Iron Man - what worked and what didn't

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2020)

+ Snappy, satisfying, brutal opening.
+ Jeff Bridges fits the indie tone of the movie. And he looks so money.
+ RDJ with his own past mirroring Tony's plays the gags and the darkness well.
+ Faverau casting himself as Happy Hogan is delightful.
+ Pepper and Tony have excellent, unforced chemistry.
+ Pitch perfect hindsight casting Paul Brittany as Jarvis.
+ Simple, clear direction and tight editing.
+ A decent script that, against all odds, doesn't seem improvised or cobbled together.
+ Great heads up display and computer screen work.
+ Fairly robust and consistent and uncluttered themes.
+ Rock and roll sensibility.
+ Still the best suiting up porn.
+ Agent Coulson!
+ I am Iron Man.
+ The notion that he might have thrown hot rod red in to the suits mix is because he watched a broadcast where they mention red twice and is about firefighters is bewilderingly subtle.
+ The ransom video with a twist.
+ A robot that redeems itself!

Terrence Howard, as much as he turns in a satisfying performance, doesn't seem to be the kind of actor that would fit into the wider MCU.
Typically messy, rushed third act.

Stan Lee cameo as Old Man confused as Hugh Heffner. Rating: 5/5. No showboating fourth wall breaking dialogue, allusions to Stan Lee being the comic book granddaddy equivalent to Heff, Stan Lee's missing Tony completely is an effective playful beat.

Post Credits sequence review: 5/5. Points for being actually at the end of the credits. Simple, well paced and shot, feels like a good coda, punchy end, and oh so world changing. Nicholas J Fury just turned the hell up!