‘Iron Man’: Knight in hi-tech armor

(Published May 5, Philippine Daily Inquirer-Entertainment)

By Oliver M. Pulumbarit
Contributor

This is one movie that will make the geeks happy.

Comic book hero Iron Man gets translated to the big screen surprisingly well, updated to fit in a contemporary and much edgier setting. Marvel’s playboy-superhero is made extra-tangible by the intelligent screenplay, Jon Favreau’s confident direction, and of course, Robert Downey, Jr.’s excellent portrayal. Effects-aided slugfests, nicely timed humor and drama, respect for established Iron Man lore--yup, this one’s bound to keep the comic book fans happy.

“Iron Man” is accessible for those who never read the series, too, especially since it gives the main character, Tony Stark (Downey), a thorough and riveting origin. Some details have been changed to make it more plausible, but the basic premise remains the same.

The industrialist and genius weapons inventor is wounded and abducted in Afghanistan, surviving a chest wound with the help of a device that keeps shrapnel from reaching his heart. Forced to re-create one of the most destructive weapons in his arsenal, Stark secretly makes a special suit of armor instead. Using it to escape and beat up his captors, Stark experiences an epiphany, which bodes ill for his weapons-making company and his business partnership with smarmy Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges). With cutting edge technology at his disposal, he creates a new and modified body armor, one meant for fighting heavily armed bad guys.

“Iron Man” does a number of things right, which is good news for fans, considering that superhero movies often have to compress and summarize years’ worth of stories into one comprehensible film. It’s able to pick up and play with plot points and combine them into cohesion. Moreover, it’s a nice introduction to the superhero’s world, made somewhat sensible, even alluring, by its fantastical science fiction concepts.

It rightly shows Tony Stark as a flawed but altruistic man. He beds and forgets women, and drinks way too much (which foreshadows his bouts with alcoholism, possibly in a sequel). But he treats his secretary, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) with utmost respect, and becomes proactive when he feels the need to right some terrible wrongs. Unlike many superheroes, his life-altering impetus came later, and he enjoys his civilian life. Well, he does have tons of money. He has an odd but understandable rapport with machines; his house and armor are even equipped with an artificial intelligence that he converses with!

The Iron Monger as the first movie’s super-villain works pretty well, too. The armored fisticuffs between the two foes are characteristically popcorn movie-kinetic. You’d wish that it went on longer and became crazier, though. It would be interesting to see Iron Man’s visually diverse rogue’s gallery appear in future sequels.

Downey, again, is incredible in it, and the witty script feels tailor-made for him. And given the cool, foreshadowed elements such as Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard) eventually taking over the Iron Man role, and the important, fan-pleasing scene after the end credits, yeah, a sequel would be something to look forward to. “Iron Man” is a solid, smart and entertaining film, and it’s been a while since Marvel had one.