The Pulp Fiction of Comic Book Films

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2010)

This Film from start to finish is genre perfection, the script the acting the cinematography the little bits of detail that makes a great film, the effects are out of this world, so good you don't even think about them. Overall this tops Spiderman 2 and by some distance i might add as the greatest comic book film to date.
To start script is sharp witty, off the cuff, it quite often even verges into the Tarantino realm of dialog, so good are Downey JNR, Rockwell and Paltrow, that even the most menial of scenes become enjoyable, Rourke who was a worry for me was great not over the top and camp right on the money and also brought a great physical presence to his role. Johansson while looking the part, is the only weak point of the film for me, but even this is a minor note. But Rockwell, and Downey are close to perfection. With Rockwell having one of the better monologues in recent memory. Plot, pacing and coherence are perfect the movie just flew by didn't want it to end. There are no wasted scenes each is a treat onto itself no over indulgence or hammy dialog.
Cinematography, mise'en scene, action, effects are all top notch. Sat in awe of how Iron man looks about four thousand times more realistic than spider-man, action has a really visceral impact without ever being choppy or shaky cam. Again cinematography is the major stand out and to quote R Lee Emmy film looked any better "it would be a modern art masterpiece"
Directing is great i am now a devoted follower of Faverau he has taken all the annoying clichés and boring formulas that we keep seeing in these movies, and given us an action movie with brains brawn and the patience and execution to back it all up. There are no cop outs or annoying walls of writing where you can tell script is out of ideas and they just plonk something on the page, this is thought to the T, there is so much detail here its hard to take it all in, this one of those films you can go back and watch fifty times. From Bill O'Reilly to Amanpour from CNN, to Larry Ellison. There is something in every frame.
So summing up don't listen to the pandering,sycophantic reviewers all agreeing with each other this movie is a real treat, weather your ten twenty or even fifty years old there's enough here for everyone it doesn't treat you like a 2 year nor does it go all star trek with the tech speak. This is the Comic book film we have all been waiting for go so fourth and enjoy. And Remember to stay till the end of the credits.