Exemplary work

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2008)

I'm probably getting old, but Speed Racer tired me and somewhere in the middle of Iron Man I found it a bit slow. Either that or I experience burnout from wallowing in the pre-release internet publicity of both movies. Some people are saying that this Iron Man is better than Batman Begins. Yes, in one aspect, I think Robert Downey is a better actor than Bale. They are both quite good, but I give more points to Downey for being self-deprecating and funnier, plus, his personal history outside the movie adds to the baggage (actual positive baggage!) he brings to this role. Very inspired acting, aside from the fact he's quite qualified to do the role anyway. I do prefer the basic story of Batman over Iron Man. A Batman story relies on atmospherics (hence the use of a bat, and the generally dark tone of most of movies and comics). He also uses a bit of deductive reasoning in combating crime. Tony Stark is an inventor, and his suit is a wonderful toy, but Iron Man's antagonists aren't that inspired (except maybe the Mandarin). The comic's best story arc are Stark battling his personal demons. I like the way Favreau makes his fanboy homages so integrated to the movie. Not being aware of them won't detract a whit from a newcomer's experience, but knowing about them will send a fanboy to nirvana. In any case, exemplary work. My rating of an 8 may seem too low for a positive review, but I'm a bit of a contrarian. To me, the best comic book movie was The Incredibles, and I'm in the minority holding that opinion.