ALARIS' REVIEWS

3rd July 2009
Iron Man (2008)

There's been no shortage of movies based on comic book heroes over the past few years. Superman Returns (2006), Spider-Man 3 (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) to name a few.

Iron Man is based on the Marvel comics superhero of the same name, and the premise is distinctly 1960s. Tony Stark is your everyday playboy millionaire and military weapons genius, until a kidnapping gone pear-shaped leaves him with an artificial heart, an almost indestructible suit of flying armour, and a sudden desire to use his abilities for the good of humanity.

I'll start by saying that Iron Man is reasonably enjoyable. Robert Downey, Jr gives nuance to a potentially unflattering character, and his rapid-fire deadpan is spot on for comic timing. Gwyneth Paltrow is also surprisingly good as Stark's wry and smoothly competent assistant, Pepper Potts (you can tell we're in 1960s comic mode).

The story is fairly well paced, and there are some scenes which are quite funny, but Iron Man isn't as sophisticated as peers such as X-Men (2000) or Batman Begins (2005). The villains in Iron Man are casually one-dimensional, and plot holes are papered over with explosions. The theme of corporate responsibility is laudable, but the film deals with the issue a little simplistically, particularly when compared to the powerful imagery of the concentration camp gates in X-Men (2000), or the tension of watching Bruce Wayne in the courtroom foyer in Batman Begins (2005).

Iron Man is certainly entertaining, but it doesn't deliver the emotional depth or brilliant plotting which would make this a more memorable film. If you've just watched Street Fighter (1994), then Iron Man will blow you away. However, if you've just watched Batman Begins (2005), then Iron Man is probably ok.

Verdict: An easily enjoyable comic book adaptation, but unlikely to leave an impact.

If you like Spider-Man (2002), you might like this.

Read Zee's review for Iron Man (2008).