Iron Man

I thought the success of 'Batman' in 1989 or 'Superman' in 1978 would have set off a chain of other comic book adaptations, the likes of which we've seen in the last decade. Now that the most memorable comic book heroes have been brought to the big screen, it seems the die-hards are digging through their collections to find other ways of cashing in on the craze. Iron Man, though one of my favorite action figures as a boy, is not a particularly classic character to outsiders like myself. I knew nothing of his past, his villians, his struggles, or causes; but this all becomes irrelevant as the film is sympathetic to beginners like myself. Our hero is Tony Stark, and his suit was designed to help him escape from the clutches of a hostile army of Afghanis. Stark, once a billionaire weapons designer and endlessly charismatic playboy, becomes destined to use his money and genius to stop the destruction his own weapons have caused. This becomes at odds with his partner, Obadiah Stane, whose determination to build and sell weapons unravels him as a ruthless tyrant.
As expected, 'Iron Man' has its fair number of dizzying action. Whether battling Stane's evil prototype in the streets, soaring through the sky, or flying across the world to save an Afghani village; director Jon Favreau (yep, the auteur/mopester from 'Swingers') obviously had fun bringing the action to the big screen. Its debatable, but the action may be second only to watching the always charming Downey and endlessly magnetic Jeff Bridges. Like Michael Keaton in 'Batman', Downey seemed an unusual choice. Not exactly a tough guy and entering middle-age, he didn't seem the obvious choice for a super hero. As usual though, he can carry a film like one. His ability to rattle-off one-liners is put to good use here as a man who can charm Maxim models as well as Marines and reporters who hate what he does. The last time we've seen Bridges as a bad guy may have been 1985's 'Jagged Edge'. His wide-grin and warm eyes that have made him such a classic leading man work just as well here. As Obadiah Stane, he takes us on a brilliant ride from Stark's close old friend and partner, to bad influence, to subtly terrifying foe. In one scene, Stane uses his demonic new device to paralyze Stark, before calmly and quietly removing his artificial heart for his own destructive prototype. Here Bridges uses his easy-going voice and mastery in understatement so that we can practically feel his breath on our ears.
The only thing out of place is the melodramatic dialouge during the final fight sequence and Stark's anticipation of it. There's just something not right about watching real cinematic talent recite sophomoric, comic book melodrama; but then maybe that's just part of the fun. Look for a cameo by Peter Billingsley (Ralphie from 'A Christmas Story') who also serves as Executive Producer.