IRON MAN [2008] review

Let me start by saying that if you heard, like I did, that IRON MAN was a rival in movie badass-ness to THE DARK KNIGHT, that was a gross exaggeration.  IRON MAN is a better than average summer blockbuster action movie, but, like most movies of the past ten years, is not even remotely in the same stratosphere as DARK KNIGHT.

IRON MAN was fairly predictable and its CGI was good, but still not totally convincing.  I like origin story movies a lot, so I could tolerate the long build up to Robert Downey Jr. becoming IRON MAN, but I could see how some could find the movie a bit dull.  I’m a fan of Downey so just watching him on screen is entertaining enough for me.

That said, it definitely would have helped to have more of a villain for him to fight at the end, and more at stake that basically only his own life and maybe some far off political strife.  The touches of humor were pretty good, though a bit over done with Downey and the robot arm in his workshop.  Terrence Howard, I also like, but he looked a bit just starry eyed in the movie and I don’t think that suits him as an actor well.  I found myself wondering when he was going to bust out into his HUSTLE & FLOW character.  Gwyneth seemed to be a bit miscast also.

Downey did however make a convincing super genius engineer and designer and I liked watching him work in his workshop and he was able to spout out very technical dialogue without it sounding just like futuristic mumbo-jumbo.  The special effects for the most part were good, and the scenes of IRON MAN flying were exciting.

The final line of the movie, though predictable, was still very effective, and make sure you stay until the end of the credits (as all serious movie goers do anyway).  I look forward to seeing Downey as IRON MAN in a movie with an actual story and an actual villain to fight against.

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