Ironic and enjoyable comic Marvel superhero film ...

Rating: Null/10 (6 May 2008)

Another year, another superhero film unleashed on the public mid-spring to begin the summer blockbusters hitting the cinema.
For starters, I've never read any Marvel comic book, talk less of this particular one on which this film is based, so if you're expecting a review from a comic book fan, look elsewhere. But if you want to read a opinion from an everyday cinema goer, then continue reading.
Acting: I felt the leading man was good in his role - he plays the deadpan, womanising and sardonic character well. The sort of hedonistic persona and charming he portrays as a weapons manufacturer works, even if his voice can seem a bit monotonous to me. Jeff Bridges' acting that really stole the show for me. He plays Obadiah, who at first is friendly towards Stark but then becomes horrified and greedy when Tony has a change of heart about his job and turns on him. I could tell he was clearly relishing the role and it's the first time I've seem him act as a 'baddie'. Utterly menacing and powerful. I thought Gwyneth Paltrow's acting as Peppa Potts was decent in places, like the banter between her and Tony but certain shouting from her towards the end during the climax came across as somewhat unbelievable. It doesn't help that the character feels quite cut-and-paste. The chemistry between Potts and Stark didn't ring true for me either - it felt unconvincing to me, and I felt more convinced by Downey Jr.'s acting in those scenes than hers. Terrence Howard was decent too, even if his character wasn't in that many scenes and felt generic.
Pacing: Quite rushed to me. This is an introduction or origin story, but once the suit is built, it sort of looses it's way as it hurries to finish the film with a final fight climax. Individual scenes didn't seem to be completed in a satisfying way front my point of view and I felt like I was missing out on a longer scene -they quickly finished and moved on to the next. The action scenes in it were brief and not sustained for full enjoyment and the climax a disappointment, in my opinion. The very topical Afghanistan and the scenes where Stark is tied up and battles there do disturb but relate and update the story to today's world and conflicts which I thought was good.
Cinematography: Well, I thought the special effects were terrific - the suit looked amazing on screen and photo-real and the flight scenes, if short, were soaring and fun to see. The robot-armed assistant in the lab was funny and sweet and the technology looked in ways possible, which speaking tech in the suit and lab.
Music: Didn't find the score that memorable to me, but the music did heighten the mood in places but maybe another watch will make it more so, who knows? The rock songs did suit the high-flying, tongue-in-cheek and fun atmosphere of the film, though.
Overall: An ironic film(in the sense that he's wounded by his own weapons, and his weapons are used against him in a sense etc), that's good and entertaining, if quite a hastened action film that has some snappy and deadpan chuckles here and there, amazing special effects and good acting mostly. Downey Jr. is an interesting, thoughtful and different superhero. Shame the battle at the end climax comes across as generic and it ends too soon, feeling too easily finished, but worth seeing I feel, if you like films of this genre - 6.7/10.