Iron Man Rawks!

[3113]

My geeky, comicbook lovin' heart is happy

Yeah, there are predictable elements, even stuff totally by the numbers, but OH, what fun! And Robert Downey, jr. is Fan-Fucking-Tastic, he OWNS that role. Absurd as it all is, you get sucked in and buy it all. Least I did.

Gonna be the first blockbuster of the summer, no question. Even if the reviewers weren't already so glowing, word of mouth on this would generate a winner. And it's going to get a lot of repeat customers. Warning: too intense for little kids. I wouldn't take anyone under about 9, tops.

That's all I'll say except stay till the very end of the credits. There's a reward for those who do.

 

[cloudy]

We've already been planning to go see it - spidey and me. Glad to hear it's worth it.

 

[Belegon]

I wouldn't take anyone under about 9, tops.

If I don't take the 7 year old daughter who has been watching the trailer over and over and over, I'm in serious, serious trouble...

Of course, we are talking about a seven year old who tells her mommy when it is safe to look at the screen again, too...

 

[S-Des]

If I don't take the 7 year old daughter who has been watching the trailer over and over and over, I'm in serious, serious trouble...

Of course, we are talking about a seven year old who tells her mommy when it is safe to look at the screen again, too...

I'm debating taking my 8 year-old, who loves Lord Of The Rings and doesn't find it scary at all. This can't be worse than that, right?

 

[kimbalee]

hubby and I are going to see it Saturday... he is over the top excited about it... being a geeky comic book guy and all. lol I'm not sure about Downey in the lead role, but just the opening music in the trailer gives me the chills... and I can't wait to see it. Glad to hear it's worth it. Lunchroom talk revolved around Iron Man yesterday, and the majority are going to see it so I bet it will be a blockbuster.

 

[Vermilion]

am taking my geeky comic book lovin' Fiance to see it this afternoon. Is it appropriate for a 27 year old?

x
V

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I am probably going to see it tomorrow after giving shopping for new pants (American pants, not English pants) another go.

 

[3113]

If I don't take the 7 year old daughter who has been watching the trailer over and over and over, I'm in serious, serious trouble...

Of course, we are talking about a seven year old who tells her mommy when it is safe to look at the screen again, too...

LOL! I think she'll be all right then. I put the age at 9 not because there's any overt gore or violence (a lot of explosions, no body parts or even much blood/guts come to that), but there is a kinda creepy scene of reaching into a man's chest. I think I was just projecting back to when I was a little and how that scene would have effected me, but then I was a really sensitive child who couldn't watch certain tv shows for all the scary things my imagination would create after seeing them.

I'll adjust the age down to 7 for the media savvy, modern, CGI raised child. She'll love it and probably think it tame.

I'm debating taking my 8 year-old, who loves Lord Of The Rings and doesn't find it scary at all. This can't be worse than that, right?

Not even close actually. No one getting filled with arrows, turning into a creepy gollum or sinking into lava. Thinking back over it, it's actually pretty squeaky clean for all the implications of the playboy lifestyle and the warmongering violence. Lots and lots of explosions. Very action packed, and if your kid is into armor, he's going to go gah-gah.

I'm not sure about Downey in the lead role

Put your doubts aside. He's not just the lead role, he's the whole movie. I mean, it's funny, but the failure of a lot of the Batman movies (IMHO) was the fact that it was just a guy in a suit. People remembered the villains, they remembered the gadgets and the outfits, but the actor playing Batman made little to no impression. Switch him out and get another one, it made no difference. Not here. CGI that suit may be, but Downey convinces you he's in it, and from the first frame he owns that role, and he sells you on every point of that characters (and there are a lot of points he has to sell you on, from his genius side to his change of heart).

am taking my geeky comic boom lovin' Fiance to see it this afternoon. Is it appropriate for a 27 year old?

I dunno. He may go into geek overload--especially if you stay till the end of the credits. Bring smelling salts.

 

[Vermilion]

OK - I am so behind you. That was a seriously good film!
And thanks for the heads up about waiting til the end of the credits!

x
V - on a buzz

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Downy is also carrying Stark over to the new Ed Norton version of The hulk, from what I saw on IMDB the other day.

 

[Weird Harold]

CGI that suit may be, but Downey convinces you he's in it, and from the first frame he owns that role,

A sports talk radio host I was listenting to last night said that Robert Downey Jr was the perfect choice for the role of "...a rich playboy with a drinking problem, like Tony Stark. They wouldn't even need a script, they could just follow him around hollywood with a camera."

 

[TheeGoatPig]

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/wildly_popular_iron_man_trailer

 

[Daniellekitten]

Kids will love it. One of the best I've seen this year. I'm planning on taking my little sister, or should I say, forcing her to go with me.

