Iron Man

As someone with a preference for action movies but a slight aversion towards superheroes, Iron Man turned out to be much better than I thought it would be. Most of the credit goes to the relative 'realism' and grittiness depicted in the movie. Also, the fact that Iron Man didn't have any special powers of his own (with the exception of an extremely fine-tuned mind) was a huge plus. In other words, Iron Man was a superhero movie disguised as an action movie.

Previously, I only knew Robert Downey Jr. as a powder sniffing celebrity. Imagine my surprise when he turned out a good performance in Iron Man. He's very believable on screen, with an energy that propels him forward. As a player, Tony Stark exudes both rakishness and substance padded with supreme confidence. As an ex-player and figurehead for Greenpeace, the Red Cross, etc., he's still believable and as confident as ever. Actors who portray characters that I've never seen before and don't know how to categorize are extremely intriguing, and Robert Downey Jr. has just made it onto my list. His character seems realistic. I feel that I can walk on the street and meet a less brilliant and slightly more toned down version of Tony Stark.

While Bob did a pretty good job as Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow was also not too bad. Despite the fact that her part was totally unnecessary, she was peppy and quite sharp in her well-tailored suits. I still can't get over her name: Pepper Pots. Her parents have one skewed sense of humor, and probably disowned her when she started composing emails and stealing chips for Tony Stark.

One of the coolest things about Iron Man has to be the gadgets. I'm envious of Tony Stark's dozens of sweet computer monitors and snarky robot helper. His Audi R8 is also way cool (and only 100K! Maybe 200K with deluxe features). The movie actually makes technology look sexy. While I wasn't a fan of the suit itself (the red and yellow chrome is rather off-putting), it was done well.

Despite being an action movie, the script was surprisingly tight and even slightly witty. The plot devices were for the most part original. Iron Man succeeded in that it knew exactly what type of movie it was and didn't try to overstep the bounds. As a packaged superhero movie, it was surprisingly enjoyable and funny.

leonard cohen

The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it’s done –
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it’s real,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

I’m turning tricks, I’m getting fixed,
I’m back on Boogie Street.
You lose your grip, and then you slip
Into the Masterpiece.
And maybe I had miles to drive,
And promises to keep:
You ditch it all to stay alive,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.