IRON MAN

"I'm not the hero type"

Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is the genius behind Stark Industries, the main weapons supplier for the US Army but when he visits Afghanistan to demonstrate his latest missile to strike fear into the enemies of America, the Jericho, his military escort is ambushed and he kidnapped by the very people his weapons are meant to destroy. Forced to build the Jericho missile for his captors, the ingenious Stark decides to make something completely different, a suit of iron that will allow him to escape but in doing so he realises that he has to protect the people he has put in harms way by perfecting his new armour and becoming a weapon himself.

Marvel Studios blasts off with one of their most beloved comic book characters but can another billionaire fighting for justice mean box office gold?

When Marvel decided to finance their own movies instead of selling the franchises to the major studios the decision was greeted with great enthusiasm by the fans. Finally the people that actually wrote the stories would have control over their own products on the big screen. This means that fans should finally get to see the superhero adaptation that these classic characters deserve and the great news is that Marvel has got of to a flyer with 'Iron Man'.

Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby back in 1963, 'Iron Man' is seen as Marvel's answer to Batman. Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne have a lot in common. They are struggling to come to terms with the past, with Bruce out to fight injustice for his murdered parents and Tony fighting for the people he has put in harms way, they both use technology to aid their fight, Batman with his many toys and Tony's toy packed suits and they both have billions of dollars to fund their fight. But while Bruce Wayne/Batman is more of a tortured soul but Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy who really enjoys what he has become, making them very different superheroes indeed.

When it comes to finding someone to play a billionaire playboy genius that loves the finer things in life, the fast cars, gambling, drink and women, you couldn't have thought of a better person than Robert Downey Jr. The man with the extremely chequered past, who has struggled with his own demons and addictions is the ideal candidate to play Tony Stack, in fact he is the only man who could play the part and he does it extremely well. He has always been an extremely talented actor with a real gift for filling any scene he graces with energy and humour and as Tony Stark he throws all of his past experiences to create a character that will become a classic of the comic book movie genre. Director Jon Favreau has surrounded his star with an abundance of talent. Terrence Howard becomes Tony's best friend and future fellow crime fighter 'War Machine', Gwyneth Paltrow is Tony's ever-faithful personal assistant Pepper Potts and transforming himself into one psychotic dude, Jeff Bridges is Obadiah Stane.

ILM pushed photo realistic character creation to a new level in 'Transformers' but with 'Iron Man' they continue to push this even further. A mix of practical effects, with the suits created by the best in the business, Stan Winston Studios and computer generated action, the film takes you on a roller coaster ride of thrills.

While this is origin story, which means you don't get to see Tony Stark as Iron Man until the final third of the film, the good news is that the journey there is one that will keep you riveted. Here we see how Tony's eyes were opened to what is weapons were doing in the world, how he developed the Mark 1, 2 and 3 versions of the suit and his first steps into superherodom. This of course then introduces the character for the franchise that is definitely to come. Speaking of which, there is a key scene at the end of the credits that will set up much more than just a sequel. Do not miss it! The finale isn't as action packed as it could have been and is over all too soon but you know that the action is only going to get bigger in the sequel.

'Iron Man' is another excellent example of how a comic book movie should be made. If this is how Marvel Studios are going to produce their own films, comic book movie fans have a lot to look forward to.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Deleted/Extended Scenes (24.09 mins)
Entitled 'Convoy Ambush', 'Rhodey and General Gabriel', 'Craps table with Tony and Rhodey', 'Tony comes home', 'Tony and Rhodey on the Stark Jet and at Military ceremony', 'Tony begins Mark II', 'Dubai Party', 'Pepper discovers Tony as Iron Man', 'Obadiah addresses scientist', 'Rhodey saves Iron Man on Freeway' and 'Rooftop Battle', these deleted and extended scenes suffer from the lack on an introduction or commentary to explain why they were removed.

Iron Man: Armoured Adventures (0.58 mins)
Watch a preview of the new animated series starting in 2009

Trailers
Previews of 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' and 'The Incredible Hulk'

Disc 2

I am Iron Man (1hr 49.01 mins)
Director Jon Favreau and his creative team are joined by stars Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrance Howard for a behind the scenes documentary that covers every aspect of the film's production. Split into parts entitled 'The Journey Begins', 'The Suit that makes the Iron Man', 'Walk of Destruction', 'Grounded in Reality', 'Beneath the Armour', 'It's all in the details' and 'A Story well told', everything is covered from the extensive pre-production stage, through production and into post production. There is also a contribution by the late, great Stan Winston, who over saw the creation of the Mark I, Mark II and Mark III suits of armour. This is a must watch for any fan of the film and anyone who wants to know about how a big budget movie is made.

The Invincible Iron Man (47.05 mins)
Co-creator Stan Lee, writers Greg Conway and Warren Ellis, writer/artist Bob Layton, artist Gene Colan and Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort take you through the entire history of 'Iron Man'. Split into sections entitled 'Origins', 'Friends and Foes', 'The Definitive Iron Man', 'Demon in a bottle', 'Extremis and Beyond' and 'Ultimate Iron Man', this is a must watch for all fans of the comic books and any who wants to know more about cinema's latest Superhero.

Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man (27.02 mins)
Director Jon Favreau and visual effects supervisor John Nelson take you through the digital visual effects of Iron Man. The featurette covers the contributions by special effects companies ILM (Industrial Light and Magic), The Orphanage and The Embassy, with each company highlighting what they did for Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr. Screen Test (6.04 mins)
Watch the star of the movie screen test for the role, rehearsing the interview outside of the Stark Industries Party.

The Actor's Process (4.13 mins)
Director John Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges rehearse scenes from the movie and mark out the relationship between Tony Stark and Obadiah Stane.

The Onion: Wildly popular Iron Man trailer to be adapted into a full length film (2.38 mins)
Watch the spoof news report were it is trailers that are the main medium and not the movie.

Galleries
View images from 'Concept Art', 'Tech', 'Unit Photography' and 'Posters'

OVERALL

The two-disc DVD treatment for 'Iron Man' is fantastic. The documentary and featurettes covers all aspects of the film's production and the inclusion of a featurette on the history of the character is a welcome one. Marvel Studios have done a brilliant job but the only thing missing is a commentary track, which is quite surprising from a Jon Favreau movie. This is a must buy for fans and an excellent example of how a two-disc DVD should be produced.

DVD

Batman Begins

Spider-Man

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2008