What Do The Critics Say?

"... the film's major strength is in its high tech, gadget-filled and supercool sequences that involve advanced computer technology, 3D imagery and the big-end effects of Iron Man flying like Superman, or fighting like a nuclear warhead with arms. ... with its top cast and top budget, Iron Man has to have a blockbuster feel about it." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE "what gives this its distinction, I think, is first of all Robert Downey Jr, who is terrific. He's such a good actor and, given a meaty, witty role - I mean it's a well written part. He's good. And also the fact that the film, as you say, is willing to take an interesting take on America's role in the world." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "With such smarts and outstanding special effects, I eagerly await a second "Iron Man" movie, which of course is virtually promised in the final scene. One of the hippest, best-written and best-directed superhero movies ever." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "Easily the best superhero film since "Batman Begins", which for my money is the best in the genre." Phil Villarreal ARIZONA STAR DAILY "They're few and far between at the moment, so when an action blockbuster comes along that actually bothers to create lively, memorable characters, you don't want to miss it." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Director Favreau does just about everything right here. The casting choices are absolutely spot-on, with Downey Jr brilliant as the flashy, cocky Stark, and even better as the bruised man who later looks at himself and sees nothing but disappointment. All of the supporting performances are excellent, with Bridges particularly strong." Erin Free FILMINK

"Iron Man is rousingly terrific entertainment. It has decent characterisations, Robert Downey Jnr makes the most of both manifestations of Tony, Gwyneth Paltrow is coyly efficient and Jeff Bridges almost unrecognisable as Obadiah. The visual effects are just fantastic, seamlessly integrated into the action. And it has a not so subtle subtext of condemning the US arms industry which is interesting. Iron Man is what mainstream, big screen entertainment ought to be like." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "With such smarts and outstanding special effects, I eagerly await a second "Iron Man" movie, which of course is virtually promised in the final scene. One of the hippest, best-written and best-directed superhero movies ever." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "Easily the best superhero film since "Batman Begins", which for my money is the best in the genre." Phil Villarreal ARIZONA STAR DAILY "Directed by Jon Favreau (a self-confessed fan of the comics), Iron Man gets everything right, from the terrific costume designs to the superb special effects and thrilling set-pieces. The script is excellent, seamlessly blending the potentially clunky origin story with a tale that pits Iron Man against one of his most famous adversaries. Robert Downey Jnr is perfectly cast as Tony Stark and he delivers a fantastic performance. This is everything you could possibly want from a superhero movie." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "Needless to say the special effects zing: small, subtle, large and not so subtle. This is director Jon Favreau's greatest achievement to date, a sizzling super-hero adventure with bite, humour a touch of romance and a solid villain to balance the equation. The combination of its realistic backdrop, boy's own adventure and Robert Downey Jr makes for a blast of a new style comic book hero in Iron Man." Louise Keller URBANCINEFILE

