Iron Man (2008) Review

Iron Man (2008) Review

We are getting close to the release of Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to be the biggest movie of the year. In preparation for that and Robert Downey Jr’s return to the MCU, I am reviewing all the Iron Man and Avengers movies. Today we are starting with Iron Man, the film that started it all for the MCU. Here is my review! 

The Good

For me, the best thing about this movie is Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr’s performance as Iron Man made this movie work but it also helped shape the MCU into what we know it to be today. One of these days they are going to recast Iron Man, and we are going to see somebody new take on the role. Whoever that person is, they are going to have massive shoes to fill because Robert Downey Jr is such perfect casting that you cannot imagine anybody else being Iron Man. So much of why this movie works goes back to this performance. Where he can be so much fun and charming with his funny moments with Rhodey and Pepper that put a smile on your face. He can play the billionaire playboy philanthropy as well, where you buy into all sides of the performance that he must play in this movie. Plus, it also helps that Robert Downey Jr is a world class actor that is so talented, and when you know the backstory and the production of this movie where they did not have much of a script. So much of the dialogue came from Robert Downey Jr’s ability to impress on the spot. And so much of the funny moments were not in the script (because there was not one), they came from him. Rewatching this movie after several years of the MCU not being great and not having an anchor with a clear lead like the Infinity Saga had with Robert Downey Jr, it makes you appreciate his performance even more as you realize how pivotal he was in shaping the MCU and part of the reason why the MCU worked was because of him.

Another thing to compare this movie to the rest of the MCU, it is a much smaller scale film. It is not trying to be the biggest or the best comic book movie of all time, it is just trying to tell this Iron Man origin story and focus on making Iron Man a great movie. I really miss that about modern-day comic book movies, where so many of them feel like they must set up the next movie. When you watch this movie, I appreciate that this film is the opposite of that. Its job and purpose were to tell a great movie about Iron Man, who was not this A-list superhero prior to this film coming out. Iron Man was like a B or C list Marvel character, but because this movie worked and Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man is MARVELOUS casting, he propelled the character to being one of the most iconic and popular superheroes of all time. Since this is one of the most important comic book movies of all time and because it started the MCU, it can cut through in the year 2026 and be something different. Despite having all the tropes of the genre with the villain being an evil version of our hero, because it came out in a different era of comic book movies, it does not feel familiar. Later MCU films like The Incredible Hulk, Ant-Man, and Black Panther have villains that are evil versions of our hero. Rewatching the film, that was really one of the things that stood out to me was the fact that its smaller scale compared to some of the other MCU since this is the one that started it at all. 

I alluded to this before, but the film had a very weird and not normal production. Where they did not have a script so much of the scenes were improvisations between the cast. Despite there not being much of a script, there is so many great lines and jokes that work and I forgot about it until I rewatched the film. One of the things that’s interesting to notice when rewatching this film is so many lines mean one thing in the context of the film and Tony’s character arc, but after seeing the Infinity Saga and more importantly, Avengers: Endgame there’s so many lines of dialogue in this film that hit differently after you know where all of this goes. Simple lines between Tony and Yinsen in the cave like “don’t waste your life” or “I shouldn’t be alive, unless it was for a reason.” These are lines that work, fit in this movie, and see Tony’s character arc and be the hero by the end of the film. But when you know where all of this goes and the fact that Tony is the one to make the sacrifice play in Endgame, these lines can carry an extra layer of weight. That is when you have a quotable movie, lines that fit in the context of the movie itself but there also being lines that work in other contexts outside of the film. You have those lines that work, but you also have these great comedic lines whether that is between Tony and Rhodey or Tony and Pepper, that put a smile on your face and elevates the chemistry between the characters. It is not one of the funniest MCU movies, this was before the MCU became very jokey and quippy, that started with The Avengers. But it can have a nice steady stream of jokes that very easily make you laugh and put a smile on your face. 

