Iron Man ***** (2008, Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges) – Classic Movie Review 3600

Robert Downey Jr is sensationally good as Iron Man in director Jon Favreau’s brilliant 2008 Marvel Comics superhero film – the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway’s screenplay, industrialist/master engineer Tony Stark builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man.

Marvel Studios re-acquired the rights in 2006 and made it as its first self-financed film, with Paramount as distributor. Favreau successfully aims at a relaxed, naturalistic feel, filming primarily in California, instead of the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from all the many New York City superhero movies.

Unusually, the actors were given freedom to create their own dialogue because pre-production was focused on the story and the action. With this talented bunch of performers, this works out very nicely. Rubber and metal versions of the armours, created by Stan Winston’s company, were mixed with CGI to create the spectacular title character. This works out very nicely too, in a difficult-to-pull-off movie that is a huge credit to Downey and Favreau.

Also in the cast are Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts, Stark’s personal assistant and budding love interest, Terrence Howard as Stark’s friend Lieutenant Colonel James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes, Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, Stark’s business second-in-command, mentor and friend who turns on him, and Shaun Toub as Yinsen, Stark’s fellow captive.

Cameos in the film include Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., in a post-credits scene, Stan Lee as himself, being mistaken for Hugh Hefner by Stark at a party and Favreau as Happy Hogan, Stark’s bodyguard and chauffeur.

Premiered on April 1 2008 and was released on May 2, it was a critical and box-office triumph, grossing over $585 million and voted one of the American Film Institute’s ten best of the year. Iron Man 2 was released on May 7 2010 and Iron Man 3 on May 3 2013.

In 2016, Downey’s Iron Man dominates Captain America: Civil War, and easily dominates Chris Evans in his battle with Captain America, so the teamcap v teamironman contest is easily resolved in a knockout win by Downey.

Sony’s July 2017 reboot of Spider-Man will include Downey’s Marvel/Disney Iron Man, who likely won’t be the only superhero to appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming, to star Tom Holland and be directed by Jon Watts.

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