Iron Man [DVD] [2008]

I remember 8 years ago, comic book movie, while growing in popularity over the years (Superman from 1978, Batman from 1989, Blade from 1998, X-Men from 2000 and finally Spider-Man in 2002) with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and Bryan Singer's 2 X-Men films (Let's forget about X3 for a spell) set the stage for critical and commercial success, but Marvel still wanted to do something that it had done years prior in paper & ink form, which was to create a universe and populate it with their characters (Those that it held rights to, so no X-Men, Punisher, Daredevil crossovers just yet) which for the time being was a huge gamble. Marvel created its own film unit, received $500 million in credit and have Kevin Feige at the head of it all. Iron Man was announced first as the "big bang" of the MCU, so to speak, which was followed by a collective "Huh?!" since Iron Man was a little known character outside the comics and seemed like the universe had ended, just as it started. Then, Jon Favreau was chosen to direct. Yet again, same response since he was mainly known for acting in Swingers, and directing comedic and family films such as Elf and Zathura. Then, recently cleaned up actor Robert Downey, Jr. was cast to star as Tony Stark, ahead of superstar Tom Cruise and many others. I wasn't hugely interested in this film at first, mainly diverting my time to Raimi's Spider-Man films and Nolan's Batman films with the rest of my time split between work and video games. 2008 came, saw a trailer for Iron Man, after pretty much forgetting it existed, and was instantly hooked. The trailer showed us the main setup, some laughs, good action and a great look at the amazing looking CGI. May couldn't come sooner, and was excited to see it, though I eventually waited until the DVD hit the shelves in September of that year. The mail came in that day, I saw a red envelope from Netflix, knowing good and well that Iron Man was finally in my grasp. I turned on my PS2 (Yes, I still played my PS2 in 2008) loaded in the disc and sat there for 2 glorious hours, transfixed on the beauty that is Iron Man. I instantly had to know more about the MCU, also knowing there was a new Hulk film out as well, also part of the MCU, and started eagerly awaiting every trailer, news article and magazine with a few snaps of photos and tidbits for info. 8 years later, I still do the same, awaiting new stuff for Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange coming out later in 2016. First things first, this is the movie that made Robert Downey, Jr. a star, well not just a star, but a living legend and today one of the highest paid actors in the world. And for good reason, he knocks the tole out of the park. His Tony Stark is smarmy, brilliant, rich, funny, and more and RDJ just makes the part his own. He knows that he is all these things, but I love how he turns himself around, actually caring for a cause to stop the spread terror and violence and actually makes us care for Tony. Bravo! And the direction is also surprisingly light hearted when its needed, but also emotional and dark when needed. Everything else from supporting performances (James Bridges to Gwyneth Paltrow to even the voice of Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S.) are exceptional. Cinematography, the score, sound and visual effects are truly top notch and still hold up almost a decade later. Only the story is a flawed that has two fantastic act of Tony being captured and escaping his kidnapping, and building and mastering his Iron Man suit but then it collapses on itself with a rushed and underdeveloped third act, but then it ends with probably on of the best closing lines ever that I will not spoil for those who have yet to see this film. Truly amazing film. Moving on to the BluRay itself, the PQ/AQ are stunning, with sharp, colorful and detailed image that still stands up almost a decade later with the image free from any major problems ,and ,for that matter, minor issues as well with grain kept level and detailed throughout with only a few spikes during the darker scenes, but even the it still avoids the look of bees swarming the cave. The sound is turned up to 11 with great surround usage, deep and rumbling bass response and may knock off unsecured items off the walls, its that good (and Oscar-nominated!). Of course, the final area is the extras, and here's where the disappointment starts. In 2008, the film came in 4 varieties to watch, a 1 and 2 disc DVD and a 1 and 2 disc BluRay. Unfortunately, Paramount (and now Disney) pitched the second disc and the cool slipcover in favor of this one-disc release. Even though this lacks the second disc full of amazing extras (Luckily found a 2-disc BluRay with slips extremely cheap) the one-disc will suit those who just wants the film and nothing more. The biggest and best extra is the over-20 minutes of deleted scenes which were rightfully yanked from the film, but shines some light on some lightened or completely removed subplots from the film. Next up is the Hall of Armor which is a showcase of the different suits used in the film. The Invincible Iron Man is a series of biographies about the origins of Iron Man and his place in comic book history. Lastly is a BD-Live feature called Iron Man IQ which are just a series of quizzes, from the content producers and user created content. I really wish they would re-release this film on BluRay, not only with the 2nd disc included but also include the 2008 commentary recorded live (Wasn't included on either format, but still worth a listen!) and a new commentary by Marvel and Jon Favreau. All in all, worth a purchase just for the movie itself, but don't pay $20+ just for the 1-disc release, search for the 2-disc edition for the same price, you'll thank me for it.

