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==Plot==
==Plot==
<!-- SPOILER ALERT The Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Style guidelines recommend that the plot summary be kept under 700 words. And the Wikipedia:Spoiler guideline recommends that spoiler warnings not be inserted into articles.-->
<!-- SPOILER ALERT The Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Style guidelines recommend that the plot summary be kept under 700 words. And the Wikipedia:Spoiler guideline recommends that spoiler warnings not be inserted into articles.-->
During a business trip to [[Afghanistan]] to demonstrate [[Stark Industries]]' new weapon, the "Jericho missile" [[cluster bomb]], [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]]'s convoy is attacked and he is kidnapped by the terrorist group Ten Rings, who order him to build a Jericho missile for them. While pretending to do so over the next three months, he and fellow captive Dr. [[Yinsen]] build a crude but strong [[Iron Man's armor#Live-action film|power armor]] fueled by a miniature "arc reactor", a fictional power source Stark invents. The arc reactor supplies energy to an electromagnet which prevents embedded shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart. Dr. Yinsen is killed in the ensuing escape attempt when he stalls the guards to buy Stark enough time to power the suit. Using the built-in weapons in his suit, Stark defeats several terrorists, destroys their weapons stockpile, and escapes, though his suit is destroyed as he crashlands in the desert. Upon being picked up by the Air Force and returning to the United States, Stark declares that his company will no longer manufacture weapons, a move which his business partner, [[Obadiah Stane]], tells him is blocked by the board members shortly after.
During a business trip to [[Afghanistan]] to demonstrate [[Stark Industries]]' new weapon, the "Jericho missile" [[cluster bomb]], [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]]'s convoy is attacked and he is kidnapped by the terrorist group Ten Rings, who order him to build a Jericho missile for them. While pretending to do so over the next three months, he and fellow captive [[Yinsen|Dr. Yinsen]] build a crude but strong [[Iron Man's armor#Live-action film|power armor]] fueled by a miniature "arc reactor", a fictional power source Stark invents. The arc reactor supplies energy to an electromagnet which prevents embedded shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart. Dr. Yinsen is killed in the ensuing escape attempt when he stalls the guards to buy Stark enough time to power the suit. Using the built-in weapons in his suit, Stark defeats several terrorists, destroys their weapons stockpile, and escapes, though his suit is destroyed as he crashlands in the desert. Upon being picked up by the Air Force and returning to the United States, Stark declares that his company will no longer manufacture weapons, a move which his business partner, [[Obadiah Stane]], tells him is blocked by the board members shortly after.


During his self-imposed sabbatical from public life, Stark tinkers with the design of his power suit, slimming it down and refining its flight capability. He also builds a more powerful and reliable arc reactor to power both his pacemaker and the suit. During his first public appearance since his announcement, he is shown pictures of Stark Industries weapons in the hands of terrorist groups, including the Jericho missiles he refused to build for them. He also discovers that Stane has been supplying weapons to both the U.S. troops and the terrorists, as well as being the one to shut Stark out of the board while he recovers. Faced with the realization of what his company has done, Stark dons the power suit and flies to Afghanistan, rescuing Yinsen's village from the Ten Rings. In destroying their weapon stockpiles, he accidentally draws the attention of the [[United States Air Force]] and his friend and company military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel [[War Machine|James Rhodes]], who handles USAF weapons development.
During his self-imposed sabbatical from public life, Stark tinkers with the design of his power suit, slimming it down and refining its flight capability. He also builds a more powerful and reliable arc reactor to power both his pacemaker and the suit. During his first public appearance since his announcement, he is shown pictures of Stark Industries weapons in the hands of terrorist groups, including the Jericho missiles he refused to build for them. He also discovers that Stane has been supplying weapons to both the U.S. troops and the terrorists, as well as being the one to shut Stark out of the board while he recovers. Faced with the realization of what his company has done, Stark dons the power suit and flies to Afghanistan, rescuing Yinsen's village from the Ten Rings. In destroying their weapon stockpiles, he accidentally draws the attention of the [[United States Air Force]] and his friend and company military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel [[War Machine|James Rhodes]], who handles USAF weapons development.

