John's Movie Musings

As you know, Iron Man was one of the big summer movies this year. I happen to miss it which earned me much ridicule from my friends. For months I've had to endure "you still haven't seen Iron Man" in weekly intervals. So when it was finally released on DVD/Blu-Ray this past week, I was excited that my wait would soon be over. Then, when Netflix shipped me the Blu-Ray on Friday, the small chamber of my heart where Giddiness reigns created a squeal of delight that caused a small amount of discomfort for the neighbor's dogs.

I know as much about Iron Man as I do the Tin Man. Maybe a bit less. But that allows me to look at the movie with a fresh perspective. While I had some high expectations about the quality of the film, I had none regarding the actual story, canon, or universe of Iron Man.

What I noticed immediately is that Marvel is respecting their characters when they make the jump from comic to movie. I guess it started with X-Men or Spider-Man, but the movies today refreshingly lack the campiness of the comic book movies of the past. I'm hoping we never have to go back to the George Clooney Batman flicks ever again.

Jon "You're So Money" Favreau takes the helm of Iron Man and does a brilliant job. He's able to place a super hero in our world while still keeping things within the boundaries of what can be accepted as believable. The story is sort of typical super hero stuff, but it's a formula I still enjoy watching.

Definitely see this if you haven't. You might even become a fan of Robert Downey Jr.

Grade: B+