Film - Iron Man (Review)

Amidst all the torturous talks about and waiting for, the year's most highly anticipated superhero movie is finally slamming into our local silver screens this week! Ironman marks the first superhero flick this year, igniting the spark for other subsequent superhero projects to come such as The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, and The Dark Knight. This represents huge news of elation for all superhero fans! With the passing of the Oscar season in January and February, we've all been through a rather dull and poor cinematic period since March. Not anymore, Ironman is here to save us and the local box office sales from the inferior lacklustre movies as it revives the local movie-going scene. Ironman is what I regard, as the summer movie season's answer to the true beginning of a fabulous movie year of 2008!

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Before you fellow movie connoisseurs out there start to aggressively brand me with descriptions like a tasteless movie neophyte who's only into Hollywood's Slam-Blam-Bangs, let me clarify that Ironman is not just any superhero movie that you've all seen one too many before. It's one of the rare superhero flicks that's been intensely brought 'down-to-earth', despite a comic book superhero background adaptation. So much so, to an extend whereby it feels as though it was grounded by practicality. It has done away with (or perhaps reduced is a better word) the good old superhero movie overkill factor, except for the only overkill I've noticed in its digital visual effects and style.

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In case you're still one of those in the unknowns, here's a brief plot layout of Ironman. Tony Stark, a billionaire heir to his father's magnificent high technology industrial empire of destructive weapons, lives as a carefree debonair man who pays no heed to critics' comments of him as a 'Merchant of Death' until one day being captured and coerced by a group of terrorists into building them a set of devastating missile system. Instead, this genius MIT graduate converted his wits and intelligence into his ticket of escape by secretly fabricating himself a prototype suit of destructive armour to barge out of the enemy's encampment. Escaping out as a changed man, Stark begins to realize that his commercial empire has caused much suffering and destruction to the world instead of contributing as a means of peacekeeping, thus begins to capitalize on his previous prototype and built himself a powerful armour suit to protect the world against evil intentions and invasion.

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It kinds of set you pondering how cool an engineer's work can be, especially with the stereotypical mindset of the public that engineers are boring. This movie really scores a big one for all the engineers out there.

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Ironman is full of dark humour nicely blended with an entertaining dosage of action being unfolded constantly to the audience throughout the film, all thanks to the witty and cocky character of Tony Stark played by Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. On the contrary to the initial public disagreement with the queer choice of the male lead, Downey Jr. proved to be perfect for the role. It's also true for the other significant co-starring characters played by Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow and Oscar nominee Terrence Howard. I appreciate with laughter some of the witty and comical lines in the script, such as the one Stark gave during his weapon demonstration: "They say the best weapon is one you'll never have to fire, I prefer the weapon you'll only need to fire ... ONCE! That's how Dad did it, that's how America does it, and it's worked out pretty well so far." I can't help but to notice how coincidentally fitting the line can be as something President Bush might have delivered from his heart.

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The rock riffs filled soundtrack accentuated the visuals in style, with credits to uprising television and film composer Ramin Djawadi. If this name doesn't ring a bell to you, his works include the recent popular hit TV series Prison Break as well as mature superhero movie Blade: Trinity. He's also the protégé of highly-acclaimed music composer Hans Zimmer.

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Well, with the above said, Ironman comes highly recommended as one of the rare movies with plenty of big bangs for your buck this summer. With a fair practical aspect instilled, this comes easy even for those catching a superhero movie for their first time. As for seasoned superhero flick fans, this might serve as a refreshing variation. More and more superheroes are being adapted on the big screen these days in aim of scoring that sweet ace in success on box office sales, let's just hope it will not be overly-saturated to induce a stale sense of dullness with commercial repetitive offerings in slight variations. You'll know that is happening one day when you spot a Captain Planet movie poster appearing labelled "Coming Soon" in your neighbourhood cinema.

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Till then, have a great weekend at the movies.

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MSR Managing Editor

MuHu Son