Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.
Directed by Jon Favreau (Zathura: A Space Adventure, Elf)
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges
O.K., I’m just going to say it…Iron Man is the best superhero movie ever!!
Iron Man is the action-packed story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who is the CEO of Stark Industries which produces advance weapon systems for the U.S. military. Stark lives the life of a wealthy playboy, but on a trip to Afghanistan where he demonstrates a new weapon called Jericho, his convoy is attacked by terrorists. Tony is wounded by a Stark Industries missile, held hostage and forced to rebuild a Jericho. Instead he uses his intelligence and ingenuity to construct an indestructible suit of armor to escape his captors. Once home, Tony builds a better suit of armor and with the help of his personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and best friend Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), Tony is Iron Man.
There have been some really lame comic book movies that have been released in that last few years. The Hulk, The Punisher, Electra, and Dare Devil but there have been some really good comic book movies too. Movies like the Spiderman and Fantastic Four films, Superman Returns, and Batman Begins and it looks like we can expect to see several more coming out this summer. Without any doubt Iron Man is in the second category and I personally put it at the top of the list.
At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, Iron Man is true to the comic and Robert Downey Jr. is cast perfectly as the quick-witted, wealthy Tony Stark. His performance is strong and believable throughout the film. Whether it’s Downey, Palthrow, Howard, or Bridges the cast brings the characters to life and Favreau’s direction is simply amazing.
Speaking of Favreau, he does an excellent job of finding the balance between the original story and action sequences; both of which have been updated and the pace of the film is perfect. Honestly the only bad part of the movie was the ending…not how it ended, but that it ended. (Speaking of the ending, make sure you stick around for one last scene after the credits roll.)
As simply as I can say it, Iron Man is amazingly entertaining, don’t miss it.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The PG-13 rating is for sequences of sci-fi action and violence and while it is not graphic, there are a few scenes that might scare younger viewers. There are also several scenes where we see Tony drinking and one scene where a Vanity Fair reporter and Tony roll around in bed, showing a little too much skin.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