Marvel Entertainment With a library of over five thousand characters, Marvel Entertainment Inc is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel Entertainment’s areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home video, consumer products, video games, action figures and role-playing toys, television and promotions. Rooted in the creative success of over sixty years of comic book publishing, Marvel has successfully transformed its cornerstone comic book characters into blockbuster films. With record-breaking franchises such as "Spider-Man", "X-Men" and "The Fantastic Four", resulting in a string of eight consecutive number one box office openings. Since 1998, Marvel films have grossed over US$4.9 billion worldwide at the box office, firmly establishing itself as one of the top entertainment brands in Hollywood. "Our films are as much about the man as the superhero. We cast great actors who will appeal to both kids and adults. We set our films up to appeal to everyone," David Maisel, Chairman of Marvel Studios explained. "Over the past seven or eight years we have had great luck in combining unique and original talent with our spectacular world-renowned characters," adds "Iron Man" producer and Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige. "We’ve been very fortunate that with the Marvel brand, we have been able to attract talented filmmakers as well as the best technicians, visual effect supervisors, cinematographers and visual effects companies in the world." In 2007, Maisel spearheaded Marvel’s announcement to self-finance a slate of ten films which would begin with the 2008 releases of "Iron Man" and "The Hulk", as well as the development of such titles as "Captain America", "Thor" and "Ant Man". One of the original Marvel Comics, "Iron Man" has enjoyed a long and prosperous run dating back to the characters’ first appearance in the Marvel comic Tales of Suspense in April 1963. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby, Iron Man’s alter ego Tony Stark was inspired partly by the personality of the late American icon Howard Hughes. "Howard Hughes was one of the most colourful men of our time," says executive producer Stan Lee. "He was an inventor, an adventurer, a multi-millionaire, a ladies’ man and, finally, a nutcase." "In the comic book world, Iron Man stands proudly alongside Spider-Man, The X-Men and The Fantastic Four," says producer Kevin Feige. "It’s been that way for decades and "Iron Man" really connected to readers because he’s not a mutant, he wasn’t transformed at a biological level and wasn’t bitten by any sort of genetic insect. He simply is a man who has used his genius to build an armoured suit, which is essentially the greatest piece of human ingenuity ever invented." It was the superhero’s decidedly flawed character and flashy playboy lifestyle that made the Iron Man comic the perfect choice to be the first film under the companies new Marvel Studios banner. "Marvel has a terrific history of successfully bringing comic book characters to life, and Iron Man is the next logical step," notes executive producer Peter Billingsley. "It has a rich history with 40 years worth of story lines to explore." The Inside Story For the creative team at Marvel, the potential list of directors began and ended with Jon Favreau. "We got to know Jon when he played Foggy in "Daredevil". I liked all the movies he directed, but I was most impressed with 'Zathura'. Jon is a great storyteller and smart filmmaker with a deep love and appreciation for the Marvel brand and Iron Man character," producer Ari Arad ("The Punisher" & "Ghost Rider") notes. "Also, to pull this film off we really needed a director who was tuned in to what was going on in the world today, both politically and socially. Jon possessed all of these characteristics." "When you have a filmmaker who has the vision and the passion like Jon does, and can bring his unique sense of character to this grand spectacle, you know you’ll end up with a Marvel movie that is a cut above the rest," says Feige ("Daredevil" & Elektra"). "I grew up reading Marvel Comics," Favreau says. "It’s an exciting challenge to direct "Iron Man" because he’s the biggest character in the original pantheon of the Marvel universe who has never had a movie made about him." "Since the Iron Man comic books offer such a vast amount of plots and storylines, it’s easy to get lost among the myriad of options available," observes Billingsley ("Elf" & "The Break-up"). "But in all the previous films Jon has written and directed there is one common denominator: strong, compelling storytelling." And it seems that the film-makers had learnt a lesson from the excruciatingly snail-paced "Hulk". "The birth of a hero is something that is highly enjoyable for audiences to watch," says Feige. "You don’t want to delay that too long into the story." Favreau recalls: "In writing the script, we made sure to spend time with the character as he is discovering the technology, refining the suit and learning how to use it." Screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway worked with Favreau in hammering out the first few drafts of the script. Later, screenwriters Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby ("Children of Men") would create the subsequent drafts. While they continued their work on the screenplay the filmmakers began the search for an actor who could capture the essence of the larger than life leading character, billionaire industrialist and consummate playboy Tony Stark. In an absolute stroke of luck, the filmmakers would go against the grain and cast actor Robert Downey Jr, who Favreau recalls: "wanted to play Tony Stark as much as I wanted him to play the character. He wasn’t the most obvious choice from a studio’s point of view, but Marvel gave me the freedom to cast the best person for the role." For Downey, the chance to play Tony Stark was a childhood dream come true. "I’m an American. I love Marvel Comics and grew up reading Iron Man and Spider-Man. I have always been drawn to Iron Man because he had amazing ingenuity and intelligence." "Tony Stark is a unique comic book character with several different layers," Feige explained. "He is flawed, but also brilliant, funny, extremely talented and likable. When you talk about talented actors in Hollywood, you inevitably wind up talking about Robert Downey Jr, one of the best actors of his generation. I couldn’t be more excited to have him in this film." Downey Jr impressed the director with his dedication to building himself up for the demanding role. "The first thing I did was tons of strength training, because I’m not a kid anymore and you must first get your tendons, bones, and subcutaneous muscles strong enough to deal with the weight you’re going to be lifting. It was really about survival for me, and all the hard work in preproduction wound up giving me the strength to do the movie," the acclaimed actor revealed. Favreau says, "He took the role very seriously, not just in the physical sense, but also in his understanding of what made the character tick." With Downey busy preparing himself, the filmmakers focused their attention on casting the film’s other central roles. Terrence Howard, who played Detective Mercer in "The Brave One" and Gossie McGee in "Ray", was cast as the Air Force’s leading military advisor, Lt Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes. "Getting the chance to work with Robert Downey Jr attracted me to the role more than anything else," Howard ("Hustle & Flow") says. "I first saw him in "Weird Science" and thought he was hilarious, and then when he did "Chaplin" I realized he was a genius." For Downey, the feeling was entirely mutual. "First of all, Terrence Howard looks great in an Air Force uniform," jokes Downey. "Terrence is a top-drawer actor and it’s no mistake that he has become such a sensation over the last few years." How does Howard see his character? "Rhodey is the one guy who is always there to protect Tony’s interests, often times against his own better judgment." An indispensable part of the eccentric Stark’s life is his crafty executive assistant, Virginia "Pepper" Potts. The filmmakers knew they’d scored a major coup when Academy Award ("Shakespeare in Love") and two time Blockbuster Entertainment Award winner ("A Perfect Murder" 1999 & "Bounce" 2001) Gwyneth Paltrow decided to take on the role. "Casting Gwyneth as Pepper Potts was really an inspired choice and we all felt extremely blessed that she accepted the part," says executive producer Louis D'Esposito ("S.W.A.T." & "Basic Instinct"). "She is such a fantastic actress and from the first time we watched her in the room with Robert, it was electric." Paltrow says the decision to join the cast of "Iron Man" was an easy one. "I grew up with Marvel comics around the house because my brother loved Spider-Man from a very young age, but I had never been in a film of this size or scope." The filmmakers cast one of Hollywood’s most successful and distinguished actors, Alan J Pakula Award winner Jeff Bridges ("Starman") in the role of Obadiah Stane. "As a child I was a big fan of comic books and one of the things that really made me interested in doing "Iron Man" was Jon Favreau’s desire to make a film that was really grounded in reality," The four time Academy Award nominee asserts. "Jeff Bridges was truly the first and only choice to play the part of Obadiah Stane," says Billingsley. "He is such a tremendous actor, a chameleon in all the roles he has played over the years." And in case you're wondering about his 'smooth' look in the film, Bridges confided: "I’ve never shaved my head before, but I have always wanted to. I always thought that someday a part would come along and I’d have to do it." Feige recalls: 'When Jeff Bridges walked into my office after shaving his head and growing a beard, it was as if Obadiah Stane had walked out of the pages of the Iron Man comic and was standing before me." Synopsis

