Arguably the most anticipated film opening so far this year, the Marvel comic action hero IRON MAN film hits the screens with special extra showings to ensure that it not only makes #1 at the box-office this weekend, but #1 with a difference.  Oddly, its director Jon Favreau (ELF, ZATHURA) is not particularly well-known for action pics, being famous more for his acting (SWINGERS, VERY BAD THINGS) roles.  It is not surprising therefore to find his film following the formula of past successful Marvel adaptations to the big screen.  The film comes complete with the expected Stan Lee cameo.

Like SPIDERMAN for example, IRON MAN traces the protagonist gain of his super powers, his harnessing of it, a romance and finally a short but effective fight with a villain or assorted bad guys as in this case. 

The hero of the story is billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr.).  Like the true Downey in real life, Stark drinks too much, womanizes and cannot keep his appointments.  After being kidnapped by what might be Taliban guerillas, Stark is forced to build a high-tech armored suit which he uses in his escape.  Lo and behold – he turns over a new leaf, falls in love with his personal assistant Pepper Potts (Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow) and decides that his company does more harm than good making weapons (things the filmmakers think we ought to know.)

Downey (the best thing about the movie) works hard for his role and it shows.  He is bulked up and chews up the scenery as he does his side comments.  Paltrow and Terrance Howard do all right in their meaningless written roles

From the writers of two excellent scripts, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (FIRST SNOW and CHILDREN OF MEN) come a surprisingly bland script full of unfunny jokes and standard fare.  Take the sample of Jeff Bridges dialogue: “Look who’s here?”, Er, Er…” while he smiles during the first half of the film without any other words to say.  Stark’s argument about making weapons and doing what’s good for the company during a press conference is something that could be heard in a kindergarten class. 

The IRON MAN film falls in between the hard core (X-MEN) and family type (FANTASTIC FOUR) Marvel adaptations.  Favreau does violence without being violent and sex scenes without nudity.  The comic book is followed conventionally (according to my comic book IROM MAN expert that I brought to the screening) with fans satisfied generally with the film’s end result.

The story lacks a true evil villain (Jeff Bridges does Jeff Bridges) and more challenging fights.  The only real threat IRON MAN faces is his own U.S. fighter planes.  The injection of current affairs (Afghanistan and the Taliban) into the story appears superfluous but the writers at least are bold enough to take everything one step further by having Stark’s mentor (Bridges) sell weapons to the enemy as well.

The special effects sequence of the automated fitting of Stark’s Iron Man armor is impressive as are the flught sequences.  It is surprising that Stark did not take his date on a Superman styled ride.

No doubt, the success of IRON MAN will spawn sequels that will probably include the IRON MAN’s dark side (UGH! – do we have to go through all this like SPIDERMAN and BATMAN) probably in the third or fourth sequel.  And when audiences get fed up, the filmmakers will remake the first IRON MAN again.  Haven’t we seen it all in one form or another?