Sunday, May 11, 2008

Iron Man: Finally a completely human superhero!


How many times have we seen the American John Does turning into superheroes to save the mankind? I am sure everyone has grown up on a staple diet of Superman, Batman, Spiderman or some other genetically modified superhero often having characteristics of some other species. In that sense the name “Iron Man” seemed hardly attractive.
But then, what is in a name! The Iron man does whatever a superhero is supposed to do, but with a tinge of humor that ridicules the very basis of superheroism. He is purely coincidental, accident prone and is not a social recluse! Yes, unlike other heroes and like most other human beings, he likes to demonstrate his prowess without hiding his identity. But above all, the most heartening thing is, he is 100% homo sapience without any avian, spidery or alien component in his genome!

Want to know the story? Well, Tony Stark is a mechanical and scientific genius who also owns a huge corporation manufacturing various weapons of mass destruction. But he is kidnapped by the terrorists while on a trip to Afghanistan (BTW, the terrorists sometimes talk in Hindi, all the Asians are same isn’t it??!!!). He is asked to make missiles for the terrorists inside a hideous, desolated cave. But he ends up creating a humanoid machine that is all powerful and indomitable. He comes out of the captivity riding that machine. But realizing the destruction his weapons are causing he decides to stop manufacturing weapons. He also takes up the job of saving the poor and tormented ones and destroying weapons created by him that has fallen into wrong hands. What happens after that? I can’t spill all the beans, but surely you have guessed that new enemies appear very soon and the eternal struggle of good versus evil ensues as usual.
Coming to cast and credits, this entire film belongs to Robert Downey Jr. He may not be your usual superstar with chiseled looks, but he sure is a real actor with immaculate comic timing. He plays his part with characteristic ease and never lets our attention divert. I also have to mention Gwyneth Paltrow as his secretary cum love interest. I have always loved this lady, ever since I saw Shakespeare in Love! The script is tight and is ably directed by John Favreau. I haven’t read the original Marvel Comics so I can’t tell you how much it adheres to the original story. The action and visual effects are up to the mark but can be taken for granted as every Hollywood movie has it nowadays.

So, I think it is a film for all kinds of people. If you don’t like hardcore action movies, it has enough witty sequences and dialogues to keep you hooked. Give it a try any given Sunday. You won’t be disappointed.