Where's the action?

Rating: 5/10 (17 April 2008)

I don't think I need to explain who Tony Stark is, or what the plot is about (that's a very simple - a little too much for my taste - and straightforward "good vs evil" story) but I'll still sum it up for those unfamiliar with the Marvel characters. The others can skip to the third paragraph!
This is the story of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Downey), kidnapped in the middle East and forced to build WMDs for a mysterious terrorist group. Instead, and with the help of his fellow captive (Shaun Toub) he builds an armor and escapes. From now on, he vows to protect the people he put in harm's way under his new alias: Iron Man.
First, the good points: this is a light-hearted (sometimes a little too much, leaning on silliness at times) blend of comedy and action that doesn't take itself seriously. It's definitely more "Fantastic Four" than "Daredevil" or "X-Men". The jokes aren't always hilarious, or delivered with efficiency, but it holds up pretty well. The abundant CGI is overall as good as last year's Transformers and the use of music is very well done.
Now, for the problems: WHERE'S THE DAMN ACTION??? Every bit of action is present in the trailers, there are no surprises at all, no big scene kept under wraps till the movie opens. There are only three action scenes with the armor on, and all of them are frustrating for being way too short, barely having the time to gain momentum before stopping. Then, the story: like I said earlier it's a little simplistic and lacks depth. They try to convey more emotional weight with the comedians but the director Jon Favreau is so ham fisted and demonstrative, and the actors' performances lack so much nuance - especially Downey and Bridges, which saddens me a little as they are two of my favorite actors - than it just gets in the way of the action sequences and adds even more frustration. It's like those scenes stretch for twice their real time before the action finally unveils... More worrying: the striking similarities with "Batman Begins" (the detention, the use - with much less mastery - of the flashback device, the realistic approach and (too) long scenes of the hero testing his abilities) and the new "Hulk" movie (the bad guy is just a bigger, meaner version of the hero) give the movie a seriously clichÃ©d tone. Nothing truly original.
All in all, it's a decent comedy adventure with some campy undertones and a serious lack of action and fresh ideas. A good appetizer for those who wait patiently every year for the summer movies to open. The others can wait for the DVD that'll allow them to skip the boring parts.
2 1/2 stars - out of *****