Review: Iron Man

I like the comic book movies, even when I don't know, or don't follow the comic. I know that I'm going to get a lot of the things that I like to see in movies. Action, Good vs Evil, action, flawed heroes, action. This movie does not disappoint. Now I never followed the Iron Man comic. Xmen was always more my speed in the Marvel universe so when I first started seeing the trailers for this movie, I must say that I was not impressed. Guy in a suit? Flies around? Hello, that movie was called The Rocketeer and it came out like 46 years ago. I figured that it would get a pass. A funny thing happened. As it got closer and closer to the release date of the movie, the trailers got better and better and better. Before you know it I was pretty interested in at least giving it a shot. So Sunday rolled around and we put it to a vote and everyone seemed interested in seeing it. So off the STFU&GBTW clan goes to the Island Bay Cinema, a nifty little boutique/cafe movie theater in, of all places, Island Bay. The ratings were M (PG-13 for you Yanks) for "mild violence", W and I were hoping that we weren't taking everyone to some blood soaked gore fest masquerading as a friendly comic book movie.

We need not have worried, there's some "horrors of war" in the opening sequence, but it's played pretty subtly. Our hero is also a serial womanizer and that's played very low key as well. None of that, however, really has anything to do with how much ass this movie kicked and I'm here to tell you my friends, it was a considerable amount. "Why?" you ask because you're lame and haven't seen it yet. "Why is it so good?". Well, I will tell you. Was it beacuse of the awesome plot? No. The plot was typical comic book movie good but not great. Was it because of the fantastic visual effects. Yes they were fantastic, but no. Was it Jon Farveau's brilliant direction? NO. I will tell you why. I will tell you in three little words. This movie was awesome because of Robert ... Downey ... Jr. He was just flat out awesome. He made the movie great. If you don't see this movie, then you hate America. The kids all loved it. You must see this movie.

PS. I don't mean to nit pick, but I'm from SoCal so I'm afraid I must. When a billionaire industrialist super-genius gets home from spending three months in a cave in Af-fucking-ghanistan and says that he wants two things, first an American cheeseburger and second, a press conference does he get out of the limo at the press conference with a BK bag in one hand and a Whopper in the other? No! Fucking product placement. Fucking In-And-Out. IN-AND-OUT god damnit. He would go to fucking In-And-Out a get a double double. BK my ass. Minature fusion reactors in his chest, that I can believe, but no In-And-Out? it strains credibility and completely blew my suspension of disbelief, but still, I gotta give it ...



Five Ass Kicking Stars