So, "Iron man" was pretty good

[Lorien]

I'm usually not much of one for superhero movies, but I did like the first two "Spiderman" films and "Batman Begins". Now "Iron man" can join that list, though it still only makes forth place (a few obvious logic holes in the story). Robert Downey Jr. certainly doesn't seem like an obvious choice for such a part, but it works. Jeff Bridges character seems sickeningly familiar(given some of the awful stories we read here on DU, but I'll say no more than that). The effects are seamless, it has enough humor to keep it from taking itself too seriously, and it does have a strong anti-war, anti-corporate weapons manufacturer message. It might be too intense for younger kids, but it's OK for the older ones (no graphic violence or sex-the film is violent at times, but not gory).

:thumbsup:

On edit: guess it's two separate words, not one (checked imdb).

[Richard Steele]

1. Good to know. Thanks for the review! nm

[Lorien]

2. My four comic book loving guy friends who went with me LOVED it

good audience reaction too. It was opening night, so the audience looked, for the most part, like the same people that you might find at the San Diego Comicon.

[Richard Steele]

13. I'm not heavy into the ComiCon subculture...

I gave more credence to your review on the basis of the
three films you mentioned.

Actually, on the two you mentioned and the ONE you didn't.

("Batman Begins" doesn't count- anyone who didn't like that
film is some sort of mindless satanic meat-puppet bereft of
any sort of human SOUL. It's a FACT.)

But you mentioned Spiderman 1 & 2...then skipped straight to "Batman Begins".
No mention of Spiderman3? Sounds like you and I share similar tastes in films.

I'll be seeing Iron Man on the big screen, not waiting for it to come to
pay-per-view...thanks to your posting your opinion of the film here at DU. :thumbsup:

[Lorien]

15. Thanks dicksteele!

Actually, I never saw the third Spiderman film because some trusted friends had panned it so severely. I felt a little bad about that too, because another friend and former intern of mine had been a lead CG animator on the entire series, and I always like to see what he's been working on. But oh well, not his fault if the story doesn't work!

"Batman Begins" and "Iron Man" share a few things in common; the whole "hero's journey" story arc where a series of events and challenges transform each from one type of man to someone on the other end of the spectrum. I personally think that Downey's Tony Stark is more engaging than Bale's Batman. I'll be interested to hear your review once you see it.

Enjoy!

[Javaman]

3. I was a gigantic Iron Man fan when I was a kid. I'm feeling my inner

geek sense tingling! LOL

[Blue_Tires]

4. i'm hoping that a well-executed Justice League movie finally gets made

[FVZA_Colonel]

21. Me too, but if that clip at the end of the Iron Man credits means anything,

then I think the greatest nerd movie ever might be in the works.

[Rob H.]

28. Hang on, there was a clip at the end of the credits?

Argh! I knew I should've stayed! What was it, if you don't mind me asking? (You can PM me if you don't want to post spoilers here.)

[Lorien]

29. Click here*:

http://www.themovieblog.com/2008/05/stick-around-for-iron-mans-end-credits

(*If you want to avoid a spoiler, then don't)!

[Rob H.]

38. Thanks, Lorien!

Damn, I wish I'd stayed! :cry:

[Veruca Salt]

55. Holy crap that is the most awesome thing _ever_!

Or it could just be my ultimate geekness showing through... meh. Thanks for the spoiler, I'll definitely be staying all the way to the end of this one!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. It's been getting great reviews.

I'm a bit surprised. I was thinking it would be like the Fantastic Four.

[underpants]

6. Yeah across the board it is---what is with the Jeff Brdiges mention OP?

:shrug:

Beidges seems to pick really great roles. If you look at his body of work it is quite impressive though he doesn't quickly come to mind on lists of top actors of the last 30 years or so.

[Lorien]

9. It is a great role, but it's the type of character he plays

that has A LOT of real life counterparts today. That's what's "sickeningly familiar" about it (don't want to say to much or I'll give it away)!

