Iron Man begins a series of retrospective film reviews of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how they may lead towards the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War.
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This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After seventeen movies, with three more scheduled for release in the upcoming months, these films continue their domination the pop cultural landscape. They’ve also forever changed the way Hollywood produces movies, as every studio now strives to create their own cinematic universe. For their tenth anniversary, Marvel Studios will release what they’re promising is the culmination of what their cinematic universe has led towards this past decade — Avengers: Infinity War.
Bam Smack Pow, therefore, are looking back at the movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first will be the one which started it all: Iron Man (2008). Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Shaun Toub, and directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man was a box office hit upon release, nominated for two Academy Awards (for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects) and holds a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It may not seem so now, but launching a series of shared movies with Iron Man was a genuine risk. It’s hero, after all, starts off as a weapons manufacturer, who, among comic fans, didn’t have the same popularity compared to the likes of Spider-Man and the X-Men. He was already considered a quasi-villain thanks to Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s Civil War. Even its lead actor was almost rejected by Marvel based on his notoriously wild past. Yet if not for this film, there wouldn’t even be a Marvel Cinematic Universe, or even a Marvel Studios for that matter.
Thus, aside from seeing how this movie could tie into the upcoming Infinity War, we’ll also take a look at what made Iron Man work. We’ll also take a look into what didn’t work, since no movie, even with the amount of praise Iron Man has, is perfect. With that, let’s take a re-examination of film which started an entirely new universe.
Credit: Paramount Pictures/Marvel Studios; from Iron Man (2008)
What worked?
When we think of an actor as Superman, we think of Christopher Reeve. When we think of Wolverine, we think of Hugh Jackman. And we think of Tony Stark/Iron Man, we think of Robert Downey Jr. It’s impossible imagining anyone else playing Marvel’s billionaire playboy and super-genius industrialist. In fact, Iron Man wouldn’t even work half as well if not for Downey’s charismatic performance. He is the reason Iron Man is as well-known a superhero as Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man today.
Perhaps this is because Tony Stark’s life and personality symbolically–and sometimes explicitly–parallels Downey’s. Downey, like Stark, had trouble relating with and living up to the legacy his own father, and, in Hollywood circles, had a notorious reputation for hard and fast living. He even served jail time for drug possession, written off as a washed-up drug addict. Not until 2003 did Downey turn his life around, and it was Iron Man which helped resurrect his career as a box-office superstar.
Thus Iron Man isn’t just a superhero origin story; it’s a story of how a man of many talents, having squandered his gifts, decides, after a traumatic experience, to make the world a better place. That’s a powerful message an audience can immediately get behind.
Iron Man is also a surprisingly grounded superhero movie, too. Despite the advanced technology on display, the film still feels like it’s set very firmly in our world. There are times where it feels more real (but never as dark) than Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Even the dialogue–much of it ad-libbed–adds to this illusion. This can make for, at times, a very funny movie, along with some convincing romantic tension between Tony and Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow).
Of course, the effects are decent and very convincing at times. Likewise, director Jon Favreau (who also plays Happy Hogan in the film) does a commendable job when it comes to the action set-pieces, with Tony’s escape from the Ten Rings and the debut of Mark III the stand-outs. There are other superhero movies which are better, but few which are nearly as fun.
Credit: Paramount Pictures/Marvel Studios; from Iron Man (2008)
What didn’t work?
You want to know the reason many of the actors ad-libbed their lines? Because even after filming began, the script wasn’t finished. In re-watching the film, there are definite moments where you can tell it needed some serious polishing. The movie drags right around its second act until Tony dons the Mark III armor. The climax of the film also feels uninspired, with elements you’ve no doubt seen in several other sci-fi, action movies before.
The script also has a few contrived coincidences and noticeable plot holes. Case in point, when the Ten Rings terrorist organization capture Tony, they order him to build his experimental Jericho missile system for them. Of course, Tony builds his first suit of armor instead. Yet later in the film, we see the Ten Rings already have a Jericho, courtesy of their deal with Obadiah Stane’s (Jeff Bridges). Why then even bother forcing Tony to build one if that’s the case?
It doesn’t help either that as a villain, Obadiah Stane isn’t compelling or even consistent. Sure, Jeff Bridges is a terrific actor, and has one of the best villainous outbursts of all time, but the character is still a mess. After all, why does Obadiah even want to kill Tony? It isn’t because Tony wants to cut Stark Industries’ weapons manufacturing since he also decides this after his escape. If it’s to take control of the company, Obadiah was already running things even with Tony around. All we can assume then is that he’s jealous of Tony for nebulous reasons.
Speaking of performances, one of the downsizes of Robert Downey Jr. having such a commanding screen presence is the other actors seem like footnotes. This is especially the case with Terrence Howard as Stark’s friend and Air Force liaison, Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes. While he does a decent job, he doesn’t really stand out, either. Maybe it’s just because I’m become accustomed with Don Cheadle as Rhodey in later films, but Howard’s Rhodey feels like a different character. Leslie Bibb as reporter Christine Everhart also has a bit of thankless role.
Credit: Paramount Pictures/Marvel Studios; from Iron Man (2008)
How will the events of this movie play into Infinity War?
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first official movie, Iron Man, of course, has plenty of hints of upcoming films Marvel had in the works. That’s rather remarkable considering no one knew how successful Iron Man would actually be at the box office at the time.
Among these include discussion about Tony’s father, Howard Stark, who becomes a pivotal character in future films, including Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). This is also the first appearance of Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. And of course, there’s the end-credits stinger featuring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and his “Avengers Initiative.”
Moreover, nearly everything which transpired in the Marvel Cinematic Universe came about as a direct result of Tony’s actions in this movie. His becoming and later outing himself as Iron Man is what prompts Fury into creating the Avengers. This, in turn, will attract the attention of Thanos, prompting his own quest to gather the Infinity Stones.
Then there is J.A.R.V.I.S. (voiced by Paul Bettany), Tony’s sarcastic A.I. assistant who will, one day, become the android Avenger known as The Vision, and bearer of the Mind Gem Infinity Stone. Looking back on this film, it’s rather astonishing once you realize just how much character growth and development J.A.R.V.I.S. has undergone. We’re also reminded that, although he’s a disembodied computer voice, J.A.R.V.I.S. is also Tony’s friend. This will make it all the more heart-wrenching once Vision dies during Avengers: Infinity War. And yes, I think there’s a very strong chance he will.
One scene, in my re-watching, struck me as even more hilarious in hindsight. During their design of the Mark III, Tony and J.A.R.V.I.S. discuss how to solve the problem of the suit functionality qt high altitudes. “Perhaps,” J.A.R.V.I.S. says, “if you intend to visit other planets, we should improve the exosystems.” Who would’ve guessed ten years later that Tony Stark will, indeed, visit another planet?
Next: Top 10 Highest Grossing Super Hero Movies of All Time
Next time, Bam Smack Pow will look at the other film which helped kick off the Marvel Cinematic Universe the same year as Iron Man — The Incredible Hulk.