There was a big question mark looming over the theatrical adaptation of Marvel's Iron Man property. It was in the guise of director Jon Favreau. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Favs, but when I heard he was helming a big budget comic book flick...let's just say I was a little worried. Once his cast was set and the fanboys started humming across the internet I started to ease into the decision with high anticipation. Thankfully, after finally seeing the finished product, I was not disappointed in the least. With a great mix of the professionalism and stakes seen in both Spider-Man and X-Men and the comic wit and sheer fun of Fantastic Four, Iron Man shows how a comic can be brought to the screen successfully without all the added drama and weight. We finally have a film with the essence of what makes these picture books so popular, the action and mythology along with a sense of adventure and humor. Favreau never bogs us down with overwrought emotions nor speaks down to us with gags and poorly written jokes. Instead he delivers on his promises and gives us a solid initiation into what could be a great trilogy or more. Favreau seems to have had an idea to get an origin story out while not boring us with long drawn out back story. His ability to give us dual information at once is nicely orchestrated, showing Tony Stark in his basement creating while the TV in the background explains what is happening in the outside world of the Middle East and inside his own company. We as an audience are allowed to put the pieces together amidst the witty banter of Stark and the wonderful special effects. By the end of the film it is quite amazing how much information you will realize you now know, all culminating in a decent final battle, but more importantly a segue into the inevitable sequel. We are allowed entrance into the character evolution of Stark as he goes from war profiteer to man of action and cause, all while seeing the technology improve and advance before our eyes. Much like Batman, we have a hero here that needs help in fighting crime. He has no superhuman abilities besides his brain and being able to see his thoughts go from paper to reality is a feat of magic. Every stage is shown, every failure and success. It's quite the ride in and of itself, but when you add onto it the threat of global war and destruction, it can only get better. The real success here is in the bold move of casting an actor over-40 to be a superhero. This takes guts, because no matter how appropriate it is, most studios would have said, "no, change the story and make him younger so we can churn out as many of these babies as we can." I don't know how he did it, but Favreau got Marvel to get Robert Downey Jr. to play Stark, a sarcastic Lothario with the brain capacity of Einstein. I truly can't think of anyone better suited to the role and he proves it by nailing every single scene. I'm sure there was some ad-libbing, but even if not, his comic delivery and ability to switch on a dime to a sincere seriousness at will shows his masterful craft. As for the rest of the cast, they all do well. Jeff Bridges plays the bombastic creature of villainy over-the-top, but appropriately so; Terrence Howard is nice as the friend and military liaison, not given much to do, but definitely sowing seeds for the future; and Gwyneth Paltrow is good as the sweet assistant Pepper Potts who at times seems a little underwritten and more female prop than anything else, but comes through with some nice moments in a very comic sort of way. I also really liked Shaun Toub as Yinsen, Stark's savior, and Clark Gregg as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Good to see Favreau giving another actor turned director props, (Gregg's directorial debut comes out later this year in the form of Chuck Palahniuk's Choke). I just wish he would have shied away from putting himself in the film. It's one thing to be seen split-second, (like Stan Lee), but its another to give yourself a thankless role with multiple scenes, just adding fuel to the fire on people's opinions of egotism stemming from the drinking game created off of the TV show "Dinner for Five" and how many references to Swingers was made each episode. I'll forgive, though, because, once again, I'm a big fan. One can't forget that this is an action film above all else, so we can't just praise the actors; every effect is also quite brilliant. Those scenes of Iron Man flying amongst fighter jets in the trailer seemed really lame, but when in context they deliver. The suit itself is amazing as well, through every mach stage right to the end. My main highlight, however, was with the computer systems that Stark utilizes. The multiple screens, instant holographic reproductions, and ability to actually interact with those 3D representations is stunning. We can create them in fantasy, but it's just too bad we can't yet in real life. Now Iron Man is not a perfect film, nor even a perfect comic book adaptation. What it is, though, is a fun, comic actioner that should light up the box office. The final showdown is a bit of a whimper in comparison to the back story and machine creation; a crucial element is saved from destruction in the one contrived bit of screen writing, (not quite utilized in the way I thought, although still for the same means); and some moments seem a tad campy rather than witty, but otherwise this is some topnotch cinema that should definitely be seen on the big screen. I can't wait to see how the story progresses in a couple years.