[TommyO]

17. What's really great about Bridges as Obadiah

is that I didn't see Jeff Bridges, I truly saw Obadiah Stane on that screen Thursday night.

[Lorien]

20. I didn't recognise Bridges at all

until about halfway through the film during one of his closeups. Geez, has he aged! It wasn't just his appearance that threw me off; I'm not used to seeing him in that type of role.I imagine the majority of BushCo and their corporate cronies share Obadiah Stane's view of the world. :scared:

[DS1]

22. Nah, for me his slightly droopy right eye is always a giveway

plus, he has a unique voice. However, he did such a great job I had to force myself into hearing "The Dude" speak when he was doing his lines. I congratulate him for that. Many actors would have had been typecast as a stoner after doing "The Big Lebowski".

[barb162]

7. Good I want to see it

It seems there aren't too many good movies lately.

[Mojambo]

8. Headed out to catch it now.

Looking forward to it.

[JulieJordan]

10. It works? Great!

[Mojambo]

11. Best Marvel movie in a while

I liked it a lot better than the last two Spider-Man movies.

I'm going to make a controversial statement here, but I think Robert Downey Jr might be the best superhero casting ever made. Certainly better than Maguire's Spider-Man, probably better than Bale as Batman, perhaps even better than Reeve as Superman.

He is pitch perfect as Tony Stark. Brilliant performance, and there is so much room for him to grow in sequels where Stark's drinking problem will most likely drive the narrative.

In fact, the more I think about Downey's performance the more I come to conclude that Tobey Maguire was vastly overrated in his portrayal of Peter Parker.

Good flick. Jon Favreau deserves a ton of credit for making this material work so well.

[Lorien]

12. Yes, he was a surprisingly good choice

thinking about it, his personal history works well with the character. A hedonistic lifestyle followed by years in prison, and there's no doubt that he possesses considerable intelligence of his own, despite some of his poor life choices. I thought that Bale was somewhat forgettable as Batman, though I really like the film. I never saw the last Spiderman movie because my friends completely panned it.

Yes, Favreau does deserve a lot of credit, especially in fitting so much story into 126 minutes without making it choppy. I hope that it will do well at the box office, because the trailers really aren't doing it justice!

[Benfea]

53. There was one casting choice better than Downy....

...and that would be Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin in the otherwise forgettable Daredevil movie. He completely nailed the part, so much so that I can't possibly imagine any white actor doing a better job.

[NJmaverick]

14. I can't wait to see this movie. He was my favorite super hero growing up

It sucks that I have to work this weekend, I have to wait until next week to see it. It's been getting rave reviews from all the critcs and people online. I guess having an actor that liked the character and wanted to make a high quality movie, is what seperates Iron Man from the pack of CGI "block busters"

[Lorien]

24. You know, I'd never heard of the character before

I have several friends who are pretty famous comic books creators, but I've never read them much myself. How long has Iron Man been around?

[Mojambo]

30. 1960's. n/t

[NJmaverick]

33. He's been around since 1963

I think that the concept became more appealling as society became more technology based. (the internet, cell phones, PDAs etc.)

[Hippo_Tron]

41. I think the concept becomes more appealing because America keeps getting into wars

The original was based around Vietnam. Then it was updated to be the Gulf War. Now it was updated to be Afghanistan.

[NJmaverick]

46. That's true, there is definately a de ja vue feeling of these Vietnam and Iraq

[DS1]

16. It started out very strong, the entire first half is what I like in these movies

however the second half seemed to be more about rescuing itself from the dreaded R rating than anything else. They fluffed it back up for the kids.

[CatWoman]

49. it's pulled in 200 million already!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/04/iron-man-pulls-over-200m_n_100055.html

[CatWoman]

18. Thanks for this, Lorien

i'm going to see it tonight :)

Hope your beautiful kitties are doing well :hi:

[FVZA_Colonel]

19. I can't believe I'm saying this after Civil War,

but that movie made me love Tony Stark again.

[AlCzervik]

23. i went to see it this afternoon and enjoyed it, Robert Downey looked fantastic

overall i thought it was it was a fun movie, lots of good special effects, not too much of the extra cheesy dialog i expected, some but not over the top.

