Iron Man

Last night the girls had a girls night out. So tonight, the boys decided to go catch a movie. And the fare? Iron Man.

Generally not one for comic book movies - I confess the Spiderman movies haven't really done much for me; I don't think I've seen the third one - the buzz surrounding Iron Man has been incessant. First it was the reviews, then came amazing word of mouth. My Twitter stream was awash with people who had seen the movie, ranting and raving about how good it is. I caught a review or two and terms that seem oxymoronic, like comic book movie with character development and plot, jumped out at me. When David suggested we head to a 9:30p showing after Mutual, Aaron and I accepted.

The theatre had a few people in it, few enough that each party in the theatre had their own row, but enough that when you laughed you heard others laughing with you. The movie started off with bits of action, but more story than techno toys blowing things up. As the movie continued the excitement built, I was thoroughly engaged, and I really enjoyed the movie. I find myself saying that it was a good movie, worth checking out.

Let's break it down a bit. Robert Downey Jr. is better known to me as the guy in the news with issues than as a great actor. He takes a strong turn as the party-it-up playboy turned hero. He appropriately played his character first as a charicature and then as the most accessible human you could imagine. The first time he flies in the Iron Man suit one shares in the wonder of flight. The view from the sky gives you the "playing God" wonder that to date has been the hallmark of Google Earth. I found myself rooting for Tony Stark.

Other principle actors include Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges. Gwyneth was good, enjoyable, nothing to write home about. The real wunderplayer was Jeff Bridges. Head shaved bald and a salt-and-pepper beard transformed him into an almost unrecognizable character. The three leads played well off each other.

The special effects were ILM, and therefore done well. Many of the explosions were especially life-like and believable. The main character's father had worked on the Manhattan Project, and one nice touch in the final explosion was a mushroom cloud very reminiscent of those grainy black-and-white videos we've seen of nuclear explosions.

But the real star of the show was the score. Composed by a relatively unknown, Ramin Djawadi, it gave the movie edge and punch. Electric guitar was added to the standard orchestra, and most songs featured heavy strings and guitar. Kristin has often joked that I fall for any song with prominent strings, and this stuff was no exception. First rate music. As we walked out of the theatre I caught Aaron singing the main theme. I came home and purchased the soundtrack off iTunes.

Final verdict: go see this movie. It is totally a theatre movie and just wouldn't compare at home, no matter how big your screen. With so many other great movies coming out this summer (we saw trailers for The Dark Knight, The Happening, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) this flick is the perfect way to kick off the summer movie season.

Update: Friday night, two days later. Am listening to the soundtrack. Very awesome. Definitely listen AFTER you've seen the movie.