Luckily, my relative pessimism was brought to shame. The story of billionaire genius Tony Stark’s unearthing of a purpose, and his subsequent invention of Iron Man, was perhaps the fourth of fifth best comic book adaption I’ve seen. Robert Downey, Jr. should get a medal for his effort, and this very crew should get the task of making the sequel. There’s really only one or two things I thought they could have done better, such as making it a bit clearer how the only thing that had changed in Stark was that he’d found a purpose (that is, they could have throuwn in an additional asshole scene or two), and casting someone other than Samuel L. Jackson to play Nick Fury.
Apart from that it was all good in my book, with a nice soundtrack (I was a bit bummed that they didn’t include Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”, but then the endig credits started and I was a happy man again), movie-carrying and witty dialogue, and the best Stan Lee cameo ever. Granted, the plot was a bit straightforward and simple, but the reduced dependence on “clever” plot-twists probably entails that it will be great fun to watch again.
Not since Batman Begins have I left a movie theatre praying so desperately for a sequel. 9.0/10.
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If you’re suggesting there’s something wrong about casting Nick Fury with Jackson, then you should go re-read the Ultimates. *nods*
Also, what the flying farmequipment do you have against “Elf”?! O.o It’s a cute and funny movie! With the guy from the Daily Show!
(Glad you liked Iron Man. I went out of the theatre feeling that exact way.
By the way, didn’t they play Black Sabbath in the beginning? Or am I misremembering?)
11. May 2008 @ 18:59 ( Permalink )
No, they didn’t play Black Sabbath till right after Tony Stark admitted to the press that he was indeed Iron Man.
And, dude, even I - the professed Uninitiated One - know that the Ultimate Nick Fury was based on Samuel L. Jackson, which would make the casting of him not only fitting, but absolutely PERFECT.
11. May 2008 @ 21:03 ( Permalink )
I don’t know, it could be because of my ridiculously bad memory of these kinds of things, but I remember Fury as, ironically, a cold, controlled man, but I’ve always perceived Jackson as a bundle o’ rage. Highly subjective, of course, but one has to have some small idiosyncracies, eh?
As for Elf, it’s… well, let’s just say I’d enjoyed it more if I’d watched it during Christmas, and if it hadn’t been so torturously embarassing. It’s well-made, though, so this is probably just me being irrational again. You know I do that a lot.
12. May 2008 @ 10:38 ( Permalink )
On second thought, it might be a self-defense mechanism; grasping at straws to reduce my expectations.
12. May 2008 @ 10:39 ( Permalink )
Well, Ultimate Nick Fury was expressively based on Jackson (they even got his express permission to do so), so he’d have to throroughly mess up if he managed not to be right for the character. And from what little I’ve seen of normal-continuity Nick, he’s not all that different. Except being white and well over a century old.
12. May 2008 @ 11:59 ( Permalink )
And “Elf” is funny. Everybody should answer the phone like that. “Buddy the Elf! What’s your favourite colour? :D”
12. May 2008 @ 11:59 ( Permalink )