Review: Ironman (2008)

[Homer Yen]

"Ironman" -  Fortified If Not Completely Filling
by Homer Yen
(c) 2008

Sometimes, it's the movie that makes the man (or woman).  Last
summer's "Transformers" catapulted Megan Fox into the Sexiest Woman
Alive as surveyed by FHM magazine.  But here, delightfully, it's
Robert Downey Jr. that makes the movie.

What a great casting decision!  Even if your knowledge of pop culture
is derived from glancing at magazines placed at the grocery checkout
lane, you've probably heard of how this once-Hollywood heartthrob
became tabloid fodder.  Up-and-coming in the 80s, he feasted on his
growing popularity and then descended into a world marred by
addiction, hard-partying, and poor judgment.  It's the perfect
lifetime training for him as he inhabits the role of Tony Stark,
supercilious-billionaire-industrialist-cum-superhero.

This is the first time that audiences have been introduced to
"Ironman" on the big screen.  Ironman is not so much a superhero as he
is a super-weapon that fits snuggly on a man with lofty purpose.
However, Tony Stark was not always a man of high morals.  But he has
always been a person of astronomical intelligence, which he has
leveraged into an insanely profitable, technologically advanced
weapons company.

Stark is so wealthy that he pretty much has his way with anything and
anyone.  Of those closest to him, one is his unwavering assistant,
Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).  The character's name sounds like a
Jamaican dinner dish, eh?  Her job is pretty thankless, divided
between keeping his image up while dismissing his one-night stands.
On the one hand, there isn't much for Potts to do although she becomes
a possible-yet-impossible romantic interest.  On the other hand,
there's something welcoming and wholesome about having Gwyneth Paltrow
in the picture.

The other close friend is Pentagon honcho Jim Rhodes (Terrence
Howard).  While he tries to remain resolute and responsible, he finds
himself uncharacteristically relaxed when Stark flies with him on his
corporate jet that apparently doubles as a Gentleman's Club.

The film chronicles the origin of Ironman.  And as "Superhero Origin"
films go, this one is better than most other "Superhero Origin" films.
 "Ironman" is leagues ahead of the likes of the inaugural Superman,
X-Men, and Fantastic Four.  Give credit to the writers for developing
Stark as a three-dimensional character that goes from a man of
perversity to a man of principle.  And, there certainly isn't any
deficiency in the acting department here.  Among all of the principal
players, the cast probably shares among them at least several Oscar
nominations from previous cinematic work.  And as for the quality of
the production, it has ample special effects and all the wild gadgets
and gizmos that you would expect from a summer blockbuster about a
superhero.

What it suffers from, however, is uneven pacing.  The best scenes take
place early on as Stark goes to the hot zones of Afghanistan to
promote his newly designed weapons, getting to see first-hand at what
his products can do.  These scenes are more human and thus more
compelling.  As the film moves into its last act, it becomes a duel of
testosterone and titanium.  Overall, sometimes it's a cool experience.
 Sometimes it's dramatic.  Sometimes it's funny.  Sometimes the film
seems to drag.  As Vince Lombardi said: "Winning is not a sometime
thing; it's an all the time thing."

Grade:	B

S:	1 out of 3
L:	1 out of 3
V:	2 out of 3