Some reviews referred to “Iron Man” as one of the more underrated movies of 2008, so I thought it was worth checking out. Hell, the fact that Robert Downey Jr. still finds a way to appear in movies was intriguing enough, so I figured I’d give it a spin even though I had come away rather disappointed in my last bout with kid’s-comics-gone-adult-mainstream with “Dark Night.”
Downey Jr. appears to be on a career arc that looks roughly like the old Loch Ness Monster ride at Busch Gardens, going from has-been to almost-is and back again with frightening regularity. He seems to fit his role as billionaire industrialist-scientist Tony Stark perfectly, acting like an egocentric smartass until he’s literally blasted into having a conscience. His partner, Obadiah Stone (yes, this movie had some rather strange names), is played by Jeff Bridges, who does a not-so-subtle job of concealing the fact that he is a criminal. Hell, when he rolls up to the lab on a Segway, looking like his former buddy Walter Sobchak from “Big Lebowski”, it was hard not to see the invisible neon sign flashing, “HERE IS YOUR ANTAGONIST.”
After he’s attacked and taken hostage, Stark quickly and deftly turns his cave into a world-class laboratory. As best as I could tell, he was able to fashion a superhero costume out of spare parts such as cans of Beefarino and old tuna fish in an Afghan cave, while also designing a rocket—all in under three months. All with an apparent hole in his chest that is filled with what appears to be kryptonite. All while delivering well-timed ironic barbs at his Afghanistanian “helper.” That is one very productive mofo. Of course, it all leads up to a predictable, epic battle between good-and-bad, big-and-small Iron Men.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a surprising choice in a throwaway role as Stark’s ever-present assistant, Pepper Potts (don’t ask). She looks great as a redhead, but this is a pretty far fall for an actress who enjoyed a stretch of time when she was the top choice for any premier leading-lady role, then she started dating ditto-rockers and naming children after various pieces of fruit. Terrence Howard is a solid actor, but he’s pretty wasted as Stark’s military chum, Rhodey. The dude from “New Adventures of Old Christine" also makes an odd appearance as some sort of government operative, but at that point Stark’s crisis of conscience feels a bit convenient and forced, so you’re sorta reduced to, “Why don’t they just do more Rambo/James Bond/special effects stuff?”
What it all added up to was your basic blow-‘em-up summer flick (featuring sequel functionality!), with Jon Favreau directing about like Michael Bay or somesuch. It was funny at times and entertaining at others, which is more than I could say about lotsa summer movies that roll down the pike. So kudos Downey … now, just stay away from the Coreys and the meth labs.
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