I finally watched: Iron Man

Iron Man is not the most popular comic character in the comic world. Non-comic fans are not very familiar with him, if at all. Comic fans don’t like him from his actions during the Civil War and World War Hulk saga (and probably the upcoming Skrull saga). He’s made an appearance in Xmen Legends 2 as a secret, unlockable character but that would hardly bring people into the movies. So what is it that has people enjoying Iron Man so much? How is it getting such popular reviews?

I’m glad the Iron Man movie is getting good reviews. I’ve been hyping the movie to my friends since it was first announced more than a year ago. I was just hoping for it to be an enjoyable action movie. I did not expect it to receive critical praise.

I’m a fan of Iron Man. Note the Icon by my comments (my Live gamerpic). I actually paid for the Marvel Ultimate Alliance picture pack specifically to get Iron Man despite my normal hatred for these overpriced mini-transactions. But I am not the only one who enjoyed this movie.

Perhaps it’s the political nature of the film (both anti-weapons/war, and also killing terrorists), or just the great acting of both Robert Downey Jr. and the rest of the supporting cast (Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard). The comedy, both dialog and slapstick, is well timed and funny. Robert Downey Jr. does a good Tony Stark.

Superman’s weakness is kryptonite. Tony Stark’s weakness is women and booze. The audience can immediately get this imagery from Mr. Downey Jr. without the opening playboy sequence (which only further cements it). He is also believable as a genius. Normally it would be hard to swallow the idea of someone building a suit of armor in a cave, but here the audience doesn’t really question it. No more than a guy getting super powers from a radioactive spider.

This is a fun summer movie, with a different feel than your average summer blockbuster and comic book movie. It is almost a cross between V for Vendetta, Spiderman, and Real Genius. It is both a movie you haven’t really seen before, yet is immediately familiar. I’m going to probably see it twice, and look forward to spending the $30 dollars on the blu-ray.

When I asked a friend to describe what he thought, he gave me a thumbs up. When I asked for more detail, he gave me two thumbs up.