Meet Tony Stark, billionaire industrialist, genius inventor, man about town and very arrogant. Like his father, who founded Stark Industries, Tony believes that who ever has the biggest and best weapon wins. That in a nutshell is his view on how to maintain the peace, until the tables are turned on the cocky young man. Just after demonstrating Stark Industries latest weapon the convoy he is travelling in is ambushed and he is kidnapped by extremists. Forced to build a devastating weapon he invented called "The Jericho", he instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, and with the help of of another captive named Yinsen, builds a high-tech suit of armour and escapes captivity. Returned home, he sets about building a new hi-tech suit. When he uncovers a nefarious plot involving his company in illegal arms shipments, he dons his new powerful armour and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.

The Verdict "No doubt "Iron Man" will have its detractors, but thankfully, they will be very few and very far between. Marvel Entertainment struck the proverbial pot of gold at the end of a mighty colorful rainbow when Robert Downey Jnr was cast in the lead role. Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival Best Actor Award winner and Downey Jnr ("The Singing Detective"), who grew up reading "Iron Man" and "Spider-Man" made no bones about wanting the lead role of Tony Stark. Comic book fans will, after seeing "Iron Man", be thanking their lucky stars the production team went with him. The Santa Monica High School dropout continues his journey down the path of redemption, breathing so much life into this character, it's hard to believe anyone else could have come within a bull's roar of him. Like Tobey Maguire did with Spider-Man / Peter Parker, Downey Jnr's made Tony Stark / Iron Man his own. This adaptation will leave audiences demanding more. The final scenes promise just that, and I for one can't wait for the next edition. Downey Jnr is ably supported bt star turns from Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard. There's a barrage of special effects, exciting action and fun moments in the film, especially those in which Stark attempts to master the art of flying in his new, hi-tech, Iron Man suit. A sure-fire, super-hero, winner. Don't miss it! 4 1/2 STARS." Crew Bytes "IRON MAN" was .......
directed by Jon Favreau ["Swingers", "Made", "Elf" and "Zathura: A Space Adventure"]; set decoration by Lauri Gaffin ["Fargo", "Charlie's Angels I & II" and "Zathura: A Space Adventure"]; art direction by Suzan Wexler ["Spider-Man 3"]; costume design by Laura Jean Shannon ["Made", "Elf" and "Zathura: A Space Adventure"]; production design by J Michael Riva ["A Few Good Men", "Charlie's Angels I & II", "Zathura: A Space Adventure" and "Spider-Man 3"]; edited by Dan Lebental ["The Chili Con Carne Club", "From Hell", "Elf" and "Zathura: A Space Adventure"]; director of photography Matthew Libatique ["Phone Booth", "Gothika" and "Inside Man"]; original music by Ramin Djawadi ["Thunderbirds", "Blade Trinity" and "Mr Brooks"]. Who's Who?

Robert Downey Jr Jeff Bridges Terrence Howard Gwyneth Paltrow Jon Favreau Leslie Bibb Shaun Toub Faran Tahir Sayed Badreya Bill Smitrovich Clark Gregg Tim Guinee Will Lyman Kevin Foster Garrett Noel Eileen Weisinger Ahmed Ahmed Fahim Fazli Gerard Sanders Nazanin Boniadi Thomas Craig Plumer

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Tony Stark/Iron Man Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger Jim Rhodes Pepper Potts Hogan Christine Everhart Yinsen Raza Abu Bakaar General Gabriel Agent Phil Coulson Major Allen Award Ceremony Narrator Jimmy Pratt Ramirez Ahmed Omar Howard Stark FBX Reporter Colonel Craig

Run Time 126 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.