Iron Man (2008)

Director:

Jon Favreau

Writers (WGA):

Mark Fergus (screenplay) &
Hawk Ostby (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

2 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Fully Charged.

Plot:

When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.

Plot Keywords:

Scene After End Credits | Super Villain | Retractable Weapon | Brawl | Malibu California

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

US Showtimes:

(register to personalize)

Cast

Robert Downey Jr.	...	Tony Stark / Iron Man
Terrence Howard	...	Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes
Jeff Bridges	...	Obadiah Stane / Iron Monger
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Pepper Potts
Leslie Bibb	...	Christine Everhart
Shaun Toub	...	Yinsen
Faran Tahir	...	Raza
Sayed Badreya	...	Abu Bakaar
Bill Smitrovich	...	General Gabriel
Clark Gregg	...	Agent Phil Coulson
Tim Guinee	...	Major Allen
Will Lyman	...	Award Ceremony Film Narrator (voice)
Marco Khan	...	Insurgent #4
Kevin Foster	...	Jimmy
Garret Noel	...	Pratt

Also Known As:

Ironman (International: English title) (alternative spelling) (USA) (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Persian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Italy:T | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Brazil:12 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Ireland:12A | Taiwan:PG-12 | Finland:K-13 | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 (cut) (theatrical) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44328) | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Australia:M | Greece:K | France:U | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Norway:11 | South Korea:12 | Iceland:12 | New Zealand:M | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 (uncut) (video) | Sweden:11 | Malaysia:U | Hong Kong:IIA | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Philippines:G (MTRCB)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Dark Blades Films

Trivia:

The leader of the Ten Rings is named Raza, after a Marvel Comics character. However, the comic version of Raza is not an enemy of Iron Man, but an alien cyborg who is a member of the space pirate gang known as the Starjammers. The only similarity they share is their facial disfigurement; in the comics Raza has implants on his left side of his face, while in the film Raza is scarred on the right side of his face.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tony Stark drives his Audi R8 to Disney Hall for the benefit event, there is no front license plate affixed to the vehicle. However, when he pulls up to the entrance, his "STARK4" vanity plate is clearly visible on the front of the car.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tony Stark: I feel like you're driving me to court martial. This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you're gonna pull over and snuff me. What, you're not allowed to talk? Hey, Forest...
Jimmy: We can talk, sir.
Tony Stark: Oh, I see. So it's personal.
Ramirez: No, you intimidate them.
Tony Stark: Good God, you're a woman! I honestly, I couldn't have called that. I mean, I would apologize, but isn't that what we're going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first.
Ramirez: I'm an airman.
Tony Stark: Well you have actually excellent bone structure there. I'm kinda having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird?
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Apocalypse Now (1979)

Soundtrack:

Damn Kid

Solid script and Robert Downey Jr. make "Iron Man" a hit

The first big blockbuster of 2008, "Iron Man" is flat-out fun. One of the biggest surprises for many people is that this fun does not come from the action scenes (they're fine, by the way). What really amazes in "Iron Man" is a tour de force from Robert Downey Jr. (they could've named it Downey Junior- The Movie) and a solid script, that efficiently introduces us to the Iron Man history and proves to be a fascinating entry in a possible new franchise.

The movie tells the story of Tony Stark, an inventor and a playboy that is captured by terrorists and forced to create WMDs. While on captivity, he creates a powerful armor and manages to escape. Returning to America, he begins a new life as superhero Iron Man.

Another interesting aspect of "Iron Man" is that it is the first comic book based movie to openly discuss the 9/11 trauma. After all, we start off with terrorists as the bad guys. Its script has a strong political aspect to it, and it's one of the things that manage to keep the audience's attention. It's still an action flick, but that doesn't mean it can't have some content. The characters are good, but they ultimately are overshadowed by Downey Jr.'s performance. Hilarious and heroic, his Tony Stark is the ultimate Marvel action hero. Tough luck, Spiderman.

"Iron Man" is an action blockbuster for a mature audience. There will be more adults interested in the story than teenagers. After all, it is a political adventure. The movie hits and misses, but it still adds up for solid entertainment and lots of popcorn fun.