What most die-hard fans of either superhero movies or the title character (most probably those two go hand in hand) will be looking for in this movie will be the joy of seeing the suit being put together and some kick-ass action sequences. While it certainly delivers on the former, although people may be somewhat disappointed that it’s close to an hour before we even see the suit, it’s the latter that I fear might not completely satisfy people.
Director Jon Favreau isn’t the great action director in the world to say the least; his style I feel is more suited to the dialogue-centric scenes or those involving the building of the suit. The action here, although decent enough and with some great little sections here and there, isn’t the full-on, fantastic, blow-you-away action that a lot of people are expecting and hoping for. Throughout the action scenes it just felt like Favreau was a little out of his depth and it needed a more experienced director in this field to give it that extra push to the next level. I wasn't irked with it all that much, as I found many other things besides action in Iron Man to enjoy, but I am sure it will bother others.
The biggest joy to be found besides the dialogue and the delivery was seeing the suit on-screen. I am not a huge fan of the character from the comic books but I admit it’s one of my favourite-looking ones. Just the idea of seeing this suit being built from scratch using various gadgets and Mr Stark's expertise had me drooling in my seat.
The movie is not without its flaws, however. As I said, the action isn't handled as well as it would have been by a more experienced director and some of the plot points are easy to see coming; for example it’s fairly obvious who the bad guy is going to be. But I am willing to forgive those flaws for the sake of everything else, which is quite impressive.
It’s very clear that this is only the beginning of a huge money-making franchise and I, for one, welcome it with open arms. If they can keep the rest at least on par with how good this one is I will be very happy. Downey Jr is great as the title character; his handling of the dialogue and inclusion of his trademark wit and charm is an absolute joy to watch. Great supporting performances, a fun script, and some decent action sequences make this worth checking out. Roll out the rest of summer 2008.
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