Official Rating: PG-13
Tony Stark: genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist—thought of by all as the man with everything. Or does he really? Alternately known as "the Da Vinci of our time" and "Merchant of Death," he enjoys a carefree situation as the CEO of Stark Industries, living the wild life and occasionally coming up with a brilliant breakthrough in weapons technology. However, on a trip to Afghanistan to showcase his Jericho missile to the U. S. Military, he is kidnapped and wounded by the Ten Rings, a terrorist organization who want a Jericho for themselves, and, in the course of their attack, embedded shrapnel in his chest that will slowly kill him if it were not for an electromagnetic implant invented by a fellow scientist and captive Dr. Yinsen. Mentoring him throughout his captivity, Yinsen leads him to realize he is "the man who has everything...but nothing."
Of course, neither of them can help the Ten Rings - and get killed anyway - with a clear conscience, so instead of building a missile, they build a life-sustaining arc reactor and the first Iron Man suit, which wreaks havoc among the terrorists and frees Tony. Returning to his life, he takes with him an awareness of the serious problems about the ethics of Stark Industries and decides to take his company in a new direction. But some people aren't happy about this new direction...
Good Points: Stark is intelligent, patriotic, and an interesting individual in general. It is also admirable how he tests his things on himself instead of hiring it out. The dialogue is very funny at times. Throughout the movie there is a ton of marvelous (and humorous) tech and science, which may spark an interest in STEM fields. Despite this being the Marvel world, the history it references is, for the most part, accurate. There are many words of wisdom which it would be well to heed, mostly from Dr. Yinsen. Tony experiences wonderful personal growth, learning to be a responsible person and finding out that he has "more to offer this world than making things that blow up." If you stick around/fast-forward until after the credits, you will find a bonus scene which introduces us and Tony to S.H.I.E.L.D. The cinematography and score are also great to study and/or enjoy the art of a Marvel film.
Religion: None.
Violence: 89 seconds in, Stark and a military convoy are attacked in a fight involving bombing, soldier death and injury. His famous chest injury results in a lot of blood, and the terrorists torture and threaten constantly. Stark Industries is built on making
weapons, so many superpowered instruments of destruction - firearms, missiles, the Iron Man suit itself - make appearances. Gunfights and explosions occur at various times. After escaping the caves, Tony can't let the terrorists go unpunished, especially after he and the audience sees pictures of an attack aftermath in the town of Gulmira, where they have been exercising pointless barbarism and rounding up the residents for who knows what evil purpose. Fortunately, they are prevented, thanks to Iron Man and his weapons tech. Yes, there are numerous fatalities throughout the movie, some terrorist, some civilian, and two main characters. Two characters are zapped with a short-term paralysis device. During the climactic battle, the villain Iron Monger almost causes the murder of civilians, but [SPOILER] ultimately dies in an exploding reactor.
Sexual Content: Stark is famously philandering, and at the very beginning he tries to flirt with a lady soldier while another serviceman asks him something about going "12 for 12 with cover models." He, according to another studio member, "converses with [a] slut" in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, we do see the beginning of a passionate evening with a reporter. Sex is heavily implied. Other innuendos can be heard infrequently. Sometimes people are seen in the background surrounded by a crowd of the opposite sex.
Language: "God" and "Jesus" are taken in vain, and there are several uses of h— and d—. Tony is called a son of a b---. B.S is said.
Supernatural: None.
Other: Tony Stark, for all his brilliance and skill, is a world-class jerk at the beginning. He skips out of an awards banquet to gamble at casinos, is very irresponsible with his assets in general, and doesn't appreciate Pepper Potts, his devoted personal assistant whom he really doesn't deserve. On the way to Afghanistan there's some general partying in his private plane (and not the kid-friendly fun kind). Drinking occurs in several scenes and someone smokes cigars. If you're grossed out by medical emergencies, take heed, because several shots show Stark's surgery (no anesthetic even) and back at home he has some issues in installing a new arc reactor. Additionally, he was unknowingly selling weapons to terrorists, but he does reevaluate his whole life after his firsthand experience, with ensuing business problems. We see the humanitarian crisis caused by the Ten Rings and their Stark weapons. An earth-shaking betrayal arises, leading to Tony's near death as result of his arc reactor removal. At the end, he almost lies to cover up the Iron Man identity.
Summary:
This revolutionary film sets things up well by showcasing the origins and growth of one of the greatest Avengers, Iron Man. Through the course of the movie, as stated above, he goes from your average arrogant, careless billionaire to a peace-seeking robotic vigilante, fighting for justice the world over. His encounter in the Afghan caves changed him for the better, and he will forever remember Dr. Yensin's injunction, "don't waste your life." It's a must-see for Marvel fans, but I personally am very glad to have watched it first during my late teens, as it would not have been appreciated at any previous age. Although it is definitely for a more mature audience, Iron Man is an excellent movie that heralded the arrival of one of cinema's greatest accomplishments: the Infinity Saga.
Nerd Corner:
This is a new feature where we throw in all the statistics, fun facts, and trivia that it might be fun for fans to find out. If you like it, let us know. If you don't like it, also let us know! If no one has an opinion, we'll just throw it in when we think a review would benefit from one. As always, thanks for reading!
. For Iron Man's original arc reactor to function, it needs to include at least 1.6 grams of palladium. It had a power output of 3 kilojoules per second.
. Tony built his first circuitboard at the age of four and graduated MIT at seventeen. His full name is Anthony Edward Stark.
. S.H.I.E.L.D stands for Strategic Homeland Intelligence Enforcement Logistics Division.
. Tony's injury rendered him one of the "walking dead" according to Dr. Yinsen. It takes a while for shrapnel to pierce the vitals, but they can be repelled electromagnetically.
. Stan Lee can be seen in a cameo outside the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Commenti