[Benfea]

25. Why wasn't Downy an obvious choice?

Tony Stark is an immensely talented brooding alcoholic. How could Downy not be perfect for the role?

I have to admit that when this movie was announced, I dismissed it immediately on the grounds that so many Marvel movies have been so consistently bad. The strong reviews from critics and word of mouth has convinced me to check this one out in the theaters.

[Lorien]

26. I never read the comic. But when I think of a "superhero" Downey isn't the

first person who comes to mind. He's older (born one day after me, in fact), short, and wasn't in the best of shape in the last film I saw him in. However, as I mentioned upthread, given his personal history it is a good fit.

The worst idea for lead actor in a superhero film still, imho, is Nickolas Cage in "Superman". Glad someone saw the wisdom of dropping THAT idea!

[AlCzervik]

27. my daughter told me tonight that she read the Cage and Cruise were both considered

for the lead role in Iron man, that would have sucked the fat one in either case. I think Downey was and excellent choice, Cage or Cruise would have made the movie suck on all kinds of levels and can you imagine which horrible hair piece Cage would have worn? His hairpieces become a distraction, they're almost like another character in the story.

[Benfea]

48. Downy's personal life makes him the best fit. :D

It was a brilliant casting decision.

[fortyfeetunder]

31. Must see...I might see again.

I went reluctantly this evening and was pleasantly surprised to say I enjoyed the movie...and just downloaded the soundtrack from iTunes. (This is completely out of character for me to buy soundtracks immediately after seeing a movie).

Downey, Bridges and Paltrow gave very compelling performances. I didn't stick around for the end credits though I might see this one again to savor more of the action shots!

[Lorien]

34. There's a scene at the end of the credits that's a setup for future films

so if you do go again, don't skip out until the credits have finished!

[dorktv]

32. I just loved the ending..."Okay, I am Ironman."

I mean that was just great.

[Lorien]

35. Did you wait until the end of the credits?

There was a bit more added on in a final scene after the credits were finished.

[dorktv]

42. yes, I thought that was just sequal prep work.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

36. Describe "Logic Holes"

First off, this is a comic book movie. He's a guy that flies around in an Iron suit. I think that's enough of a logic hole. You have to let go of reality and logic for a short time to watch some movies.
DU has an epidemic of not being able to let go of reality long enough to enjoy a fictional movie, and I'm not necessarily accusing you of this, as I don't know what the logic holes are yet.
Duckie

[Lorien]

37. Pet peeve of mine (spoiler ahead)

for instance; Stark's assistant Pepper goes to the Feds and reports that his former colleague-now arch nemesis- planned Stark's murder and is building an "iron man" suit of his own. So the feds go to Stark industries to arrest our villain-bringing Pepper with them. There's no reason at all for her to tag along-it just heightens the tension in the scene (she could just as easily have been told to stay in the SUV, then found a reason to go in on her own later). Here they are, in a dark and foreboding manufacturing plant, on edge with their weapons drawn, and she's tiptoeing along side them in stiletto heels without a weapon of her own. It's that kind of crap that irritates me. I can suspend my disbelief so that guys in metal suits can fly, but it's hard to give that level of silliness a pass.

Years ago I worked on Disney's Feature film "Beauty and the Beast". During one scene Belle rides out into the forest, only to be attacked by wolves. The Beast saves her, but is badly injured while doing so. We see him laying on the ground and then next scene, he's tossed across the saddle of Belle's horse, and she's leading the horse back to the castle. I asked the directors "So how does Belle get the Beast onto the horse?" they answered "Well, It's just one of those logic things" (??) "Logic things" can break our willing suspension of disbelief, and that's why they trip up all kinds of movies for me.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

39. I think they had her go because...

...they needed her to show them where section 16 was. :shrug:
We just got back from seeing it.
Did you stay until after the credits?
Did anyone else?
Duckie

[Lorien]

40. I stayed until the credits ended, but it looks like most here missed that last

scene. Obviously they've set it up for more.

