Comic Book adaptations back in the late 70's, late 80's and early to late 90’s were very rare and if one by chance was made well enough. it was one of the biggest films of that year in 1978 acclaimed director Richard Donner(Director of the "Lethal Weapon" series) directed the first ever critical and commercial successful big screen adaptation of the beloved and ever looked up to superhero. Super-Man. "Superman" was one of the biggest films of the 70's and still today remains an immense classic amongst comic book fans and moviegoers alike and left a mark on the comic book genre and films that still last today. than in 1989 an up and coming director by the name of Tim Burton stepped up to the plate to direct the biggest film of the late 80's, "Batman".
Tim Burton's adaptation of the most beloved anti-hero in comic book history was and is still today the darkest of the original Batman series taking The Dark Knight out of his campy comic book roots that he had been trapped in since the 60's television series and the 1964 camptastrohpe adaptation of the series which I severely look down on. Burton saved the dark knight and pushed the comic book genre into the future: after the humongous commercial success of Tim Burton's "Batman” he went on in 1992 to direct the even darker sequel which today stands as one of the best comic book sequels of all time. "Batman Returns" marked the second film in the 80's-90's Batman film series which was followed swiftly in 1995 by Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever” which topped Burton's Batman sequel "Batman Returns" at the box-office, but failed to garner favorable reviews. Schumacher returned in 1997 to direct the worst (And I mean that wit absolutely no respect) Batman film in the franchise history and the subsequent end of the Batman series, a commercial and critical failure "Batman and Robin" nearly doomed the dark knight from ever returning to the big screen. Where the franchise laid dormant for nearly 8 years. during that time other famed comic book heroes hit the screen in 2002 Sam Rami brought to life the wall crawling arachnid "Spider-Man", than returned to direct tow more films(apparently his last for the franchise.) the huge critical, commercial success and one of the greatest superhero sequels of all time, "Spider-Man 2" and the movie that doomed the franchise "Spider-Man 3", "The Punisher"(2004), The terrible "Fantastic Four" and its juvenile sequel "Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer"(2007). Prior to " Spider-Man 3" and "Fantastic Four 2" young up and coming director Christopher Nolan made his mark on the comic book genre and Hollywood by directing the reboot of the fabled Batman franchise and taking the story all the way back to it's roots with "Batman Begins". It was not until 2008 that two heavyweights would go neck and neck at the box-office making not only a mark at the box-office but in the genre's history quickly and swiftly solidifying themselves as the top dogs amongst comic book adaptations. Those two films are Chris Nolan's Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" and Jon Favreau's "Iron Man.”
Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" was a film no one I knew believed in mainly due to the star of the film Robert Downey, Jr. playing the lead as the eccentric and ever so quirky hero Tony Stark. But after hearing much hype and seeing the praise it received from critics and audiences my dad and I went to the theaters to the see the much hyped " Iron Man", I walked in slightly skeptical of the film not knowing of the talent of Robert Downey Jr. or Jon Favreau. I remember sitting there as the lights dimmed wondering if this film is going to live up to the hype it has established or even be worth the sixteen bucks. As the film rolled on, I sat there in awe of this magnificent and glorious science fiction/superhero thriller. "Iron Man" is a fast paced, outrageously funny, dark, complex and witty thrill ride that not only single hand revive the career of Robert Downey, Jr. but shot him straight up into the stratosphere of fame It's the kind of film that the minute it's over you want to see it again. Then when it ends a second time, you want to see it a third time and then a fourth. Hell you will want to see it as many times as you can it is just too good to ignore or hate. "Iron Man" takes off at a thousand miles per hour and pulls the audiences in on the ride of a lifetime with breathtaking special effects, mind-blowing action, outrageous plot twist and RDJ. leading it all the way to the number 2 spot amongst comic book adaptations solidifying it as one of the best and showing the world Robert Downey Jr.'s talent.
I loved the wit and charm of this movie, I loved the grittiness and dark complexity of the characters it seems everyone of them has there own problems in one way or another they all are dealing with emotional problems which makes them a real class act of complicated characters. The film draws it strength from its characters it feeds off there power , there emotions it uses them not only as actors but as the main power source for the films ferocity and drive there crucial to it and the with the wrong actors this film would have fallen apart faster than those boy bands from the 90's. Thanks to brilliant casting and phenomenal direction from Jon Favreau “Iron Man" flies high instead of crashing hard.
Robert Downey Jr. was never a huge favorite of mine when I was younger my favorites were Keanu Reeves, Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, David Duchovny and Denzel Washington, the list goes on form there out. But the point is RDJ was never anywhere to be seen on my list of favorites that is until I saw "Iron Man", "Iron Man" showed off RDJ's comedic side and his side for being totally out of control as the jet setting billionaire hero. RDJ doesn't go completely out of range from mainstream audience he instead makes Stark a more narcissistic and self-indulging character than what he was in the comics but you know we still think he's cool anyways. RDJ is fantastic and goes far and beyond the call of duty of an actor and proves tot he world he is back and here to stay. The rest of the cast of including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard all deliver strong supporting performances in this film about a hero that is built instead of born.
Its a film that should not work in fact this film should not even succeed but it does, "Iron Man" is much better than the standard comic book adaptation the standard being The Fantastic Four films(both juvenile and dumb),The Punisher films( The first was actually very good the second not so much). But "Iron Man" is the kind of film that no matter how you look at or what you think there is some part of you that is either going to love this film and for those who say they don't like it secretly do(guilt pleasure). Jon Favreau has created a strong, smart and engaging superhero film that explores the technical side of being a hero and the story of a man who initially was happy with zero accountability and in the end became the most unlikely hero in comics and now in films. "Iron Man" is a high flying adventure that does not pull any stops at giving you the wild outrageous film that you could hope for it's not like any comic book adaptation you have ever seen or ever will see "Iron Man” is a one of a kind.
