StanLee Wannabe's rating of IronMan = 9.5 out of 10
Plot
You'd think that in a comic-book / special effects movie the plot wouldn't be one the shining achievements, but that's why this is no ordinary movie. Think about what the writers blended: an origin story, a crisis of conscience, a love angle, a betrayal, AND an action movie. Let's be real, Hollywood has attempted less and failed harder.
What we have here though is a really great story that never seems predictable, has us on the edge of our seats, and has us aching to be Tony Stark! Did they write the usual love story? No. Did they keep the Invincible Iron Man's identity a secret? Nope. Was the betrayal melodramatic and pushed on us crudely? Not a chance.
They dreamed big and achieved excellence.
Acting
Spot-on in every way. All 4 of the major characters put in entertaining, credible, crafted performances that all had the mark of professionalism. And it wasn't one of those movies where the extras and bit-part actors were cheesy and untalented. From the scientist arguing with Stane ("I'm not Tony Stark!") to the terrorists in Afganistan, these guys delievered. I was really afraid that we were going to get Stock Terrorists #3423432 with AKs and over-the-top stereotyping, but it was all more than believable.
One of the other things that has to be said about the major 4 is that if even one of them hadn't have been as good, the entire movie would have suffered. That's a good thing. It means they gave killer performances that raised the entire level of the movie each time they came on screen.
Is this movie Schindler's List? Of course not, but the actors made me believe - and that's above the call of duty.
Direction/Production
Favreau is fast becoming the new Spielberg. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. We've finally FINALLY got someone with both the passion and the movie-smarts to make a AAA movie that's exciting and makes money. As I've said before, the choice of actors and the willingness to take a comic-book movie seriously is what makes the unbelievable actually believable (and even cheerable)! And thank you for making the movie LONG! We're adults. If we like what we're watching we'll want more of it! I really applaud the attempt to make it longer and keep things in rather than shorten it and cut critical/fun stuff.
If Jon makes another 5 movies at this level, he'll have a legacy that will arguably be one of the best of any director. Not only does he get the look right, but he's pushed it from the one-trick pony of "let's make this look like a comic-book frame" to using perspective and set-design to encapsulate what it would really be like if we were lucky enough to live in Shellhead's world.
And he's given us the hint that he's going to continue to do this whole thing right - you want proof? SamJ's scene after the credits. The default now is "Believe in Jon." (Someone should make a t-shirt graphic for that
)
Comic Book factor
Comic book movies are always a strange bird. There's the age-old tug of fanboi vs. newcomer. There's the struggle of "do we make this for kids or adults?" and there's always the chance that science-fiction looks like science-silliness to a cheesy degree. The first question was answered with the perfect balance of nods to the past (the progression of armor, the relationships of the major players, hints at WarMachine) and accessibility (someone who'd never read a comic could follow the movie easily) to newcomers. And the second question was put to rest with adult acting choices that didn't cheapen the movie, as well as a humorous worker-robot that even adults could enjoy (Thanks for not making it overly beepy and expressive btw).
This movie brings us a believable world where the wonder of comics is alive and well. There are enough "gee wiz" moments to fill Madison Square Garden. How about the targeting system in the village scene? Or when Tony flies into a wall and responds with a joke? Or clinging to the bottom of a US fighter plane. All comic book - all wonderful.
Crowd Response
I live in Montgomery, Alabama - a mid-sized, bible-belt town with its own mix of southern, yankee, and everyone in between. I expected a fair amount of people to enjoy it moderately - but man was I underestimating! The turnout was better than great (The first time I went, I attended a 6:30 Friday show and the place was packed, but no standing in line) and the crowd really got into it. There are sometimes when you can tell a crowd just "doesn't get" a movie. This was not one of those times. I had a guy a fair amount older than me who "oohed" and "ahhed" and belly-laughed with the best of them sitting next to me. I thought for sure that he was an IM fan, but as we walked out he told me he'd never read a comic book in his life, but wanted to now. That's conversion, folks.
Things I'd fix
There's really only 2 things - and they didn't ruin the movie in the least. They're only about .5 out of 10, really.
First, Iron Man needs a theme song. Something you can hum to yourself to relive the dream. I'd say something with kickass guitars, a bit techno, and entirely inspirational. Mix Velvet Revolver + MManson + Elfman in equal parts.
Second, I agree with the folks that say there needed to be a bit more actual Iron Man battle action. The boss battle at the end was great, but earlier in th e movie it would have been great to get a few more "ahh haa!" moments like when he was fighting the terrorists. But who am I to doubt Favreau?
X-factor
That little something extra that takes it from really good to great. This movie has it in 10-gallon drums. Sure the production value is top-knotch, but I'm not just talking about that. It would be easy to point out a million little touches that are unexpected and amazing (the Jarvis AI, the locations of the scenes, the nods to S.H.I.E.L.D., I could go on and on), but in the end the metal of the plot, and the wiring of the production are bonded together by everyone's passion and understanding of what was needed - to produce one hell of an IronMan.
That's it. We'll all have our own reactions, but I walked away with a new favorite superhero movie.
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