Yeah, showing them where section 16 was was the excuse (could have drawn them a map, or guided them via cell phone), but then she follows them inside! Just drives me crazy when perfectly sensible characters seem to suddenly experience a collective brain fart. Worse yet is when it leads to predictability; "OK, damsel in distress scene coming right up"! other than that and a couple of other minor things in a similar vein I thought it was a great film. Very entertaining-which is more than could be said of almost every summer movie last year!

[TommyO]

43. Or they could have followed the trail:

Section 13...


Section 14...


Section 15...


Here we are, Section 16!



That said, I really did enjoy the movie quite a bit, and will be going to see it again this week with my brothers.

[Lorien]

44. Lol! Good point.

Another fix; Pepper is the assistant of the inventor/ President of a high tech weapons manufacturer. If she was going to go into a dangerous situation with the feds she could have at least pulled some amazing never-before-seen killer gadget from her purse that would have made their pistols look pathetic. Then she wouldn't appear to be such an obvious "soon to be damsel in distress". ( Of course, the nifty cool new weapon wouldn't do much against another Iron Man, but it still would make the scenario a little less silly).

;-)

[Benfea]

57. I'm not sure how well Avengers will translate to the big screen

...although I have to admit I said the same thing about Iron Man, so I'll withhold my judgment this time.

[Mojambo]

45. I was more bothered by the fact that these terrorists imprison him, put him on video surveillance

And then proceed to not pay attention long enough for him to INVENT and BUILD a super iron suit.

They can't spare a terrorist IN THE ROOM, watching what's going on close up?

Come on!

Still loved the picture.

[CatWoman]

47. LOL

I was pretty confused about that as well.

I went to the late showing at the drive in last night.

the only reason I caught the "special" was because my battery was drained and I needed a jump.

[Lorien]

51. Oh yeah, that one kind of hit me too

and this went on for three months....!

But as Kirk and Gary said "it's one of those logic things". ;-)

[Deep13]

52. *spoiler*

I figured they needed her as a guide to the facility or something. Still, it would have been smoother if Jeff Bridges just captured her at the computer download scene.

My favorite logical error: Empire Strikes Back.
Luke and R2 in one ship and Han, Leia, Chewy and C3P0 in another leave Hoth at the same time. Luke trains for what seems like months with Yoda. Han etc. get chased by the Empire for what seems like hours and end up on Cloud City where they are almost immediately captured. Then after months for Luke but only days for Han and Leia, they meet at the same place on Cloud City. Granted there are no calanders or specific time references, but it seems clear that Luke was away for a lot longer than Han etc.

[Shine]

50. Thumbsup from Shine! We saw it yesterday.

I loves me some Robert Downey Jr, too. :9

[DFW]

54. A guy I know was in on the creation of the Marvel characters

He's in his eighties now, and he still gets bit parts in movies with
characters he either created or helped create (Spider-Man, Fantastic
Four, etc etc). I'll have to ask him if he played a part in this one,
too. I'll go see it when I'm back in the USA for sure.

Come to think of it, four of the most interesting people I know are in
their mid-eighties. Two are in entertainment, one is a journalist, and
one is a sex therapist. None of them are thinking about retirement. I
hope that if I get to be that old (genes say no way), that I have as much
energy as they do, as well as all my marbles! Sen. Byrd of WV is another
guy I admire for his tenacity. How do these people do it?

[DS1]

56. Stan Lee?

Yes, he did a cameo. Again.

[Benfea]

58. I'm pretty sure that he was talking about The Man....

....that he would have dropped hints to that effect. Excelsior!

[DFW]

59. That's the man.

He always gets a charge our of being in those films, even if it's
one of those "blink and you miss me" cameos. I see Stan's name still
rings a bell back home. Over here, of course, no one has ever heard
of him, although they all know of his creations.

He is indeed, if you'll pardon the expression, a marvel. In his mid-
eighties, and he'll keep you laughing so hard that you have to time
your mouthfuls at lunch. And, he really does sign his letters "excelsior!"