Iron Man on DVD

The movie which began a golden summer movie season is now on DVD.
I have to admit that I am a comic book fan so I had a special excitement and skepticism about "Iron Man." However, after I walked out of the theatre not only were my expectations met and exceeded when it came to the adaptation of the comic, it was also an all-around great movie.
Robert Downey Jr. was back for his first leading role in several years and he knocked it out of the park. He took the role of Tony Stark, billionaire weapons designer, womanizer and alcoholic turned superhero and makes the audience fall in love with him.
Stark starts off as a pompous millionaire who is just fine with the nickname “Merchant of Death,” who gets captured by terrorists who are armed to the teeth with his weapons. After escaping, he discovers his weapons have been given to terrorists by some of his company colleagues and changes his goal in life to protect those who have been hurt by his weapons.
Downey is actually able to make an action movie more about the character than the action in the film. Yes there are amazing action sequences chock-full of CGI, but you almost want them to be over so you can get back to more of Downey’s antics.
His supporting cast of Jeff Bridges, who plays “Obadiah Stane,” the friend turned enemy, does an excellent job of not stealing the scenes he is in, but making his presence loom over the other characters in a subtle kind of terror.
Terrence Howard, who some might say is too good of an actor to be in a summer blockbuster, also does an excellent job of playing his character with just the right amount of playful humor without becoming just comedic relief.
Gwyneth Paltrow also uses her Academy Award winning skills to make a background character someone the audience roots for and cares about. She has just the right amount of sass, cuteness and humor to make her the perfect match for Downey’s character. The chemistry works perfectly and the audience can feel it.
While the biggest complaint I heard about the film was the slow pace in some scenes, I felt the movie has a nice flow to it. There are slower, character-building scenes but those are necessary in any film looking to become a franchise. In an origin movie, you have to have a good amount of plot so the audience cares about what happens to the protagonist —otherwise, you end of not caring if the characters win or lose.
Director Jon Favreau, who past directing credits include “Zathura: A Space Adventure” and “Elf,” knows how to engage audiences and how important characters are in any movie, even a summer blockbuster. However, he also shows he knows how to do action with CGI-packed scenes of fighter jets, tanks and explosions without overdoing it to the point of it becoming boring and taking away from the rest of the film.
This movie is for everyone and is the perfect way to kick off the summer movie season. You don’t have to be a fan of comics to enjoy this film. (However, if you are a fan of the comics, you should make sure to stay for the scene after the credits roll.)
The new DVD includes behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentary from Favreau and most of the cast. The special edition comes with several hours of special features which only a true fan could probably enjoy, but as a true fan, I will be purchasing this edition and watching all of the extras.
Iron Man
Rating: Three and a half stars
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow