I am Iron Man
With this we start the new section called Superhero’s Myth in which we will write about the successes and the flops of the Marvel Studios.
n 2008 has started a new era for the cinematic industry with the advent of the cinecomics. It was not the first to come but it is the one we all remember. Who are we talking about? Nobody but the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist known like Iron man.
Written by Marcus Fergus, Hawk Osby, Art Marcum and Mart Holloway. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Jon Favreau who also has a role in the film.
The main roles are played by Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howord, Shown Toub and Jeff Bridges. This is the first chapter of “The Infinity Saga”and the first movie in the Phase One of Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film has got Best Visual effects and Best Sound Editing Academy Nominees in 2009.
Plot
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Tony Stark is a weaponry designer, head of the Stark Industries the most known name in the weapon’s business. Beside this, his bad habits led him to wild parties and wasting hangovers.
His life seemed just like this, until he is the victim of an attack in Afghanistan after the presentation of the Jericho missile and several pieces of metal exploded by a bomb hit his chest.
Then Yinsen, a physician taken hostage by the same people who have taken Tony, saves him using a sort of electromagnet to stop the metal scraps from reaching his heart because they have to build a new missile for the terrorists.
Instead they decide to build something different, an armor, powered by an Arc reactor alike built from Tony’s memories of his father Howard Stark and a certain amount of palladium, with which they could escape. Unfortunately this plan cost Yinsen life, who leave Tony his last words: “Don’t waste your life”.
Saved by Lt. Colonel Rhodes (played by Terrance Howard), this longtime friend, Tony travels back to the U.S.A. where he meets his loved friend Harold “Happy” Hogan (played by Jon Favreau) and his loyal assistant Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow).
He decides to close the weapon’s research division, but he secretly continues to work on the armor’s project. His work-ship ends, after many failures and prototypes, with the Mark II upgrade in which Tony installed an ai, J.A.R.V.I.S.
Then his next mission is to rebuild peace where his weapons have brought havoc and fueled wars, as in Afghanistan, where they circulate through the black market.
After that Tony discovers a plot to destroy his position and to rob him from the leadership of Stark’s Industries.
Review
Choosing Robert Downey Jr. to play the main role is really great. The actor has many traits in common with Tony Stark, this allowed him to see a reainnsance in the acting field besides his known drug addiction’s problems. He gave his fans a great performance. Downey Jr. has got the charisma of an absolutely perfect actor, and he made the role immortal.
Obviously, expressing the character’s huge ego won’t be so difficult for him.
The plot is engaing and has the right amount of conceptual storytelling, action and poetics. There is also the right amount of emotion and revolution, that reminded me that at the time I left the cinema, amazed and excited.
I loved and consumed the soundtrack, it was created by the famous composer Ramin Djwadi also known for his numerous hits like Game of Throne‘s soundtrack. The movie also revived the legendary AC/DC band that played many songs for the soundtrack.
The theme of the hero and morals
From superficial man who reflects the cliché of the classic millionaire with the sole purpose of making conquests and sprees, Tony Stark became a philanthropist, ready to put his genius and courage available to the world.
His inner conflict also due to the untimely departure of his parents will find peace when he realizes that his father Howard has never discredited him as a son, but that he wanted to push him to give his best and not to waste his immense genius.
One fact, Tony never professes himself as an unblemished and fearless knight, he often misses, he is impulsive and know-it-all, above all he admits his flaws. However, he is able to fully understand the damage that his ego and his superficiality have caused to the world, so much so that he can remedy the damage at any cost.
He decides to change course in life and bans the production of arms, at least in his company. He takes the risk of using the armor himself. The meeting with Nick Fury in the post credits sequence will involve him in the project to create the team of the strongest heroes in the world: the Avengers. But it won’t happen before Tony realizes he’s not the right leader to lead other superheroes to defend the world.
In conclusion, the film was a success for me. The same is true for world film criticism. Tony Stark has become a symbol of hope and courage impossible to forget and I liked that they introduced the theme of weapons as a scourge of humanity. Iron man has become an emblem of redemption and sacrifice, collaboration and wisdom, ultimately he is the greatest superhero of all. But I’m not going to tell you anything else.
I repeat that Downey Jr. has fully deserved the success achieved and that it has allowed him to enter this century of a new form of art, that of Cinecomics.
