Iron Man | Jacquie Kubin saw | ENTERTAINMENT

Iron Man

May/01/08 09:25 PM Filed in: Jacquie Kubin saw
Baby Mama in theaters logo
Iron Man’s standout screen appearance may very well be the dynamic Stan Lee who dons the role of another great Los Angeles resident for his too brief cameo. But then, without Stan Lee there would be no Iron Man.

Iron Man review
With the advent of computer graphics, the parade of comic book super heroes began and I admit to enjoying everyone of them. Even Ang Lee’s Hulk (2003). But this film, I did not enjoy. I adored. I loved. I reveled in.

Yes, Iron Man is a great comic book hero. But he is also a very flawed human being. Created by the legends of Stan Lee (writer), Larry Lieber (writer), Jack Kirby (artist) and Don Heck (artist), Iron Man introduced us to Tony Stark back in 1963, the prodigal orphaned son of a weapons manufacturer who learned all to well that those that “live by the sword, die by the sword.’

Tony Stark is a misogynistic, alcoholic, genius that lives to tinker in a world filled with technology; his most endearing relationships are with the robots that he builds. As is often with Stan Lee’s “heroes” a life-altering experience changes Tony from war profiteer to humanist. But this is a humanist who is a genius. And very creative.

Thus Iron Man is born. However at the heart of Iron Man still stands Tony, a very flawed human being who is beginning to make better choices and to see the world around him from a perspective that is not always through the bottom of a glass of scotch on the rocks.

Tony’s battle with alcoholism is central to his character in comics and this, in itself, is particularly interesting if you consider the casting of Robert Downey Jr. (know for his substance abuse problems) in the title role.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man
Director Jon Favreau lets his actors act, which is such a marvelous experience. Iron Man’s human persona, Tony Stark, could not have been better cast than Mr. Downey, Jr. Even when encased, not in iron, but a gold alloy suit (the better to exit and enter the Earth’s atmosphere) Iron Man retains Downey’s physical nature and swagger. He looks real good in the suit.

His humor is dead on. And we find ourselves learning to like this guy, a role that Downey has described as the "challenge of making a wealthy, establishmentarian, weapons-manufacturing, hard-drinking, womanizing prick into a character who is likable and a hero."

Gwyneth Paltrow, as Pepper Potts, Tony Starks loving and devoted assistant, is brilliant as we see her emerge from her primarily administrative role to being Tony’s love interest, even if he has not quite figured it out. Yet.

As Tony Starks only real male friend, Terrence Howard suffers admirably as Jim Rhodes, who, in future films, becomes Iron Man’a partner, War Machine.

Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger makes an admirable bad guy in the film, and as in all films of this genre, his eventual comeuppance is not saddening. Screenplay writers Mark Ferbus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway worked with Lee’s original story well and, while Tony was quite unlikable in the beginning, he grows on us as we see him muster and survive the ultimate Shakespearean betrayal.

It is said that Director Favreau allowed the cast to improvise and it shows. Movie audiences are cynical and this is one of the few where the laughter was genuine and, always, right on target.

Amongst the many great lines was Pepper Potts comments to one of Tony’s sexual conquests. It is here that her true strength begins to shine.

"Iron Man"
Paramount Pictures
Four mandalas movie review
Four Donne mandalas out of five
Web site: http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/