Iron Man DVD Review
Director Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, which is based on the original 1963 Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee et al, is a smart, funny adventure about a man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), whose alter ego is none other than Iron Man. Downey, Jr. is brilliant in just about everything he’s in, from the light romantic comedies, such as Chances Are and Only You; to his Oscar-nominated performance as Chaplin in Chaplin; to his amazing performance in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang—heck, even his dark take on the 80s in Less Than Zero proves he’s got major talent.
But back to the film, which is about billionaire playboy Stark, who inherited the world’s biggest weapons corporation. Essentially, Stark exploits alcohol, women and weapons. He’s also a genius on computers, electronics and anything mechanic, as well as a physicist and electrical engineer, all of which makes him the prime target for terrorists. During a work-related trip to Afghanistan, said terrorists kidnap Stark and task him with building the end-all, be-all missile. Playing along, instead, Stark builds himself an armored suit and escapes his captors. Once safely home, Stark has a new perspective on life, and he wants to change and be a better man—an Iron Man.
Iron Man costars Gwyneth Paltrow (Infamous, Proof, Sylvia) as Stark’s devoted personal assistant, Pepper Potts; Jeff Bridges (Arlngton Road, The Big Lebowski, Blown Away) as Obadiah Stane, an old friend of Tony’s father; and Terrence Howard (The Brave One, Hustle & Flow, Crash) as Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Tony’s best friend and his liaison with the U.S. Air Force.
Favreau brings magic to every project he’s involved with, whether it’s as Monica’s love interest on “Friends”, or directing the family-friendly flick Zathura, playing a hit on the head one too many times footballer in The Replacements, or a superhero sidekick in Daredevil—in short, he’s “money, baby!”.
Iron Man is presented in 2.35 : 1 aspect ratio, with audio in optional English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, and subtitles available in English, Spanish and French, along with closed captioning. Extras include 11 deleted/extended scenes running 24 minutes. The DVD is chock-full of extras, including “I Am Iron Man,” which clocks in at 1:18 and covers the making of the film, documentary style, including pre-production in 2006 all the way through to the film’s premiere. As there’s no director’s commentary for this film, it may be worth a watch.
Another lengthy extra, “The Invincible Iron Man,” runs 47 minutes and covers the character of Iron Man in the comic books, as well as features interviews with several writers and creators. Special effects are detailed in the 27-minute “Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man.” Rounding out the extras are Downey, Jr.’s screen test; a rehearsal clip with Downey, Jr., Bridges and Favreau; and a short clip from The Onion News Network, regarding the adaptation of the Iron Man trailer into a feature-length film.
The film is rated PG 13, but it’s very character driven and I’m not sure kids will enjoy it as much as adults might.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars.