Iron Man

I have been following this movie for several years mainly because I love "Iron Man." He is my favorite Marvel superhero and think he is one of the more interesting characters based on his choices and his personal life style. I wasn't sure about Favreau directing because of his track record of child comedies, but listening to his passion for the project I was sold. Then he gave us the fantastic casting of Robert Downey Jr. and I knew he was going in the right direction with this. Then the trailer hit and I had no worries.

Iron Man is the story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), the head of Stark Industries. He is brilliant, but on top of that he is also cocky and a playboy. He has no care in the world and doesn't take anything seriously. While he is doing a sales pitch of his new Jericho missiles, he is kidnapped and many people die in the wake of this. The terrorist group calling themselves the 10 Rings want him to build them another Jericho missile, but Stark builds a suit to escape and decides that he isn't going to stand for making weapons anymore. When Stark gets back, he makes the announcement about his company taking a new direction and quickly Stark begins to unravel a plot that he must stop with his new invention.

This movie is pretty damn badass. I mean, what movie that begins with "Back in Black" and ends in "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath isn't? However, it isn't the work of the music that makes this awesome the blame for it is largely Favreau and Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. has always been an incredibly good actor who has been waiting in the wings to become a house hold name and now he has found it. Downey is absolutely pitch perfect as Tony Stark. He is smarmy, cocky, confident and hilarious. It probably doesn't hurt that Downey and Stark have led somewhat similar lives (especially in the comic books). Even though Downey plays the cocky really well, seeing him transform from playboy who doesn't give a shit to hero is great and probably the best portrayal of a superhero other than Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne to date. It is really a tour de force and Downey's best performance other than Chaplain. 

However, Downey would never even have been there if it wasn't for Favreau. He proved to me that he isn't only a man of comedy. Just as Nolan with Batman, Raimi with Spiderman and Singer with X-Men before him, Favreau was able to take the great things about the superhero and bring it to the screen. Everything you love about the Iron Man comics are there. The thing that I feel Favreau did better than the others have done is set up for a series without a blatant cliffhanger. So much is there that they can develop into a series. Not only that, but they can not introduce any new characters and just have villians that appear as just characters in this film. It would feel like a regular character arc and more of an extension of the first film. Not only that, but he also has definite hints to where Stark's character is going to go in the future (he does love his scotch). Favreau also does the smart thing that a lot of comic book movies don't: he doesn't turn the creation of the suit into a montage. He spends a lot of time on this, making the movie more believable. In fact, a large portion of the actual plot revolves around the suit.

One of the more exciting things abut this movie is where it is going to go. This is definitely a great beginning to the summer movie season. I have a feeling it is also going to result in some of the best sequels and in turn, one of the best series of movies. 

P.S. WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE CREDITS!