Iron Man – New Sheriff in Town

Iron Man

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, and Gwyneth Paltrow
Directed by Jon Favreau (Elf)
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and brief suggestive content
Appropriate for ages 10+ (try to tell that to a 6-year-old boy)
Available September 30, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

For over a decade, Marvel comics has been trying to start up a franchise for one of it’s most popular heroes, Iron Man.  But with the advancement in special effects capabilities, and a visionary director, the man in gold alloy suit (sorry – no iron) was able to have a huge impact on this summer’s stellar box office.  Robert Downey Jr. stars as the wealthy arms dealer turned super hero who wants to stamp out terrorism both locally and abroad.  While the special effects were superb, it was the terrific performance by Downey Jr. that made this film as successful as it was.  As genesis stories go, this one’s pretty good, but Iron Man still lacks the solid writing of either of the last two Batman films or the first two Spidey pics.  Still, the package as a whole is worth the ride and many will want to add this DVD or Blu-ray to their collection.  The discs contain tons of added features including a making-of documentary that is as long as the film.  Honestly, I couldn’t make it all the way through that one, but I did enjoy the featurette on the history of the Iron Man comic and it’s ride to present day fabulousness.  One feature you have to check out is the mock news story by the Onion complaining about the decision to turn the Iron Man trailer into a full-length feature film.  Movie: B+    Extras: B