Lambie Reviews Iron Man

Year: 2008
Accolades: One of the AFI's Top Ten Films of 2008
Review on Letterboxd: 'Iron Man' Review by Avalanche


This is one of the now many modern comic book origin films that have come to grace our screens over the last ten or so years, and this is perhaps up there with the better ones. Despite the attempts to root the film in reality, the plot still comes across as a bit silly. At times the silliness seems intentional, but at other times it seems like a genuine fault of the script.

The story has other problems too, in that the handling of the antagonists and pacing of the film leaves some elements a bit directionless, while the overall pacing sometimes feels like three separate stories of an Iron Man television series, rather than three acts of a feature length film. By the time the third act rolls around, there doesn't seem to be much to go off and the film feels like it's forcing plot point and dragging things out.

The thing is, though, that despite the failings of the plot, the film is still quite fun. Yes, it's a bit over the top at times, but so are many of the great Hollywood action blockbusters that we now consider classics. The characters are worth caring about, and the action sequences are extremely enjoyable, although the climactic action set piece didn't seem to have the same energy that the other set pieces do.

I went into this film with a great many doubts, but overall I found it to be a quite enjoyable experience. It's no cinematic masterpiece, but it's still a great way to escape the real world for a couple of hours and have some fun.