Image courtesy of wall.alphacoders.com
This post will be bringing back the "consecutive coverage"* format, only it won't just be a trilogy like last time. It'll be much more than that, for I have decided to cover every single installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Thor: Ragnarok, the latest at the time of this writing. While the franchise has expanded into comic book tie-ins, short films, and shows, I will strictly focus on the movies for both consistency purposes and the fact that they're easier to discuss without having to delve into heavy spoilers.
With that being said, time to start what I call the "Marvel-thon"** with the one that started it all: Iron Man.
After demonstrating a missile called "Jericho" for the troops in Afghanistan, billionaire industrialist and weapons manufacturer Tony Stark and his convoy are ambushed. The attack leaves the troops dead and Tony wounded by one of his own designs. A terrorist group known as the Ten Rings captures him, but keep him alive because they want him to build the missile. Instead, he discreetly builds a suit of armor that allows him to escape. He has a change of heart upon his return to America, and decides manufacturing weapons does more harm than good, wanting to redeem himself by protecting the people he put in harm's way.
What Worked: The cast is brilliant. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark is a prime example of perfect casting. He looks and acts like Tony as seen in the comics, displaying his arrogance and how he does what he feels is right, even if his method isn't. He adds a sense of humor to Tony, which makes him more likable throughout the movie.
For the supporting cast, there is Terrence Howard as Lt. Col. James Rhodes (AKA "Rhodey"), Tony's best friend. For what would be his only time in the role, he is really good. However, he is not quite as charismatic as Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony, let alone as much as Rhodey would become later on with Don Cheadle.
Then there is the love interest and Tony's assistant, Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. As with Tony, she looks and acts the part, showing how intelligent the character is. In fact, when his methods don't work, she's one of the first to make him realize that, thus bringing him down to her level. In being the love interest, she's actually not the damsel-in-distress type one would come to expect in a superhero movie. There is also a sub-plot between her and another character that becomes important later.
A superhero movie is not complete without an interesting villain. That's where Jeff Bridges comes in, playing Obadiah Stane, Tony's business partner and mentor. He may seem like the "nice guy" type at first, but about halfway through, you can tell he is bad news. He even foreshadows the name of his character's alter ego at one point. Jeff Bridges actually makes for a menacing villain, especially in the third act.
There are two more I can mention here without going too deep into spoilers. One of them is Jon Favreau, who also directed, as Happy Hogan, Tony's bodyguard. He can be pretty funny at times. The other is Paul Bettany as the voice of the AI, J.A.R.V.I.S., who serves as his butler-like advisor when he controls the systems in his mansion and his upgraded suits. He also shows concern for Tony and his actions. Even though he is just doing voiceover work, Paul Bettany conveys those qualities perfectly.
With the technical aspects, Jon Favreau's direction is excellent. For some, it may even feel as if someone with more experience in blockbusters had directed it, particularly through the visual effects. Here, the visuals for Iron Man himself were a mix of both practical effects done by Stan Winston (who I mentioned in the Predator review) and then digital. The suits look mostly practical, so it looks like you are actually seeing a character.
The score is also really good because not only does it sound awesome, but it's also one of those scores that allow for audience excitement, with Predator being a great example. It even helps the story move along at a solid pace. The action contributes to that because it follows what is known as "The Rule of Threes," where every action sequence must be bigger and better than the last one to keep the audience invested.
What Didn't Work: The fight at the end may seem short, but there are two reasons for that: 1: its length makes sense, and 2: it's set up very well. Therefore, it's more of a nitpick.
Overall: Iron Man is an excellent superhero movie, as well as a great action movie. It has a likable hero with an origin story that is not only faithfully brought to the big screen, but can also stand on its own in addition to starting something special. It may have begun the cinematic universe craze, but this is one of two movies that managed to be successful in building their franchises up. It feels like its own story first and foremost, and because the main story works, the franchise setup feels earned.
Speaking of franchise setup, the primary aspect of that is in the form of a post-credits scene. Also, look out for a fair amount of references (including a particular song in the credits), and of course, a Stan Lee cameo (if you've seen at least one Marvel movie, MCU or otherwise, you can probably expect that more often than not).
*I realize I might need a catchier name.
**Like that one.