Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a weapons manufacturer and the head of Stark Industries. Tony is unrelenting, unforgiving, and unapologetic, and finds happiness in his immense wealth--wealth that stems from his weapons sales. When one day he is kidnapped by a terrorist organization in the Middle East, he is forced to fight back in unorthodox ways and rethink his stance on the weapons industry. As his morals are brought into question and the future of his company hangs in the balance, Stark transitions himself from distributor of mass destruction to curator of peace. That peace comes in the form of a shiny suit and a new moniker, known to the masses at Iron Man.
The titular Iron Man (Tony Stark) is introduced to the world in a fashion that may initially appear detrimental to the character, the film, and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony comes on strong; he’s overwhelming and overbearing, and while that might be intimidating to some, that’s exactly what director Jon Favreau has in mind. In the first thirty seconds of Iron Man the world knows exactly what to expect from the billionaire playboy. That initial reaction that the character gets from viewers carries through Tony’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and I truly believe that if Favreau and Downey Jr. hadn’t come in as hot as they did the beloved Stark would not have developed as vibrantly or brilliantly as he does throughout the his tenure in one of the greatest film franchises of all time.
Subjectively speaking, Tony Stark/Iron Man is the best character in the MCU. While his personality is incredibly close to what is depicted in the Marvel comic books, Favreau and his team of writers (consisting of Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway) help to create a character that is bigger than life. While the character is integral to the film (for obvious reasons) the script as a whole is quite interesting and impressive. The story itself is captivating and viewers find themselves fully enveloped in a world of visually stunning make believe, expressing just how well thought out this aspect of Iron Man is. The majority of dialogue, however, is rumored to be primarily ad-libbed. The fact that most of the lines weren’t planned and Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane), Terrence Howard (James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes), and the rest of the cast were able to improvise much of what they said is a testament to how wonderfully talented this cast is. Sarah Finn, the mastermind behind the casting of the MCU, was given her first shot to fill the roles of these gargantuan characters, and the majority of what she contributed to the film was perfect.
Action is an essential ingredient of Iron Man and something that helps drive the film forward. From the opening sequence the action is relentless, effectively drawing in viewers, captivating them with the marvels of brilliant CGI, incredible choreography, and superb cinematography. Every aspect of these scenes merge seamlessly to create some wonderful sequences that exude more than just action, but emotion as well. The beauty of these action scenes is that there is more to them than just death and destruction, they both emanate and evoke emotion, allowing viewers to grow more attached to the characters and the story of Iron Man.
In the past Marvel films have come and gone. Films like Daredevil, Elektra, and Ghost Rider have failed to develop into something worth writing home about, and Marvel’s prowess and dignity took a major hit with each financial and emotional failure. 2008’s Iron Man was the MCU’s--a combination of Disney and Marvel--first chance to attract viewers and claim power among the Hollywood powerhouses. Iron Man is groundbreaking, breathtaking, and one giant step in the direction toward Disney’s control of Hollywood and the film industry. There’s so much to love about Favreau’s Iron Man, but the thing that I love the most is that it created a following that permitted sequels and spinoffs such as Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange. Iron Man jump started the MCU, and the world is a better place because of it.
Directed by Jon Favreau.
Written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, & Jack Kirby.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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