Iron Man...

[fajrdrako]

I went to see Iron Man today.

Loved it: they seem to have finally got the right touch for transforming a comic to a movie without making it silly. And who'd have guessed it would be Iron Man they'd succeed with?

Loved Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane. Other points:

1. Robert Downey, Jr., seemed like perfect casting. Not too young, just the right combination of clever and seedy.
   
   
2. The war in Afghanistan fit neatly into the war story I remember from the 1960s.
   
   
3. Gwyneth Paltrow was wonderful as Pepper Pots: I even thought she looked like the old Don Heck drawings. Including the fashion.
   
   
4. Loved the moment when Pepper was getting the information about Obadiah Stane from the computer and he came in. Wonderful suspense.
   
   
5. I missed Happy Hogan - realized only in retrospect that he was there. And Jarvis as an AI - that was inspired. (I see the acronym stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. I'm not sure about the grammar there, but it's cute.
   
   
6. Gorgeous armour.
   
   
7. S.H.I.E.L.D.! I didn't catch on that that's what it was until they said - and then I quietly hooted. Loved it. Totally loved it. And Samuel R. Jackson as Nick Fury at the end - ! I knew he was playing Nick Fury in something because I saw a picture of him as Fury in Entertainment Weekly. I had no idea it was this movie. Wonderful.
   
   
8. There's a moment in the movie in which Obadiah Stane is berating his tame scientist for not being able to replicate Stark's work. He says, "Tony Stark was able to do this in a cave!" maaseru murmured, "In a comic book," cracking me up.
   
   
9. Loved Stan Lee's moment. Especially since he originally was thinking of Hugh Hefner when he designed the 'rich playboy' Tony Stark.
   
   
10. I love the way the point of the story is really "with great power comes great responsibility" though they never spell it out. The old Stan Lee message!
    
    
11. Will there be a sequel?

Comments

Point Ten...

[dewline.livejournal.com]

...is confirmed as a "yes".

[puritybrown.livejournal.com]

Especially since he originally was thinking of Hugh Hefner when he designed the 'rich playboy' Tony Stark.

Actually it was another H.H. he had in mind -- Howard Hughes. Minus the OCD, of course.

There is a sequel planned to come out in a couple of years, and then there are going to be films about Captain America, Thor, probably Ant-Man although that one's been delayed a couple of times, and the Avengers. I am a very happy Marvel fan. :)

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I'm not even a Marvel fan, and I loved it. But then I was simply thrilled to see Robert Downey, Jr., back in his best form. The rest was just very enjoyable gravy. I hope he stays that was for a good long time.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I am honored that I managed to catch you on the phone right after you came home from seeing this, and -- clearly -- right before you wrote the post! I am exceeding coincident (accent on the third syllable), no?

I did so love how Tony Stark interacted with his lab so much more smoothly than he did with people. Well, at least he seemed more engaged, when he was interacting with his lab! With people, he always seemed trying to keep at arm's length, or else just be flippant to the point that they'd stay unsure.

I guess, considering how exhausting this probably was for you (the movie trip, not the post!), I am glad that I stressed that you MUST stay for the end of the credits. Even though you would have known that anyway, you might have given up and left. And how could I have hinted at why, without giving away Nick Fury?

Agreed: the scene with Pepper at the computer, being walked in on, was terrifying. I thought she was brilliant, there. Also when she ad-libbed grabbing the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in order to make her escape.

I missed Happy Hogan, too. Or else I don't recall now, weeks later. Help me out...?

Remembering weeks ago, when I was speculating about a list of "first" things you'd be doing, as you were able... first movie seen, post-accident: Iron Man. I am so glad you loved it as much as I did. Yeah, wasn't it great to see a comic book movie done absolutely right? Ahh!

[catslash.livejournal.com]

Not only is there going to be a sequel, but apparently RDJ has a cameo as Tony in the upcoming Hulk movie. I am excited about this. :D

Point Seven...

[dewline.livejournal.com]

I've heard that Jackson will be continuing the role through the next few Marvel-produced movies leading up to Avengers. Next up: Hulk. And I have to admit to being curious as to how they'll reinterpret the rest of the Directorate.

Re: Point Ten...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good! I am not surprised, because it has clearly been successful. The reward of quality.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Howard Hughes. Minus the OCD, of course.

Egad, can you picture Tony Stark with OCD? He has enough problems!

then there are going to be films about Captain America

Good.

Thor

I wonder how they'll handle it?

probably Ant-Man although that one's been delayed a couple of times

There have been so many variations on Ant-Man over the years that I don't know who or what to expect. This might be good: give the movie-makers more freedom. Or not.

and the Avengers

I wonder which version of the team they will use?

Characters/comics I would love to see:

1. Cable and Sixpack
   
2. Gambit
   
3. the original X-Force, with Cannonball
   
4. Nick Fury, and/or S.H.I.E.L.D. (of which we got a taste already)
   
5. Wicca and Hulkling - okay, I can dream, right?
   
6. Runaways (I heard a rumour...?)
   
7. New Avengers
   
8. Northstar
   
9. A really good version of Daredevil (or Elektra)
   
10. Shangi-Chi, Master of Kung Fu (with the Fu Manchu and British espionage connections, especially the sexy Clive Reston and Leiko Wu)
    
11. Magneto - but it looks as if I'm getting that!
    

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm not even a Marvel fan, and I loved it.

Good.