I loved this Iron Man origins film when it first came to the big screen in 2008. Shortly there after I purchased the special edition DVD set and enjoyed watching it many times! Years later when it was released on Blu-ray, I held off making the purchase because Marvel/Disney did not incude a digital copy with the Blu-ray Disc even though at that time it was common practice amongst studios to include digital copies with their Blu-ray and DVD discs. Now in 2017 the Iron Man Blu-ray disc finally comes with a HD digital copy. And now it is accessible on virtually every electronic device by redeeming the digital code using the new "Movies Anywhere" app. This app allows you to stream and/or download the film on virtually every imaginable device including: Mac, PC, iOS devices such as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android tablets and phones, Sony PlayStation and Roku. It does this by allowing you to link your Vudu, iTunes, Amazon Video and Google Play accounts. This new system takes a giant leap towards providing consumers the ability to purchase one digital copy of their favorite films and provide access to that copy by allowing it to freely migrate between digital retailer accounts and personal electronic apps and devices. Not every studio is currently part of this program, but Disney is, so I can watch my HD version of Iron Man on my Mac or PC, or on my Samsung tablet using Vudu, or even on my iPhone using iTunes! The customer service at my local Best Buy is always exemplary. The reason I only gave this purchase four out of five stars is because of the relatively high $20 price tag for a Blu-ray Disc of a film that is almost 10 years old. I freely acknowledge that Disney has the right to charge whatever price they want for their products, but I also have the right to not be entirely pleased about it. With that said, I'm very happy with this purchase. :)

Iron Man was the best comic book film ever made until The Dark Knight came out later in the summer of its release. It still maintians great distinction. The film follows Tony Stark, a billionaire genius whose company designs military superweapons. During a trip to the Middle East, he is captured by terrorists who tell him to build them a wepon with which they can conquer their enemies. Instead, with the help of another prisoner, he builds a mechanical suit and escapes. Once returned to the world he knows, he decides that he have put too much evil into the world, and that it is his duty to use his genius to protect the people he put in harm's way. Robert Downey Jr. is this film, since his performance (so uncannily perfect for the Stark of the comics that you can't imagine anyone else doing it) infuses the film with a dark humor and charm that it needs to truly stand on its own two feet. The interesting thing to note about Iron Man compared to much of the other comic book fare out there, especially from Marvel, is how heavily it relies upon its characters throughout the . Very little of the film features Stark as Iron Man; instead, we mostly see him preparing his suit and looking toward how he'll go about becoming a 'protector of those he put in harm's way'. There is a villain, but he is barely used and is hardly a pillar of the story line. These are things for which the film was criticized by some, but to me they infuse the film with a level of crediblity that is lacking from so many comic book-to-screen adaptations. I highly recommend this film as something that is both smart and entertaining. If you haven't seen it yet, then you're in for a treat.

