Reflections of a Hierophant: The Marvel Cinematic Universe Part 1 - Iron Man
In September 2006, the plans were set into motion by Marvel Studios for an Avengers film when they announced their plan to release films based around the main characters from “The Avengers,” establishing their identities and introducing them to audiences, finally merging them together for an Avengers movie. This is my Reflection on the first of said films based on the characters of The Avengers, “Iron Man.”
When discussing doing a series of Reflections of a Hierophant’s around the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Fearless Leader, the question was asked why I decided to do it, since I’m not a huge fan of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, or even Hulk. It wasn’t like I didn’t have any other projects I was working on (a series of FanCasts for the “Splinter Cell” series and a “Grayskull: Masters of the Universe” FanCast). Honestly, it was because I disliked my Reflection on “Thor” so much that I wanted to rewrite it. I thought, if I’m going to blow the dust off of Reflections of a Hierophant, I needed to do it right. And my review of “Thor” was a terrible return. So, here is the proper return of Reflections of a Hierophant with the first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Iron Man”…
It’s sure been a Hell of a journey for one of Marvel’s “B-List” properties(as most considered Iron Man prior to the 2008 release). Starting in 1990, when Universal Studios purchased the rights for the film adaptation of Iron Man, to 2004 when Marvel reacquired the rights for an Iron Man film, Tony Stark has been owned by 4 studios, had 4 Directors attached, and roughly 9 writers all to no avail. In 2006, with Jon Favreu (yes, Pete from “Friends”) at the helm, an Iron Man film had finally became a reality.
I’m sure that most think that, in the course of my research, I fumble across small roles that actors/directors/writers had in the past, and comment on them to make it seem that I’m a much bigger fan of said person than I truly am. This is never the case. I retain a ridiculous amount of knowledge that nobody should ever know, and Jon Favreu is no exception to this silly skill. Honestly, I didn’t know his name until “Elf” was released. So, when he was announced as the director of “Iron Man,” I wasn’t really confident that he could do it. Even though “Elf” was brilliant, it was a silly comedy, so there wasn’t really anything to go on. So, I had to wait until the film was released to praise Jon Favreu, or tear him apart.
One item that I found to be very promising was that, after being given the task of compiling the scripts written by Arthur Marcum and Matt Holloway as well as the scripts created by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, he brought in seasoned Comic Book writers Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, Joe Quesada, Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso, and Ralph Macchio (who I had to research to know he wasn’t “The Karate Kid”) to provide guidance with assembling said script. He imagined “Iron Man” as the “ultimate spy movie,” and stated that he was going to take an independent movie approach, citing “Batman Begins” as an inspiration, and stating that his “Iron Man” would be akin to if “Robert Altman had directed ’Superman.’” This is what really sold me on Mr. Favreu directing “Iron Man.” It showed great dedication to not only the source material, but fans of Iron Man. One of the best ideas Favreu had was to include small nods to the fans of Marvel Comics, something that has become a staple in the Marvel Studios films.
Obviously, some liberties had to be taken when crafting a believable story from the fantastic world Iron Man is set in. The most notable one was tweaking the origin of Iron Man. In the comics, Iron Man is birthed when Tony Stark is captured by a group led by Wong-Chu, a former commander for the Vietnamese congress. So, rather than doing a period piece, he changed the setting to Afghanistan. While I enjoyed this change, I expected an uproar. But, no cries of rage were heard. Instead, most, like myself, welcomed this change. When it came to choosing a villain, Favreu had a rough task. While most wanted to see the Mandarin challenge our hero, Jon felt Mandarin wouldn’t feel realistic. His feelings were cemented when Mark Millar gave his opinions on the script, saying that Mandarin would only work in a sequel with an altered tone. I did hear some outcries, which is understandable. I think most feared that “Iron Man” was going to borrow too much from the “Nolanverse,” which I thought too.
Looking back, I think the right choice was made, and a “Mandarin/Iron Man” face-off in a future installment will be an epic bit of film, thanks, in-part, to the wait fans have endured. All-in-all, Jon Favreu did a fantastic job with this movie. This is especially true if you take into account that Jon Favreu has never helmed an action movie before. While most blame Favreu for where they think “Iron Man 2” failed, I feel that’s misguided. Jon Favreu just created such a good CBM, that the sequel was doomed to pale in comparison.
I’m not a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, but was impressed with her in this movie. Paltrow really brought out the affection that Pepper Potts has for Tony Stark. There were moments in the movie that I forgot that it was only a film. Her performance wasn’t the best of the film, but was far from the “weakest link” that any film has. Unfortunately, that sad title belongs to Terrence Howard.
