Rating of
3/4
Smart AND Fun!
newmans_own - wrote on 05/03/08
Superhero movies have never been more grounded in real life than here. The film’s entire set-up, a weapons manufacturer captured by terrorists in the Middle East to build their weapons, seems like a situation that could easily be seen on the news. Combined with the military presence and the ever-popular “how corrupt are major businesses?” scenario and you’ve got one realistic comic book movie.
It’s unusual that a big-budget summer action film these days would star Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, but each prove more than able in their roles. While Pepper doesn’t do much more than the standard superhero love interest, Paltrow successfully sheds the alienating snootiness that’s affected her in the past. And as Stark, Downey may have found his signature role. Tony Stark isn’t merely a character Downey is playing; it’s an extension of the man himself. Imbuing every line with his trademark humor, Downey channels his public perception into Stark’s womanizing and careless lifestyle, making the transformation into Iron Man an examination of what the public doesn’t see.
In a day where only bleak action films can be called smart and only dumb action films can be called fun, it’s a breath of fresh air to see something that excels so easily at combining the two.
***/****
Full review at http://newmanscorner.blogspot.com