This is will be an easy review of " Iron Man" Blu-ray edition. Firstly, what makes this film is the Acting..Period! Robert Downey Jr. was born to play the role of Tony Stark, his portral of Tony was superb as well as, was his co-stars who gave solid performances. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of movies with origins that come from comic books, but this film was made for adults and comes through with an intelligent & cohesive script. If you are looking for mindless CGI driven storylines, this film is not for you. In actuality Iron Man uses CGI conservatively and intelligently. On the hardware front, Visually speaking, Iron Man is not the clearest Blu-ray image that I have seen. It's a mixed bag from scene to scene. Grain is present in the darker scenes and during action sequences, blur is present, but even so at times it is visually stunning, I'd give it an 9/10 on the video. Where Iron Man really shines is in the Audio sound track. When you are viewing a film such as this, you want your speakers to get a workout and Iron Man doesn't disappoint! The Dolby TrueHD sound track delivers in Spades with discrete sounds used with effectiveness. This soundtrack borders on bombastic with excellent low-end bass, midrange and crystal clear highs that will have your neighbors dialing 911, thinking there is gangland activities going on! Extra's are presented in high definition that round out a complete package, putting icing on the cake... video 9.0 audio 10.0 extra's 9.0 Don't wait! Go get this one!

I'm not going to bother reviewing the movie, because there are plenty of well written reviews out there. I thought it was great, end of story. The blu ray disc would not play on my PS3 when I first tried it. I was very upset since I had been waiting a long time for this movie to come out, and I thought my PS3 was broken. I did some searching online and found out there is an issue with the BD Live. When you first start the movie, it goes to this blue ring (like Iron Man's chest power piece). This just sits there and there is no button you can press to go on. I found out why after doing some searching online. The movie is trying to access the online bonus content, but I guess there is some issue with the servers. All you have to do is go to System Settings, BD/dvd settings and change the BD Live setting. It should be set to automatically allow the disc to access the internet. Change this to "Confirm" which will make the PS3 ask you before it tries to access the internet. When you start the disc, choose decline and the movie will start up. It would have been nice if they simply put some text below the blue ring that said "BD Live data loading, please wait." That would be better than thinking my PS3 broke.

This is an enjoyable movie if not slightly overrated. However, the title Iron Man is a bit misleading, since Iron Man is only in the film for like 15 minutes. "Tony Stark: Iron Man" would have been a more fitting title. The acting, although enjoyable, can be pretty bland sometimes. Paltrow's character is loveable, but somewhat boring. Downey can go a little over-the-top sometimes, but is still amazing, and the villain comes off less than threatening. However, it's not enough to ruin the movie for anyone. The action is great, but pretty sparse. Lots of explosions, just not enough for what I was expecting. The last seen in particular reminded me too much of Robocop, but that was apparently the idea behind that scene. The plot in general is pretty straight-laced with nothing too out of left field. It hints at possible villains (if your familiar with the comics) and at the end there's a nice scene that begins to connect other Marvel movies together. However, the plot seems to stretch out in parts (especially Stark making the Iron Man armor takes almost the entire film and tweaking it) and the big villain is hardly a shock. Besides some minor complaints, it's a great movie and is very enjoyable.

A real gem of a movie in the MCU. MCU movies nowadays all have to be fool-proof guaranteed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Bought this movie to rewatch 10 years later and realized we are not going to get a story as grounded (the movie took its time having Tony build and perfect the suite) as this one anymore. It really felt like Tony Stark could indeed create a suite like this in reality, and more than any other movie Tony feels the most vulnerable as a normal human being without superpowers, and it's a nice reminder of that as we watch the new fantastical MCU movies where we tend to forget that aspect of him because Iron Man is treated to be just as powerful as the most super-powered.