ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (left), plays Tony Stark, a billionaire inventor in “Iron Man.” He is pictured with his best friend, Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard).
The moment “Iron Man” opens with the Marvel Studios banner, you just know this film’s going to be different. And it is.
“Iron Man” ushers in a new generation of characters from Marvel’s acclaimed “House of Ideas.” The comic book company has taken full control of its properties, so if the movie is bad, or if characters are not true to their original incarnation, fans and moviegoers alike can blame Marvel.
I blame Marvel (and director Jon Favreau) for how good “Iron Man” is. Who would have guessed that Robert Downey Jr. was born for this role?
When we first meet Tony Stark (Downey), he is living the life: a billionaire, a graduate of MIT at the age 17, good looking and brilliant. The guy can build anything. He has even created a house so futuristic it talks to him and offers advice.
The head of Stark Industries, a company originally run by his deceased father and the duplicitous Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), has earned its dollars by making weaponry purchased by the U.S. military. Stark’s best friend, Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), tries to keep him grounded, and then there’s his assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is sort of a love interest. It’s the kind of relationship that will be familiar to viewers of ABC’s “Pushing Daisies.” They dance around their attraction throughout the film, providing a nice on-screen chemistry.
Stark has it all, until one day he is blown up by one of his own devices in Afghanistan during a test run. He is taken hostage by radical Muslim extremists who live in caves. The explosion has left him with shrapnel in his heart. A fellow prisoner develops a power source that uses magnetic technology to keep the shrapnel from his heart.
The terrorists want him to build a missile, but Stark has other ideas.
He returns to America a changed man, and this change sets the movie into motion and to its satisfying conclusion.
The great performances by Downey, Paltrow, Howard and Bridges have repositioned Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee’s character as relevant in a post 9/11 world. Not bad for a character who made his first appearance in “Tales of Suspense” No. 39 in March of 1963.
“Iron Man” follows the same comic book movie origin template audiences have grown accustomed to, albeit with more assurance than the average comic book movie’s first outing. “Iron Man” has a steely swagger and balances fantasy with humor and a protagonist to root for. The movie is well worth the price. And with an estimated domestic gross of $101 million during its first weekend, a sequel is on the way.
Robert Downey Jr. has taken his place again as a bona fide movie star. And I say it’s about time.
Grade: A+
