Superhero Times: a service of Action Online
For a great selection of superhero action figures and collectibles, check out fine retailers BigBadToyStore.com, CornerStoreComics.com, WhiteWizardToys.com, ToyWiz.com, ToyRocket.com, Alter Ego Comics, HobbyLinkJapan.com, StatueToys.com, MayBang.com, HEO.com, Urban-Collector.com, and Elm Street Online.
For a great selection of superhero and pop culture apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
Despite the fact that Iron Man soars high on director Jon Favreau's fidelity to the comic book source material, combining outstanding action and special effects with snappy dialog and crisp storytelling, the movie belongs to Robert Downey Jr. who makes Tony Stark seem 100% plausible in spite of the fantastic technology around him. The film is excellently modeled around the personality of Stark, remaining hip and fun even during the most serious moments.The rest of the cast meshes perfectly into their roles which not only mirror their comic book counterparts with an eerie precision, but also expertly flesh out the rest of Tony Stark's world.
The film begins firmly in Stark's self-indulgent world, showcasing his inability to take anything seriously while remaining a brilliant inventor of weapons for the multi-billion dollar company his father founded. After showcasing his latest weapon, the Jericho missile, to the military leaders gathered in Afghanistan, Tony Stark is kidnapped by terrorists and forced to create a Jericho missile for them. Stark secretly builds a suit of robotic armor instead and escapes back to safety.
The man who returns from captivity is not the same one who was taken prisoner and Stark is now driven to protect the innocent from the weapons he has created. His new pacifism leads him to shut down the weapons manufacturing arm of his company while making sure that illegal weapon shipments are destroyed. He isn't against using violence to stop those who use his weapons to terrorize civilians, most notably attacking the terrorists that had kidnapped him.
The dark force against Downey Jr.'s Stark is Obadiah Stane played by Jeff Bridges. Stane is the corrupt salesman, willing to smuggle weapons to anyone, anywhere for huge amounts of money. Stane was the business partner of Tony Stark's father before he died and is the man who runs the company's day to day operations while Tony locks himself away to work on his latest invention. Stane's greed has lead to the saturation of weapons in the Middle East, and unknowingly at the outset, Tony has set himself on a mission against his friend and father figure.
Gwyneth Paltrow plays Stark's assistant, "Pepper" Potts, a charming and intelligent woman whose relationship with Stark remains innocent even though a sexual tension is present. Stark's military liaison, Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes played by Terrence Howard, is initially disappointed by Stark's desire to stop weapons manufacturing for the military but later supports Stark's movement against Stane and the illegal weapons shipping.
As great as the casting, acting, and directing is, the special effects are a key part of this blockbuster film. Iron Man is a rubber suit, a metal suit, and a computer generated construct, and yet is never unbelievable. The explosions are satisfying, the fighting is visceral, and everything comes to a head in the vicious climax that leaves you knowing that you can never escape the fact that Iron Man is cool. Jon Favreau's movie has elevated Iron Man form a second tier character in the Marvel Universe to the brightest star of the summer.