Dan's Papers - May 9, 2008 - Flick Picks with Ian Stark

It's a foregone conclusion that with the success of Spiderman, Batman and X-Men movies, comic books have replaced old TV shows as the source material for big popcorn movies. Although the sequel to Transformers, as well as upcoming live-action G.I. Joe and Speed Racer flicks are technically mined from television cartoons, it is the comic book and graphic novel fan boy element of our culture that kept them alive and made them of interest to the most casual of cultural purveyors. But with Bats and Spidey tackled (although hardly finished sequel-wise), what's left of the genre to choose from that will create excitement in the average movie-goer? If you're that regular guy or gal, someone not instantly enraptured by the world of radioactive mutants and aliens, it's safe to say that you may not automatically or blindly enjoy a movie driven by a superhero. And perhaps that's why Iron Man is so acceptable to all.

Robert Downey Jr. stars as billionaire arms dealer Tony Stark (no relation to your columnist), a devil-may-care slickster with a weak heart and an affinity for booze who travels to Afghanistan to demonstrate his latest weapon of mass destruction when an Afghani ambush led by the murderous warlord Raza (Faran Tahir, Charlie Wilson's War) turns Stark into a P.O.W. His kidnappers insist he recreate the weapon for them, but while working with another imprisoned genius (Shaun Toub, The Kite Runner), he first creates a sort of pacemaker for himself, then becomes inspired and uses the materials given to him to construct a hulking iron suit that allows him to bust out and head home.

The man has an epiphany upon his return and decides that he needs to get his act together and use his expertise with technology to actually help people instead of just blowing them up. This manages to both impress his assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and upset Stark Industries' top exec Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) who's been ruthlessly selling weapons to terrorists on the sly and soon - and quite obviously - sees Tony's emotional conversion as a roadblock to his cash flow. Nevertheless, Stark embarks on his new heartfelt mission and streamlines the metal battle suit that saved him into a superior, red-and-gold exo-skeleton that turns the wearer into a one-man army.

What comes next? Basically the story moves out of the way for the more-important, we-came-to-see action sequences, as Iron Man takes off to fight for good, while Stane becomes so un-fond of Stark that he whips up his own war gear, and dons it to become the Iron Monger. Fighting between the iron adversaries and mucho special effects ensue.

All in all, while many comic adaptations falter, this one lives up to the promise. The action is exhilarating and the special effects are done extremely well. There is a not-so-subtle jab at Halliburton-types and wartime profiteering, but it's neither distracting nor heavy-handed. The cast - excellent across the board, even if Terrance Howard (Hustle and Flow) ends up a mere side-note as Stark's best friend Rhodey (who in the comics eventually wears the armor, then gets his own, so let's hope the one-time Oscar nom gets more to do in the inevitable Iron Man 2). But Downey is a slam-dunk as the lead, and although the original illustrated version of Tony Stark is a mostly-humorless guy, the wisecracking version brought alive here shouldn't offend even the most dedicated-to-detail fan. We know Robert as an amazing talent who has successfully tackled his own personal demons, which comes through with gusto in the portrayal of a man who has to do the same.

What's more, this film comes across as somewhat believable - as it doesn't involve people with supernatural abilities - so instead of the complete suspension of belief required for the average superhero flick, all one needs to do here is accept that there's a billionaire with a heart of gold who's willing to risk his life to protect the innocent...okay, maybe a semi-complete suspension is necessary, but with the breezy dialogue and the focused direction by Jon Favreau (Elf, Zathura), even the most crazed comic fan and the viewer least interested in laser-blasting, special effect-laden, cartoon-character-come-to-life movies can sit together and enjoy this satisfying middle-ground between superhero action and actual acting.

Ian Stark is a frequent TV and radio commentator on the film industry, and consults with private organizations on their collections. He is widely published on film and other arts/culture topics.