Revision as of 23:23, 8 May 2008

Iron Man
File:Ironmanposter.JPG
Theatrical Poster
Directed byJon Favreau
Written byScreenplay:
John August
(uncredited)
Mark Fergus
Hawk Ostby
Arthur Marcum
Matthew Hollaway
Comic Book:
Stan Lee
Larry Lieber
Don Heck
Jack Kirby
Produced byAvi Arad
Kevin Feige
StarringRobert Downey Jr.
Terrence Howard
Gwyneth Paltrow
Jeff Bridges
CinematographyMatthew Libatique
Edited byDan Lebental
Music byRamin Djawadi
Distributed byUnited States: Paramount Pictures
Release dates
Global:
April 30 2008
Australia:
United States:
United Kingdom:
May 2, 2008
Running time
126 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$135 million[1]

Iron Man is a 2008 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Iron Man. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and master engineer who is captured by terrorists in Afghanistan. Ordered to build a missile for them, Stark uses his resources instead to build a powered exoskeleton to make his escape. Returning to the United States, Stark improves his armor and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow plays his personal assistant Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard plays jet pilot James Rhodes and Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane.

The film was in development from 1990 at Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, and New Line Cinema, before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2006. They put the project in production as their first self-financed film. Favreau signed on as director, aiming for a naturalistic feel, and he chose to shoot the film primarily in California, rejecting the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous superhero movies set in New York City-esque environments. During filming, the actors were free to create their own dialogue (an uncommon practice in other big-budget films) because preproduction was focused on the story and action. Rubber and metal versions of the armors, created by Stan Winston's company, were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character.

Marvel and Paramount Pictures, the distributor, planned a $50 million marketing campaign for the film, which is modeled on Paramount's successful promotion of Transformers (2007); Hasbro and Sega will sell merchandise, and product placement deals were made with Audi, Burger King, Royal Purple, and 7-Eleven. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, particularly praising Downey's performance. The film's stars have signed on for two sequels, the first of them scheduled for release on April 30, 2010, and Downey also cameos as Stark in the upcoming The Incredible Hulk.

Plot

During a business trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate Stark Industries' new weapon, the "Jericho missile" cluster bomb, Tony Stark's convoy is attacked and he is kidnapped by the terrorist group Ten Rings, who order him to build a Jericho missile for them. While pretending to do so over the next three months, he and fellow captive Dr. Yinsen build a crude but strong power armor fueled by a miniature "arc reactor", a fictional power source Stark invents. The arc reactor supplies energy to an electromagnet which prevents embedded shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart. Dr. Yinsen is killed in the ensuing escape attempt when he stalls the guards to buy Stark enough time to power the suit. Using the built-in weapons in his suit, Stark defeats several terrorists, destroys their weapons stockpile, and escapes, though his suit is destroyed as he crashlands in the desert. Upon being picked up by the Air Force and returning to the United States, Stark declares that his company will no longer manufacture weapons, a move which his business partner, Obadiah Stane, tells him is blocked by the board members shortly after.

During his self-imposed sabbatical from public life, Stark tinkers with the design of his power suit, slimming it down and refining its flight capability. He also builds a more powerful and reliable arc reactor to power both his pacemaker and the suit. During his first public appearance since his announcement, he is shown pictures of Stark Industries weapons in the hands of terrorist groups, including the Jericho missiles he refused to build for them. He also discovers that Stane has been supplying weapons to both the U.S. troops and the terrorists, as well as being the one to shut Stark out of the board while he recovers. Faced with the realization of what his company has done, Stark dons the power suit and flies to Afghanistan, rescuing Yinsen's village from the Ten Rings. In destroying their weapon stockpiles, he accidentally draws the attention of the United States Air Force and his friend and company military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, who handles USAF weapons development.

Determined to make amends for his mistakes, Stark sends his assistant Pepper Potts to find the shipping records of Stark Industries, so he can track down the illicit shipments and destroy them. While hacking into the system she discovers that it was Stane who hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark, but they had reneged on the deal when they realized who the target was. She also discovers that Stane has recovered the power suit prototype and has reverse engineered his own version. Stane, upon realizing Pepper's discovery, steals Stark's arc reactor from his chest to power his new suit, leaving Stark for dead. Using his first reactor, which was not designed to power his latest armor, Stark does battle with Stane atop Stark Industries and the surrounding streets, defeating him when the larger arc reactor that powers the lab is deliberately overloaded under Stark's instruction by Potts. Stark barely makes it out alive when his reactor almost fails completely, but reactivates. Afterwards, Stark holds a press conference where his government contacts expect him to state that the armor was piloted by an unidentified "bodyguard" (his cover story in many of the comics). However, he instead makes his identity public. After the credits, Nick Fury visits Stark to scold him for this action and inform him of the Avenger Initiative.