 

[only_more_so]

My geeky, comicbook lovin' heart is happy

Yeah, there are predictable elements, even stuff totally by the numbers, but OH, what fun! And Robert Downey, jr. is Fan-Fucking-Tastic, he OWNS that role. Absurd as it all is, you get sucked in and buy it all. Least I did.

Gonna be the first blockbuster of the summer, no question. Even if the reviewers weren't already so glowing, word of mouth on this would generate a winner. And it's going to get a lot of repeat customers. Warning: too intense for little kids. I wouldn't take anyone under about 9, tops.

That's all I'll say except stay till the very end of the credits. There's a reward for those who do.

I wanted to see it last night, but a project I'm working on sucks balls so I couldn't. Today, same kind of deal except I went for drinks with coworkers to commiserate about how sucky the project is. Definitely tomorrow.

 

[S-Des]

It was amazing. My daughter loved it (although I could have done without the bedroom scene, and the torture scene was a little strong). I think they did a great job of balancing it between young and adult audiences. I also really loved the reveal about the government organization (and the bonus after the credits ).

 

[glynndah]

That's all I'll say except stay till the very end of the credits. There's a reward for those who do.

Not stay until the end of the credits?!?

I always stay for every movie. The ushers with their plastic bags and dust pans on a stick hate me.

 

[Belegon]

I thought it rocked. I geeked on it big time, and also thought that RD Jr. did a wonderful job. Totally sold the playboy gig, which was a necessary sell to buy the rest. Thought Gwyneth was fun as well with what they gave her to do.

Kids had no problems with it, they both loved it. Daughter sat with her legs crossed through the last bits cause she need to pee but couldn't bear to miss anything. Son tried to time a non-battle part and made a mad dash.

I soooooo want to talk about the extra bit, but soooooo don't want to spoil it either.

Suffice it to say that I grew up in the 70's and became a comic book fan through Marvel, not so much DC with the possible exception of Bats.. and so I freaking loved it.

HIGHLY recommended for action flick fans, with an additional "what the hell are you waiting for?" kick in the pants to anyone who enjoys the superhero genre.

 

[English Lady]

My 6 year old has decided she likes the look of it, but she's pretty sensitive. Spiderman, Power Rangers and such don't bother her but most of the aliens in Dr Who are too scary for her. Do you think this is a 'safe' film for her, or should I try and disuade her from it for now?

 

[Vermilion]

My 6 year old has decided she likes the look of it, but she's pretty sensitive. Spiderman, Power Rangers and such don't bother her but most of the aliens in Dr Who are too scary for her. Do you think this is a 'safe' film for her, or should I try and disuade her from it for now?

Dissuade her, espeically if she's imaginative like her mum. Nothing horrible *actually* happens at the point that I put my hands over my face, but the fact I thought it would was enough. Definitely not good for a sensitive child. :0
x
V

 

[TheeGoatPig]

So nobody clicked this link? It's pretty funny...

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/wildly_popular_iron_man_trailer

 

[S-Des]

My 6 year old has decided she likes the look of it, but she's pretty sensitive. Spiderman, Power Rangers and such don't bother her but most of the aliens in Dr Who are too scary for her. Do you think this is a 'safe' film for her, or should I try and disuade her from it for now?

Definitely dissuade her. There are some fairly graphic scenes of soldiers being killed (well, graphic to a child...with very loud noises), there are terrorists hurting villagers, and the torture scene I mentioned is a little disturbing (I really thought the good guy was going to get a burning rock in his mouth). The actual scenes of Downey in the suit are fine and appropriately cartoonish, but the first 2 minutes of the movie is potentially more upsetting than any of the comic book movies (except Batman Begins). That said, it's really, really good.

 

[3113]

the torture scene I mentioned is a little disturbing (I really thought the good guy was going to get a burning rock in his mouth). The actual scenes of Downey in the suit are fine and appropriately cartoonish, but the first 2 minutes of the movie is potentially more upsetting than any of the comic book movies (except Batman Begins). That said, it's really, really good.

The movie has a very "adult" beginning in that it involves our hero being captured by some realistically nasty guys. As I said, there isn't a lot of blood or guts--there are bodies, and big explosions. The scene S-Des describes is the threat of torture, and it's tense and scary. But outside of someone's head being shoved underwater, we see no actual torture at the camp. That, however, doesn't make the terrorist camp any less intense. Lots of mean men being mean and threatening and doing a lot of shooting (there are also subtitles for said terrorists who don't speak English).

I, myself, feel that there are a few scenes that might be more bothersome (or as bothersome) than the almost torture to a sensitive 6 year old. Our hero, for unique reasons, has, well, a hole in his chest with a device in it, and this device is removed more than once. They make it eerie and painful--and it should be as it's important to the plot. But it's not nice to see. I'd have found it way too intense when I was a sensitive 6-year old. That would have given me nightmares. Also, there is a battle scene at the end with is pretty brutal, even if our hero is in armor.