I think with some of the movies, it's better when you're not a Marvel fan. But that's not the case with this one: I think it could appeal to fans and non-fans alike.

I was simply thrilled to see Robert Downey, Jr., back in his best form.

Yes, wasn't he good?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

clearly -- right before you wrote the post!

Timing is everything!

I did so love how Tony Stark interacted with his lab so much more smoothly than he did with people.

I liked the way Jarvis had such personality. And I almost cried when Jarvis helped him reach his old heart-thing.

ith people, he always seemed trying to keep at arm's length, or else just be flippant to the point that they'd stay unsure.

Rather like Bruce Wayne, that way, though for different reasons.

considering how exhausting this probably was for you

Yes. Cinemas are so big. Then afterwards I had to go to the washroom. Miles and miles and miles of crutching.

how could I have hinted at why, without giving away Nick Fury?

I loved that so much. But don't worry: I always stay till the very end of the credits. Unless my friends make me leave. This time, I told them to stay - and they did.

I missed Happy Hogan, too. Or else I don't recall now, weeks later. Help me out...?

No lines, I think and hardly seen - just a vague presence as his driver in one or two scenes.

wasn't it great to see a comic book movie done absolutely right?

A first, I think. You know I was unhappy with the Spider-Man movies and somewhat dissatisfied with the X-Men movies, mostly because of the way the women were written.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

apparently RDJ has a cameo as Tony in the upcoming Hulk movie

Really? Oh my goodness - that is wonderful. Among other things, it implies a lot of care about continuity (and therefore quality) on the part of the movie makers.

Re: Point Seven...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Jackson will be continuing the role through the next few Marvel-produced movies leading up to Avengers

I am not a big fan of Jackson, actually, but I love Nick Fury so much I don't even really care who's playing him. So much is in the concept and the writing. And the glimpse we got was good.

Hulk: because Iron Man was so good, I'm looking forward to it more than I was.

And I see I need to amend the title...

[dewline.livejournal.com]

...to "Point Eleven". :-D

Re: And I see I need to amend the title...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I added a point - hah! Tricked you!

(Didn't really mean any tricky sabotage - just added it at random. Chaos rules.)

[dewline.livejournal.com]

Can't have Northstar without Alpha Flight, though, can we?

(I'm surprised to not have seen you chiming in yet on the AF casting debate over at my LJ...)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Can't have Northstar without Alpha Flight, though, can we?

I would be happy to have an Alpha Flight movie, especially if it was the original crew. With Department H under Parliament Hill and all.

I'm surprised to not have seen you chiming in yet on the AF casting debate over at my LJ...

Only because I am spending so much time exercising my foot according to the instructions of my physiotherapist that I'm not finding time to read anything!! I'll chime in as soon as I find a chimeable moment - !

[dewline.livejournal.com]

Amen to filming here in Ottawa for such a movie. If Paul Gross and John Krizanc proved anything with H2O, it's that this town can serve as an action/thriller backdrop.

[puritybrown.livejournal.com]

There is, indeed, going to be a Runaways movie! And Brian K. Vaughan is writing it! That news made me very happy indeed.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the rights to movie versions of the mutant characters are tied up -- I don't think Marvel Studios can make movies about any of them without involving Fox in some way. Cable's tricky because his backstory is insanely complicated, such that it would take a very clever writer to come up with a version that was simple enough to be comprehensible to a newbie audience but still close enough to the comics that it he's recognisable as the same character.

Personally, I'd like to see a Ms Marvel movie, and I have some ideas as to how it could work...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And so it should!

(Smiling at the thought of Wolverine and Northstar running around our streets - !)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

here is, indeed, going to be a Runaways movie! And Brian K. Vaughan is writing it!

Doesn't get much better than that. I always wonder why they don't have the comic book writer write the movie - or even just co-write the movie - more often. So often, the writer of the movie doesn't seem to have a clue about what the comic is really about. (Or perhaps it's just that we interpret the stories differently?)

Cable's tricky because his backstory is insanely complicated

All they need to do is make him a mysterious supersoldier from the future. After all, we didn't know his background in the comic for a very long time anyway.

I'd like to see a Ms Marvel movie, and I have some ideas as to how it could work...

That would be fun. I'd like to see a Black Cat movie, too, and She-Hulk. Marvel has lots of good female characters. Domino is one I love - but maybe she doesn't have enough of a story of her own for a movie.

Shang-Chi has the same sort of rights problem as the Mutant material - I hear Marvel lost the rights to the Sax Rohmer characters. Pity.

[catslash.livejournal.com]

I KNOW. That's what excites me about it more than anything else, even the prospect of a few more minutes of Tony Stark before, like, 2011 or whenever the sequel comes out: seeing that much care and attention to detail put into this movieverse they're creating. God, it's like PORN.

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

I'll have to second that one, especially as I am not exactly a fan of (North American) comics. I'm much more likely to respond to "Open up, by Belenos, if you value your door!" or "Mille millions de mille sabords!" or the like. :-)

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Iron Man was lovely, but I'll have to watch the Fury scene on DVD, as I didn't stay for the credits. *Facepalm*

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I saw this today as well, and having no knowledge of Iron Man going in, I absolutely loved it and enjoyed myself incredibly.

:D I want to see it again already!

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Me too. I'd heard good things about it so went with daughter and family, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. We will be buying the DVD - it will go on my shelf of "things to watch when I have flu/need cheering up"