It’s crazy that we’re a little over a week shy of the tenth anniversary of Iron Man. As we’re days away from Avengers: Infinity War, a culmination of what began with Iron Man, it seems very fitting that these two films are intertwined by this ten-year milestone. In 2008, I wasn’t thinking about expanded universes or how characters would eventually connect, I was walking into a crowded movie theater with muted expectations because a lot was riding against Iron Man before it was released.
Iron Man is what you would consider a mid-tier Marvel superhero. Unless you’re a comic book aficionado, you only have a passing knowledge of the character. He doesn’t have the name recognition of Spider-Man and you’d be likely to pluck a random member from the X-Men who you might have more familiarity with. It would be safe to say that the pre-release hype wasn’t as strong for him as there were for other comic heroes that have hit the big screen.
Then there was an issue of casting. Robert Downey Jr. has always been an accomplished actor but when he was cast as Tony Stark/Iron Man he was entering another phase of his redemption tour after being derailed by addictions that plagued him for years. Downey Jr. may be a capable performer but he needed to prove he could be reliable again and that made his casting a bit of a wildcard.
Lastly, there was the issue of the director. Jon Favreau directed Made, Elf and Zathura: A Space Adventure before he did this film and while those films are fine in their own right, nothing about them really showed he could handle a film of this scope and magnitude. Much like Robert Downey Jr., he had a lot he needed to prove.
By the time the credits rolled on the opening day of me seeing Iron Man for the first time, I was happy to say any fears I had were completely unfounded. It didn’t matter that Iron Man was a mid-tier Marvel character because the film made him such a strong presence that he instantly stood up against the best. It didn’t matter that Robert Downey Jr. had a sordid past because all of that was forgotten as he immersed himself in a role that he seemed born to play and it didn’t matter that Jon Favreau hadn’t tackled a film of this magnitude before because he attacked the project with the confidence of a director who has done this many times before. It was clear in 2008 that we got something different with Iron Man and revisiting the film ten years later, the film still stands out in the best way possible. The bar has been set even higher since the release of this film, which has brought it down on the best of the MCU list for some but that doesn’t make it any less important. The film set the standard and it was a very high standard to begin on.
Iron Man is a different breed of superhero movie – a film that remembers it’s possible to be outside the target demographic and still enjoy a tale set in this genre. What makes Iron Man interesting isn’t the storyline which, except for a few minor details, is pretty much a standard issue superhero origin plot, but the way in which filmmaker Jon Favreau presents the narrative. Iron Man is mature in its perspective and the way it views its lead character, while at the same time tapping into the inner kid during some expertly executed action sequences.
Iron Man opens in Afghanistan, as a U.S. troop convoy carrying billionaire arms maker Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is attacked. Those charged with safeguarding Tony are killed; he is seriously wounded and taken captive. A round of flashbacks follows, introducing us to the brilliant, naïve playboy and those around him: his devoted Girl Friday, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow); his take-no-prisoners business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges); and his best friend, Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard). Tony is on his way to Afghanistan to show off Stark Industry’s latest and greatest way of killing people, and that gets us back to where we came in.
When he awakens, Tony is in a cave. As a result of his injuries, there is irremovable shrapnel in his chest and he must wear an electromagnet attached to his torso to keep the fragments from reaching his heart. He and his doctor/assistant/translator, Yinsen (Shaun Toub), have been given the charge of making a mighty killing missile for the guerrilla leader, Raza (Faran Tahir). Instead, however, Stark uses the available materials to fashion a bulletproof, weaponed suit of armor that allows him to escape from the caves and return to friendlier locales. Once back home, he makes some radical decisions. He decides to terminate the company’s weapons division (which sends stocks tumbling and enrages the board of directors) and to concentrate on perfecting the design of the suit that enabled him to escape Afghanistan.
For viewers unfamiliar with the source material, there’s no sense of being dropped unceremoniously into the middle of a fanboy’s dream flick. Favreau has crafted the production to maximize appeal for both of those steeped in Iron Man lore and those who have never previously heard of the character. This is how you have to adapt a comic book origin for the big screen. Yes, the built-in audience is comic book fans, but the casual moviegoer is what helps maintain the word of mouth. If someone without a prior love or knowledge of comic books can enjoy it, that means that film has done its job of spinning a creative narrative. Christopher Nolan accomplished a similar feat with Batman Begins, stripping away the legend and building it up gradually, using narrative and character (not action and effects) for the foundation.
The special effects are top-notch and never seem overused or gratuitous. They have also held up very well over ten years. That might not seem too long but effects become more advanced with every passing year so the fact that these still resonate, says something. There are more of them than that be obvious since they’re used not only in the several big action sequences but in some of the more sedate scenes (such as the played-for-laughs episode where Tony tries out the flying boots he’s working on). Special effects are at their best when they work to enhance the plot without calling attention to themselves. That’s what occurs in Iron Man. The effects wizards are in synch with the director, not trying to show off and upstage the actors.
Robery Downey Jr., looking back on it, was an inspired choice for the role. His personal life may have tainted the casting initially but all that was thrown out the window once you saw him in action. It could be argued that no one has tackled a superhero role with more charm, wit, panache and screen presence. At first glance, he doesn’t scream hero but he plays the role with true conviction and you buy his transition from billionaire without a purpose to someone who sees a true mission in life. The fact that he’s able to accomplish that transition and still maintain his biting sense of humor is a testament to his talent.
The supporting players represent the one true mixed bag of the film. Gwyneth Paltrow is the best of the bunch as Pepper Potts. She’s likable and shares an instant chemistry with Robert Downey Jr. that makes their scenes pop. The “love story” isn’t in your face. Their interaction is played for light romance and that’s really all the film needed. Terrence Howard, who had his first and last go-round as Jim Rhodes/War Machine in this film, doesn’t really resonate. He does a passable job but he lacks a certain energy. It’s crazy to think that, at the time, Howard was the more bankable name in the cast and was paid more than Robert Downey Jr. to be in this film. That would all change by Iron Man 2 and thus the rumors of Howard allegedly being offended by what he was offered to return (enter Don Cheadle playing the role in the sequel).
Then there is the issue of the villain. There is some decent misdirection of who the true villain is but, like a lot of Marvel movies until the most recent Black Panther, the villain is the weakest link. It doesn’t exactly follow the bad guy manual all the way through but I wasn’t fully invested in their motivations. This is faint criticism in the end because the rest of the film is so strong that I can overlook the weakness of the big bad of the film.
When it comes to tone, Iron Man achieves something at which many of even its most celebrated predecessors have failed: it doesn’t feel like a superhero movie. Instead, it’s bigger and more inclusive. The superhero elements are present, so devotees will not feel slighted or duped, but Iron Man wants to be more than a popcorn flick and it achieves those goals. It wouldn’t be fair to call this the humble beginnings of the MCU, this is a film that comes out with the confidence of its more established counterparts.