Maybe Narnia instead?

 

[IrezumiKiss]

I cannot believe that this is the same Iron Man that people were snickering and laughing at the trailer for when they showed it for the first time last year.

I cannot believe that I actually thought that it would be corny even though I would go see it regardless.

Now, I am a diehard X-Men fan, but I'm here to tell you that IRON MAN is arguably THEE BEST superhero big-screen adaptation I've ever friggin' seen. It was just pure FUN from start to finish, did exactly what it was supposed to do, accomplished actors clearly having fun with their roles and fitting perfectly within their characters, keeping the balance of gravitas/humor intact on all levels, barely any fat that needed to be trimmed. Any fan of the actual comic book - and I'm only a peripheral one at best - will notice the "in" jokes and referencing nods to the comic book's canon, which unlike several other superhero flicks, isn't completely compromised.

Well done!

My only misgiving is that now my summer movie expectations have already been met and exceeded thanks to this...and if Speed Racer or Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull fails to pass muster (well, Indy better not), I'll be severely disappointed in the month of May!

 

[English Lady]

Dissuade her, espeically if she's imaginative like her mum. Nothing horrible *actually* happens at the point that I put my hands over my face, but the fact I thought it would was enough. Definitely not good for a sensitive child. :0
x
V

Definitely dissuade her. There are some fairly graphic scenes of soldiers being killed (well, graphic to a child...with very loud noises), there are terrorists hurting villagers, and the torture scene I mentioned is a little disturbing (I really thought the good guy was going to get a burning rock in his mouth). The actual scenes of Downey in the suit are fine and appropriately cartoonish, but the first 2 minutes of the movie is potentially more upsetting than any of the comic book movies (except Batman Begins). That said, it's really, really good.

The movie has a very "adult" beginning in that it involves our hero being captured by some realistically nasty guys. As I said, there isn't a lot of blood or guts--there are bodies, and big explosions. The scene S-Des describes is the threat of torture, and it's tense and scary. But outside of someone's head being shoved underwater, we see no actual torture at the camp. That, however, doesn't make the terrorist camp any less intense. Lots of mean men being mean and threatening and doing a lot of shooting (there are also subtitles for said terrorists who don't speak English).

I, myself, feel that there are a few scenes that might be more bothersome (or as bothersome) than the almost torture to a sensitive 6 year old. Our hero, for unique reasons, has, well, a hole in his chest with a device in it, and this device is removed more than once. They make it eerie and painful--and it should be as it's important to the plot. But it's not nice to see. I'd have found it way too intense when I was a sensitive 6-year old. That would have given me nightmares. Also, there is a battle scene at the end with is pretty brutal, even if our hero is in armor.

Maybe Narnia instead?

Thank you, I'll dissuade her, then. Definitely not something she'd be okay with

I still want ot go though

 

[3113]

from start to finish, did exactly what it was supposed to do, accomplished actors clearly having fun with their roles and fitting perfectly within their characters, keeping the balance of gravitas/humor intact on all levels

You're absolutely right and the biggest kudos for all this go, I think, to RD, jr.'s superior acting abilities. This may be kinda a "duh" observation, but I think there has a been a long-held fallacy (the 70's Superman movie notwithstanding), that Superhero movies can be made with either b-grade or just popular actors, no matter the quality or caliber of their acting abilities. The thinking, I believe, is that all the audience wants is to look at the cool costumes, gadgets, battles with villains. And that the movie can ride on all this other stuff and the main hero can be second rate or just lazy.

But really, as the most excellent Superhero movies have shown, the exact opposite is true. A person in a costume of any sort, be it armor or a cape and tights, needs to be truly excellent and superior at his craft to pull it off. An actor who is merely popular or b-grade just won't do. And if they fail, the movie fails no matter how excellent the costumes, villains, gadgets or fight scenes.

The 70's Superman movie proved this, it's weaknesses ignored thanks to Christopher Reeves astonishing performance; Hugh Jackman's Wolverine proved it, and Toby McGuire's Spiderman, and now RD, jr.'s Iron Man proves it. A superior actor, who takes the role seriously and can make the audience believe in the character no matter what funny outfit that character puts on or what absurd powers or background they have, will carry the movie. An inferior actor, however otherwise popular in other television or action movies, who can't get the audience to believe in them, will cause the entire movie to crash.

It doesn't matter what else the movie has going for it, if that keystone doesn't hold the rest won't hold. But if it does hold, other weaknesses (to a point) will be forgiven. I don't know if movie makers will learn from this lesson, probably not, but I sure hope they do as they've got a lot more superhero movies planned.