Passion is very important to the quality of work a human being produces. Even the most talented of us need some sort of driving force to propel a good work ethic. This is very evident in the world of film directing. I do not believe it to be a cosmic coincidence that the best comic-book adaptations to date have all been directed by not just talented directors, but also huge fans of the comics themselves.
Actor/Director Jon Favreau, (Director: Swingers, Made, Elf) is a perfect example of this theory. A long-time childhood fan of comics and sci-fi, Favreau also appeared in 2003’s Daredevil and 1995’s Batman Forever. Both of which would have been far superior films if Favreau were instead behind the camera.
Favreau’s Iron Man is a work of comic book genius. Why? Because he followed the golden rule of comic book movies . . . . . don’t mess with the mythology. It seems so hard for directors to follow this very simple commandment. However, sometimes it is very important to change things when a comic is adapted into a full-featured film. Not everything in comic books works off the pages. This is where the director’s technical talent comes in and separates him from the avid fan that thinks he should be directing every comic book movie out there. Where directors go wrong is they get carried away with this notion and try to make the character their own. As Lex Luthor would say, “WRONG!” The fans feel like the character they know, love and grew up with, is being hijacked by some pretentious Hollywood blowhard who doesn’t know the first thing about what happened in issue #37, Volume 1 of the Silver Age series.
Iron Man does not disappoint the casual superhero/action movie fan nor the lifetime comic book reader. You are immersed immediately with a great opening scene and it never lets you off the hook. Robert Downey Jr., one of the most talented actors of his generation, plays the character of Tony Stark to a well-defined goat-t. Downey’s comedic delivery combined with some great dialogue really brought this character to life. In fact it’s the best performance by the lead character in any comic adaptation I’ve ever seen.
The Iron Man sequences of the movie are stunning, which is very hard to do with today’s C.G.I.-abused audience. When Iron Man is in action it looks seamless, especially if you catch a showing on a DLP screen. Never for a moment do you stop to think about the computer animation. Iron Man makes the Transformers look like a video game. Another crucial part of a comic-book movie is the execution of the hero’s powers and abilities. All concerns I had about that issue were wiped out after watching the scene in which Iron Man saves a small village from terrorists. The result was the entire theater erupting in applause.
The film also manages to throw in a bunch of other comic references that are relevant to the character of Iron Man. This is a technique that needs to be used carefully so that the casual audience does not feel alienated. Iron Man delivered on this as well, especially with the surprise cameo at the end of the credits.
The only weakness this film really has is with the story, but this is expected with most if not all comic book movies. The entire audience knows how the movie is going to end but they’re ok with it. It’s the thrill of the ride that matters with these films and Iron Man delivers a great one from beginning to end.
Story: 8.0
Acting: 9.0
Writing: 9.0
Captivation: 9.5
Replay Value: 9.5
Total Score: 9.0
SPOILER ALTERT: The Incredible Hulk
Look for a cameo performance from Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in the upcoming The Incredible Hulk coming out in June ’08.
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