Ironman (2008) kicks off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first entry in the saga is a fan-favorite for a reason. Let’s start off with some obvious observations. First of all, Robert Downey Jr is incredible. He is so absurdly talented and his ability to shift from comedy to drama is supremely entertaining.
Tony’s strained relationship with his father is established early. I took note of the line, “We all remember him from the newsreels.” That line struck me as odd. That is not how people remember someone they had a personal relationship with.
Tony and Pepper’s relationship is awesome. Pepper will not put up Tony’s bullshit, but not always in a harsh manner. She helps him to release his naïve nature. In one moment, she gives him a present of his first arc reactor with the inscription, “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart.” Later, she explains to him why the two of them dancing is not just an innocent thing. It is an action that does not affect him but could have huge ramifications upon her. Pepper often helps to point out how naïve Tony still is after his awakening about his company. This naivete is a huge part of Tony’s journey. He has to learn that his actions extend past how they affect him personally.
Pepper’s gift also subtly hints at the message that Tony missed from Yinsen. “Don’t waste your life” is not just about becoming a superhero but about investing it what really matters. Tony’s journey changes him from being a self-obsessed pleasure seeker into something much more mature. After all of the films, he finally arrives at someone who seeks to protect the world in the immediate sense, but also to leave a better future. But I am getting ahead of myself. In this film, Tony is expanding his worldview. He realizes how his business is complicit in illegal activities but still has to learn how even his smaller actions, like slow dancing with an employee, affect others.
Quick hits
Someone calls Tony a “little prick” in every Ironman movie. In this one, it was Obadiah Stane.
The green shake that Tony drinks to help with Palladium poisoning in Ironman 2 is featured in this film.
The shot where Pepper runs from the Iron Monger looks a lot like the shot of Nat running from the Hulk in The Avengers.
The first post-credits scene. The one that started it all. Nick Fury and the Avenger’s Initiative.
Agent Coulson! Woo!
Terrence Howard is in this as Rhodey. They didn’t have a clear direction for Rhodey yet. He was pretty goofy in this one.
Stan Lee’s cameo is as Hugh Heffner
Witty Dialogue; fast-paced and clipped
Finally, the major takeaway from this film is how it changed the comic book genre. It looked at both the Raimi Spiderman series and the Nolan Batman series and struck a beautiful balance between the two. It had the comic book heroic energy, lots of great comic moments, and the story was more grounded than the majority of films of the genre are without going as dark as the Nolan Batman films. The moment that showed this the most clearly was when Tony Stark declared that, “I am Ironman.” That moment set it apart from anything preceding it. Tony was not going to lurk and hide from the world or have some brooding tragedy constantly loom over him. Tony was going to be a billionaire becoming a superhero and we get to enjoy the comedic and poignant moments that it provides.