidnapped after the unit protecting him is ambushed.

Stark’s life is saved by a Middle Eastern engineer named Yinsen (Shaun Toub); the engineer constructs a magnet to keep shrapnel out of Stark’s heart. Stark escapes by building an armored suit. Yinsen dies during Stark’s escape. Stark promises to live a meaningful life as tribute to the man who saved them.

It’s interesting that the first third of the movie develops an established war movie cliché (a man makes a promise to a dying friend on the battlefield), given that the film also wants to occasionally be critical of the military and militarism. It seems the world would be a better place if more rich people saved small villages by dawning their state-of-the-art suit of armor.

The film also pits Stark’s sui generis business acumen against insane capitalist Obidiah (Jeff Bridges), Stark’s associate. Stark does things on his own terms while Obidiah wants to manipulate the system. Stark’s loyal girl Friday Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, who came back to movies to do this?) shows that Stark is a lovable eccentric and genius who should be trusted. It’s some sort of libertarian celebration of individualism over crony capitalism, a capitalism that sells weapons to all sides.

Downey and Bridges enjoy themselves. Downey is both playing himself and slumming; although that sounds like it should be a paradox, it seems quite common for actors to do this nowadays. Downey is a charismatic enough actor, though, to make the dull choice of coasting on one’s charm work well: he is more or less the lovable cad that Stark needs to be. Bridges does the broad action film characterization well.

Sadly, the last fifteen minutes are very poorly wrought. The action is confusing; the resolution, more so. There’s also some insufferable product placement. I enjoy the product in question, but I’d think someone returning to the U.S. would want something more local when it comes to hamburgers, especially if he lives in L.A. Favreau probably had a lot of fun making this, but it was more fun to make than to watch.

I am fortunate to live in Taipei, Taiwan at the moment, for it seems that this is a great movie city. The Taiwanese art film may be dead, but each screening I’ve attended has always had the right audience. I once watched There Will Be Blood late on a Monday night, and the audience (a good twelve to twenty people) was more respectful of the film even than that which one would find at an American art house cinema. (They also greatly enjoyed the broadly comic ending.) One thing that makes (and, in my case, made) Iron Man watchable is the presence of an audience genuinely and affably enjoying action movie clichés. There is no reason to watch Iron Man, but it is hardly an abomination, and with the right attitude and surroundings, it kills time nicely.

Reviewed by: Sean Allan

May 02,2008