Iron Man

Iron Man might be the latest comic book infused with life but it's unlike any superhero film. That's largely because it doesn't treat the protagonist as a superhero with the weight of the world on his shoulders. The film is as straight as an arrow. I never read Iron Man comic and in a way I'm glad that I missed out. For starters I don't know how different the film is from the comic and therein lies my reason for being blown over by the film.

Tony Stark is a wealthy genius, who inherits an arms manufacturing company from his father. Stark is supported by Obadiah Stane, his father's trusted lieutenant and has Jim Rhodes, an air force colonel, for his best friend. Stark is busy living it up- making the weapons that kill millions of people in an instance, winning awards, blowing money in casinos and enjoying beautiful company. Surrounded by people all the time, Stark might be hugely popular but the only person he can truly call his own is Pepper Potts, his assistant and confidant. Pepper does everything for Stark including throwing out the trash (that is what she tells one of Tony's one night stands). Things go wrong for Tony when he goes to Afghanistan to demonstrate a new missile. Abducted by the bad guys, he is forced to make a missile for the militants. A nutty scientist saves Tony's life by installing an electromagnet in his chest to keep the suspended pieces of shrapnel from reaching his heart. Tony and his sidekick use the time to invent an iron armor that would help him get out.

Tony finally escapes and returns to America. He is a changed man and wants to stop weapons production as he has realized that even the bad guys use his weapons. He wants to dedicate time to more humanitarian work. Tony’s board doesn’t appreciate this. In spite of issues with his new thought process, Stane promises Tony to convince the board. Tony soon realizes that it was Stane who moved the board against him and also ordered the hit on him. Not only that but under the aegis of Stane, the terrorists are receiving Stark weapons. Tony decides to work on the iron armor and fight the bad guys himself.

The interesting thing about Iron Man is that director Jon Favreau, has made it very believable. Unlike other superheroes, Tony Stark lives in a very real world and has to deal to with 'real' problems. Till the climax of the film, where Iron Man and Iron Monger (Stane in a bigger iron suit) fight it out on the streets, the film doesn’t have a single scene that plays like a typical superhero fare. Stark is portrayed as a rich spoilt genius, Stane comes across as a business tycoon looking to maximize his interest, Pepper Potts plays the Plain Jane to the hilt. The film does have special effects and the usual proverbial superhero moments but nothing over the top. It's all very mature, for the lack of any other word and the actors attached to the film only add to this claim. The cast of Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrance Howard makes it look like some indie film. Jeff Bridges shines as the bald bad guy!

The funny thing is that I was watching Ang Lee's Hulk a couple of days later. Hulk has extended scenes where one see’s the DNA mutation, Bruce getting nightmares without an end and the seemingly never-ending build-up; it was all so predictable. Iron Man has given us a new-age superhero who would rather tell people directly that he is who he is than flying around in an red iron suit!

Image: www.toxicshock.tv