I'll forgive, though, because, once again, I'm a big fan.
Iron man mark 1 tv#
It's one thing to be seen split-second, (like Stan Lee), but its another to give yourself a thankless role with multiple scenes, just adding fuel to the fire on people's opinions of egotism stemming from the drinking game created off of the TV show "Dinner for Five" and how many references to Swingers was made each episode.
I just wish he would have shied away from putting himself in the film. Good to see Favreau giving another actor turned director props, (Gregg's directorial debut comes out later this year in the form of Chuck Palahniuk's Choke). I also really liked Shaun Toub as Yinsen, Stark's savior, and Clark Gregg as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Jeff Bridges plays the bombastic creature of villainy over-the-top, but appropriately so Terrence Howard is nice as the friend and military liason, not given much to do, but definitely sowing seeds for the future and Gwyneth Paltrow is good as the sweet assistant Pepper Potts who at times seems a little underwritten and more female prop than anything else, but comes through with some nice moments in a very comic sort of way. As for the rest of the cast, they all do well. I'm sure there was some ad-libbing, but even if not, his comic delivery and ability to switch on a dime to a sincere seriousness at will shows his masterful craft. I truly can't think of anyone better suited to the role and he proves it by nailing every single scene. to play Stark, a sarcastic lothario with the brain capacity of Einstein. This takes guts, because no matter how appropriate it is, most studios would have said, "no, change the story and make him younger so we can churn out as many of these babies as we can." I don't know how he did it, but Favreau got Marvel to get Robert Downey Jr. The real success here is in the bold move of casting an actor over-40 to be a superhero. It's quite the ride in and of itself, but when you add onto it the threat of global war and destruction, it can only get better. Every stage is shown, every failure and success. He has no superhuman abilities besides his brain and being able to see his thoughts go from paper to reality is a feat of magic. Much like Batman, we have a hero here that needs help in fighting crime. We are allowed entrance into the character evolution of Stark as he goes from war profiteer to man of action and cause, all while seeing the technology improve and advance before our eyes. By the end of the film it is quite amazing how much information you will realize you now know, all culminating in a decent final battle, but more importantly a segue into the inevitable sequel. We as an audience are allowed to put the pieces together amidst the witty banter of Stark and the wonderful special effects. His ability to give us dual information at once is nicely orchestrated, showing Tony Stark in his basement creating while the TV in the background explains what is happening in the outside world of the Middle East and inside his own company. Favreau seems to have had an idea to get an origin story out while not boring us with long drawn out backstory.
Instead he delivers on his promises and gives us a solid initiation into what could be a great trilogy or more.
Favreau never bogs us down with overwrought emotions nor speaks down to us with gags and poorly written jokes. We finally have a film with the essence of what makes these picture books so popular, the action and mythology along with a sense of adventure and humor. With a great mix of the professionalism and stakes seen in both Spider-Man and X-Men and the comic wit and sheer fun of Fantastic Four, Iron Man shows how a comic can be brought to the screen successfully without all the added drama and weight. Thankfully, after finally seeing the finished product, I was not disappointed in the least. Once his cast was set and the fanboys started humming across the internet I started to ease into the decision with high anticipation. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Favs, but when I heard he was helming a big budget comic book flickĀ let's just say I was a little worried. It was in the guise of director Jon Favreau. There was a big question mark looming over the theatrical adaptation of Marvel's Iron Man property.