The Robert Downey Jr Film Guide
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The Robert Downey Jr Film Guide |
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Iron Man (2008) |
Summary |
Comic book adaptation about a troubled billionaire who fights crime and terrorism. |
Direction |
Jon Favreau |
Downey Factor |
High |
Character |
Tony Stark, a genius billionaire playboy who makes himself into a superhero |
Looks |
Dashing, very well dressed, fit. In other words, great. |
Performance |
Strong, convincing, makes the movie. |
Line |
It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero. That would be outlandish and fantastic. I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public. |
Love & Sex |
He's an international playboy who flirts with every woman in sight including his assistant (Gwyneth Paltrow) |
Dies, Gay or Villain |
No, No, No |
Other Actors |
Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges |
Connection |
Gwyneth Paltrow in Iron Man 2. Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2. |
RDJ Says |
I'm the property of Marvel Comics now. |
Lit Reference |
The Iron Man comics |
Hot Link |
Official Site |
Release |
2 May 2008 |
Availability |
On DVD and Blu Ray everywhere in the universe |
Foreign Titles |
Argentina: Iron man - El hombre de hierro (The Iron Man) Brazil: Homem de Ferro (Man of Iron) Estonia: Raudmees Hungary: A Vasember (The Ironman) Japan: Aianman |
Rotten Tomatoes |
93% fresh | 221 reviews |
Critical View |
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Tony Stark is created from the persona Downey has fashioned through many movies: irreverent, quirky, self-deprecating, wise-cracking. The fact that Downey is allowed to think and talk the way he does while wearing all that hardware represents a bold decision by the director, Jon Favreau. If he hadn't desired that, he probably wouldn't have hired Downey. So comfortable is Downey with Tony Stark's dialogue, so familiar does it sound coming from him, that the screenplay seems almost to have been dictated by Downey's persona. Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Too often movies adapted from comic books come with their own split personalities. There's the flat, prosaic story, with ... thinly scripted regular-guy roles. And then there are the special-effects parts, when suddenly we're asked to believe that a man can fly... The fun of Iron Man, a Marvel adaptation in which a routine arc has been burnished with great elegance and skill, is the way that it heals the split, soldering the two halves of its hero into a single organically driven figure. |
2 Reasons to See It |
1. The wildy popular blockbuster finally turned him from a 'troubled actor' into a superstar. If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? 2. You're tired of those morally superior, mutant superheroes. |
Overall |
Even if the superhero thing isn't your scene, he spends a lot of time out of the suit acting like an exagerated industrialist version of himself. |
If You Like It |
You might also like Sherlock Holmes (2009), Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005) |
Photos |
Video |