Second movie review and it’s a big one. Iron Man. The whole concept was brilliant to being with. Back in the sixties when the comic idea was thought of, Marvel was at its golden age. The company could do no wrong. The combination of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby along with several other very talented people kept churning out one icon after another. Jack Kirby was the artist who created the Iron Man costume, but Don Heck was the actual artist of the comic. The original idea for the comics was Tony captured in Vietnam by the communists, and his heart was kept running with a pacemaker.

Sorry for the comic history lesson, but you’ll hear it from some nerd out there, so why not me? Iron Man is the story of billionaire playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), and his change from weapons manufacturer into superhero. As with most origin stories, this movie spends more time setting up the characters and the journey rather than rampant violence. Most of the time, this process can drag on and slowly bore the audience, but Downey’s smug and sarcastic acting moved the storyline along rather well. His portrayal of Tony Stark was witty and cocky, while showing small glimpses into his real passion and heart.

The story starts out with the attack on his military convoy, a hit by his own weapons, and his capture by Afghanistan rebels. It then pulls back a day or two and we get to see who Tony is and what got him to this point. When we get back to the convoy attack, we see that Tony has had an electromagnet placed in him to keep the shrapnel that could not be removed from entering his heart. He is then told to build weapons for the rebels. Instead of weapons, he builds his means of escape, and Iron Man is born. The tale continues with Stark’s perfection of the armor and the revelation of his true enemies. The movie climaxes with a battle between Iron Man and a suit built by his enemy, called the Iron Monger. The movie ends with a very good punch, and just for those who read this, stay through the credits. Fanboys will scream and cheer at the extra scene at the end (at least they did at the midnight showing Thursday night).

The movie was the first attempt by Marvel Studios to create its own property in this media, and I think they did wonders. Their choice of Jon Favreau as director was excellent. The vision brought to the screen was so close to the source material and so well done, that I’m sure Marvel will learn that even if they stick to the source material, a comic book movie can pay the bills.

There is really not much else to say about the movie. You know it’s good. Everyone has seen it already. Don’t you have something to do? Go see it already!!!! In conclusion, Marvel’s first attempt has been a ground-breaking success, and with The Incredible Hulk coming out later this summer, we can look forward to many more great summer blockbusters. As they say, “Make mine Marvel!!!”

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