Better than Expected.......thanks to Great Acting??!!

Rating: 7/10 (8 May 2008)

Lets face it, when you go to watch a comic book adaption the last thing you expect is a cinematic masterpiece, at best you will get a FORMULA FLICK THAT ENTERTAINS and at worse FORMULA FLICK THAT Doesn't ENTERTAIN.
But even more recently you had a different kind of comic book adaption, the fun is out, THE DRAMA IS IN, ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY INCLUDING THE FANS BUT MOST EFFORT WAS PAID TO THE CRITIC WHO ITS WELL KNOWN CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF DRAMA AND EMOTION...
Offlate most of the comic book movies fall into this category,AND TAKE THEMSELVES TO SERIOUSLY....
They pump their movies full with good actors..
Put in lots of emotional scenes.....bloody everyone cries (think spidey3)....
Themes of love are rampant throughout the film...superman had more problems than charlie brown...
On face value this movie looks like it will fall in this category, I mean who wouldn't, one look at the starcast and you will remember HULK and be scared.
But somehow this movie was different, this movie didn't have the special effects that will leave you flabbergasted or the unnecessary comic relief YET IT WAS FUN.
AND SHOCKINGLY IT WAS DUE TO THE SUPERB ACTING, Robert Downey played the middle aged teen who became a superhero brilliantly, he was funny suave and a delight to watch.
Jeff Bridges looked and played the part of an evil corporate honcho to the hilt.
Even Gwyneth Paltrow did great job of playing the not so serious pepperpot.
Thanks to the acting even the subtle romance scenes were enjoyable to a romance allergic person like me.
The action scenes AND SPCIAL EFFECTS etc were in fact weak compared to TRANSFORMERS WHICH HAS OBVIOUSLY SET THE BENCHMARK FOR SCI-FI ACTION.
However the fact remains that this movie remains weak in primary selling points, THE HERO IS WEAK BECAUSE FOR THE MOST PART THERE IS NO Villain AND ANY GOOD HERO NEEDS At least AN AS EVIL Villain.
Special effects were only at par.
The comic book excitement was lacking.
SINCE IRON MAN HAS ALMOST NO GLOBAL FAN FOLLOWING ESPECIALLY HERE IN India, we definitely needed some aura building which was lacking (especially in film).
Yet this movie delivers the goods and can be watched even in after paying premium rates, although watching a nice matinée show would definitely push the experience up.
-s no recognition, at par special effect,so so action, no comic book feel.
+\-s none quite a simple film actually.
+s GREAT ACTING, ALL DRAMA AND ROMANTIC SCENES HANDLED BRILLIANTLY, even things like humour are withing the main characters.
total 7/10 (not factoring in the fact that this movie was above my actually quite low expectations, expect good and you will get it, if you are one of those drama loving maniacs, BE AWARE THE ACTING IS SUPERB BY COMIC BOOK MOVIE STANDARDS BUT NOT BY THE 3 HR LONG EPIC DRAMA STANDARDS.)