Believe me when I say that I was shocked to find out that Terrence Howard was the first signed for “Iron Man,” and also the highest paid. Don’t get me wrong, I think Terrence Howard is a decent actor, but, let’s face it: Terrence Howard is no Don Cheadle. With the clear exception being “Hustle & Flow,” Howard was plagued with the same fault that follows him in every role. Being so soft-spoken is fantastic for an actor who can turn it off, or knows when to. I’ve seen Terrence Howard cease the use of his annoying voice, so I know he can. But his voice makes it so hard to believe it when he’s supposed to be disgusted with Tony Stark‘s actions. I can’t doubt that Terrence Howard had the idea of the character down, but he just couldn’t pull it off 100% of the time. Moments of urgency, like when it’s revealed that Obadiah Stane is the reason Stark was kidnapped, he lacks the conviction in his voice to sell his worry. I’m sure most feel that me complaining about his vocals is silly, but when your voice doesn’t match your facial expressions, or even the moment, it nearly ruins the entire moment. Thank Odin for Robert Downey Jr.
I’ve got to admit, before this movie, I never really gave RDJ the time of day. His movies seemed like a waste of time, plus his dodgy past made me feel like he was a waste of time. I also couldn’t imagine RDJ as a superhero, or even an action star. Damn, was I wrong. At first glance, Tony Stark is a billionaire with all kinds of high-tech toys (*cough*Bruce Wayne*cough*) . But, when I researched the character, he’s so much more than just a billionaire bent on revenge (*cough*Bruce Wayne*cough*). The dynamic to who he is at the beginning of his journey, and the man he becomes at the end is incredible. He’s a man torn to shreds because he sees what “good” his weapons have done. Stark is forced to try to keep a brave face for the public’s eye, while falling apart on the inside. This is exactly why Robert Downey Jr. nailed this part. Not many actors have lived through what he’d done, which gives him the rare opportunity to bring both sides of said dichotomy to every role.
Not only did RDJ truly bring Tony Stark to life, he helped take the story and make you feel that all of this is a reality. I do mean figuratively AND literally. He had a great amount of input when it came to the movie in general that stayed in the final product (unlike Edward Norton with “The Incredible Hulk”). Something as small as using a sock to make tea while imprisoned went a long way to making this an incredibly believable story. But, what good is a hero without a competent and believable villain?
While Obadiah Stane was the planned villain for the sequel, and Crimson Dynamo was the early idea as the villain, that was quickly changed when Jeff Bridges (yes, the Dude) was cast. I’ve always been a fan of Bridges, but this movie was (in my opinion) one of his best. As with RDJ, Bridges brings the duality of Obadiah’s seemingly paternal feelings, but the ruthless tyrant that betrays our hero. If anything else I say is met with disagreement, the performances of both Jeff Bridges and Robert Downey Jr. can’t be called anything less than amazing. While the main villain of the film may have been Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, there was another, without whom we never would have seen the birth of Iron Man, Raza, the leader of the Ten Rings.
His role might have been small, but my favorite part of this movie was the subtle villainy that Faran Tahir brought to the movie in the form of Raza. I’m fairly confident that he’s being set-up as the Mandarin, Iron Man’s arch nemesis. A lot might not like it, but I really dig what they did with him. I’d compare it to how Senator Palpatine was introduced as a minor character in “The Phantom Menace.” And making the Ten Rings an organization, rather than 10 magical rings was brilliant. Of course, I’m sure that the literal 10 Rings will be brought in for “Iron Man 3,” seeing as the MCU has introduced magic into the equation now. I look forward to seeing Faran Tahir reprise his role, making for one of the best cinematic representations of any comic book villain.
I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t mention the beautiful backdrops. From Tony Stark’s incredible mansion to the cave he was imprisoned, we were treated to beautifully crafted sets. What I really loved about Tony Stark’s house was the high-tech gadgets that were incorporated into every bit of the house. While they were clearly present, they never felt gimmicky, which is something that I worried about a bit. While I am a huge fan of Stark’s abode, I’ve got to say that my favorite location had to be the cavern. It probably doesn’t seem like a big deal, but that they paid close enough attention to detail to recognize that caves, no matter where they are, are cold places. Most filmmakers would just say, “It’s in the desert, of course it should be sweltering,” It’s things like this that really bring the movie together and set it apart from most other CBMs.
I tried so very hard to find anything to pick on, but came up short. I could say something about the family in the SUV that Iron Man catches defying Sir Isaac Newton’s Universal Law of Gravity, but I will not be that nitpicky. “Iron Man” is easily one of the Top 5 CBMs ever, and I’m confident that most will echo my claim. This film is a breath of fresh air, avoiding the follies of other “first of a series” movies. It didn’t focus too much on the origin, but steered clear of turning this into a Michael Bay film. What’s even more impressive is that the script had yet to be completed. Filming started with nothing more than an outline and the action beats written, leading to a great deal of improvisation from the actors delivering the lines. This is yet another reason this is an incredible and organic-feeling film. From the beautiful settings, the extraordinary performances, and the incredible story, this film is a must-see for movie and comic books alike.
The next order of business will be a Reflection on the sequel and, according to cinematic canon, the next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Iron Man 2.” Leave your comments in the usual place. And, until then, take care. I will see you in the future…