Me & the fiancée just got back from seeing Iron Man, and I gotta say: cool! A few observations:
- The director, Jon Favreau, is to Hollywood films what a closer is to a baseball team. At least, that’s what he’s starting to look like to me: the guy who can take what seems like a losing situation and turn it around. He made Elf a genuinely funny film, and he took what I would have considered one of the most difficult Marvel characters to translate to film and made what is one of the best comic-to-film translations yet.
- Robert Downey Jr. also does a masterful job of making Tony Stark simultaneously rather reprehensible and incredibly likable.
- Cheers to Jeff Bridges as well. I own all the original “Iron Monger” series of Iron Man comics and loved them, and I had my doubts that he could carry the character, but he did so excellently. Now I’ve got this urge to head back to my childhood home and read them all again…
- There are a number of excellent in-jokes for those fans of Marvel comics in general and Iron Man in particular, and not just the obligatory Stan Lee appearance.
- Speaking of in-jokes, make sure you stay ’till the end of the credits for one of the coolest end ‘stingers’ ever!
- Recently a poll was done on ScienceBlogs about the best ‘pro-science’ movies. I’d like to think Iron Man has a place on the list!
Skulls in the Stars 
Dr. Skulls says: Now I’ve got this urge to head back to my childhood home and read them all again…
They are all packed and ready to go. Where do you want them sent?
“Where do you want them sent?”
I said that I want to read them in my childhood home; having them shipped to me would ruin the effect! 🙂
Iron Man was practically flawless as a super hero flick; it drops pretty obvious hints that would indicate a sequel as well… i’m thinking the next one should be equally great
patrick: Thanks for the comment! Here’s hoping that the sequel (which is now officially being planned, as I understand it) will be equally great!