Going back to the idea of not really having a script, the movie is able to have a nice structure and flow to it. One of the smartest decisions they made with this movie was telling it out of order. You kick off with this fantastic opening scene of Tony in the jeep with the soldiers. It is a simple scene, but it can tell the audience so much about the movie that we are in for and what audiences can expect. Plus, it gives us a flavor for what to expect with Robert Downey Jr’s portrayal of Tony Stark. By putting that scene first, it means we get an action scene right out of the gate. If the film were to play linear then we would have to wait much younger for an action scene. There is that element of it that is fantastic and that works well. But even with Tony Stark’s character and the mystery surrounding who the main villain is, with the way it’s structured it keeps your attention and you are constantly wondering what is going on and engaged in the mystery of the film. It is a testament to show how confident the people involved were with this film but also shows just how talented everybody is that worked on the film. The fact that they barely had a script for this film, but they were still able to make a fun and funny movie with great characters and enough heart to make you care about what is going on. The fact that the MCU started with Iron Man, a film that has no script is crazy, and I think just elevates this movie even more. 

Another thing that I really liked about the film rewatching it was that you have a great supporting cast. Jeff Bridges as our villain just brings this certain level of gravitos to this film. He is this Hollywood legend and seeing him do this film that was a risk back in 2008 is great. He can play off Robert Downey Jr well whether it is as a mentor, as a friend, or as the villain in the third act. He can portray the many layers of Obidiah Stane. Rewatching this film, I think Terrence Howard might be a better Rhodey than Don Cheadle. Most importantly, Downey and Howard have better chemistry than Downey and Cheadle. I buy them more as friends, their comedic chemistry is better and in its prime at this point because this is the only film in which Howard has portrayed Rhodey. I think this might also be my favorite usage of Pepper Potts in the MCU. This is also Gwyneth Paltrow’s best performance as Pepper Potts. I don’t really have a reason why I think she’s the best in this film but I think it’s before the MCU got more complicated so the film was able to focus more on the relationships and dynamics, so it means that we get to see how much Tony and Pepper care for one another. It builds the groundwork for their relationships that is of course expanded upon in the later moves all leading up to Endgame. From there, I love the supporting cast when Tony is in the cave. Yinsen or the other villains in there just have enough of a screen presence that make them more memorable side villains then they should be. 

Finally, I love how practical so much of this movie is. One of my issues with the Iron Man character as the MCU went along is the nanotech suits. I do not think they look as good, they look too slick. I like the older suits that are bulkier and you can see the details. I think from Iron Man to Iron Man 3 features the best Iron Man suits. You watch interviews with Gwyneth Paltrow. She talked about the evolution of the Iron Man suits. In this film, Robert Downey Jr is wearing a full-on suit that he is flying around in, and because it was so heavy they became more focused on CGI as time went on. I like the practicality of the suits in the early stages of the MCU. But even the environments that the action scenes take place in, they feel real it was before the MCU became too overreliant on CGI.

The Bad

Quite honestly, I love Iron Man so there are few issues that I have with this movie. The big thing with this movie is that the third act is not super exciting. I think comparing it to today’s standards with the MCU, it is small. I do not mind that it is a small scale third act. But there is not much about it that is super memorable. It is Iron Man and Iron Monger fighting for a few minutes whether that is on the highway or at Stark Industries. That is all that the third act is. It is a great third act in terms of it completes Tony’s character arc in the film. But in terms of the action set pieces, there is nothing memorable about the film’s third act. There is even a sequence that sort of plays like a horror sequence with Iron Monger with Pepper Potts and the SHIELD agents. It is a cool sequence that is short and I wish they added more to that sequence because it might have elevated the third act. 

Also, I praised Gwyneth Paltrow’s performance as Pepper Potts. The actual usage of Pepper Potts is underwhelming. She does not really have her storyline in the film. She is just used to reacting to all the things that Tony does. There is no character arc for her; there is not a whole lot of depth with her and Tony. She is just Tony’s assistant that there may or may not be some romantic chemistry there. In the third act of the film, they have started to suspect something about Obidiah Stane and what he is up to. I wish they found a way to incorporate that throughout the entire film. I think the later films, especially the other two Iron Man sequels, did a better job of incorporating Pepper Potts more into the plot of the film. 

Final Thoughts: Iron Man remains one of the MCU’s best films 18 years later. I love the fact that this movie is smaller compared to the rest of the MCU and it lacks the weight of the genre on its shoulders. Robert Downey Jr is one of the best casting choices for the superhero genre and blockbusters in general. He can capture all the right mannerisms of Tony Stark so well and he is able to have fantastic chemistry with everybody. I have always loved this movie but rewatching it made me forget just how awesome this movie is. 

The Score: 9.2/10 (A-)