Cast

Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark / Iron Man: Favreau had planned to cast a newcomer in the role,[2] but ultimately chose Downey (a fan of the comic)[3] because he felt the actor's past, including cocaine abuse, made him an appropriate choice for the part. "The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye," the director explained. "He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic-book character who is having trouble in high school, or can't get the girl."[3] Favreau also felt Downey could make Stark a "likable asshole", but also depict an authentic emotional journey once he won over the audience.[4]

Downey had an office next to Favreau during pre-production, which allowed him greater involvement in the screenwriting process.[5] He brought a deeper sense of humor to the film not present in previous drafts of the script.[6] He explained, "What I usually hate about these [superhero] movies [is] when suddenly the guy that you were digging turns into Dudley Do-Right, and then you're supposed to buy into all his 'Let's go do some good!' That Eliot Ness-in-a-cape-type thing. What was really important to me was to not have him change so much that he's unrecognizable. When someone used to be a schmuck and they're not anymore, hopefully they still have a sense of humor."[7] To prepare, Downey spent five days a week weight training and practiced martial arts to get into shape,[3] which benefitted him because "it's hard not to have a personality meltdown [...] after about several hours in that suit. I'm calling up every therapeutic moment I can think of to just get through the day."[8]

Terrence Howard plays Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes: A pilot friend of Stark, and the liaison between Stark Industries and the military in the department of acquisitions. Favreau cast Howard because he felt he could play War Machine in a sequel.[9] Howard and his father are Iron Man fans, partly because Rhodes was one of the few black superheroes when he was a child.[10] While Rhodes is roguish in the comics after he met Stark, his earlier disciplinarian character forms a dynamic with Stark, and he is unsure whether Stark's actions are acceptable. "Rhodey is completely disgusted with the way Tony has lived his life, but at a certain point he realizes that perhaps there is a different way," Howard said. "Whose life is the right way; is it the strict military life, or the life of an independent?"[8]

Howard prepared for the role by visiting Nellis Air Force Base on March 16, 2007, where he ate with the pilots and observed HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and F-22 Raptors.[11] He was a Downey fan since he saw him in Weird Science, and they competed physically on set: "Robert and his competitive ass almost tore my shoulder trying to keep up with him. Because I'm forty or fifty pounds heavier than him, so I'm in there lifting and I pushed up about 225 and knocked it out ten times. Robert wanted to go about 235, and he did it. So I'm going to push it up to about 245. I took him out running and gave him some nice cramps. He couldn't walk after a couple of days."[12]

Gwyneth Paltrow plays Virginia "Pepper" Potts: Stark's personal secretary and budding love interest. Paltrow asked Marvel to send her any comics that they would consider relevant to her understanding of the character, which she considered to be very smart, very levelheaded, grounded, and she liked "the fact that there's a sexuality that's not blatant." Jon Favreau wanted Potts' and Stark's relationship to be reminiscent of a 1940s comedy, something which Paltrow considered to be fun in a sexy yet innocent way.[13]

Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane: Second-in-command at Stark Industries, who wants control of the company. When Stark declares he'll no longer manufacture arms, Stane steals the blueprints for the Mark I armor to create his own, bigger version. Bridges read the comics as a boy and liked Favreau's modern, realistic approach. He shaved his hair and grew a gray beard for the role, which was something he had wanted to do for some time. Bridges googled the Book of Obadiah, and he was surprised to learn retribution is a major theme in that particular book of the Bible, something which Stane represents.[14]

Shaun Toub plays Dr. Yinsen: Stark's fellow captive in Afghanistan. He is a surgeon who has traveled the world and was kidnapped by the Ten Rings terrorist group. He saves Stark from death when Stark was injured by shrapnel, and used an electromagnet to suspend the shards he couldn't remove, lest they cause fatal damage to Stark's heart. He assists Stark in creating the Mark I and keeping it a secret from their captors.[14] He also acts as Stark's mentor, showing him humility during their time together, and his death being one of the principal reasons behind Stark's decision to change the direction of his company. In the comics, Yinsen was Chinese, but in the film, he comes from an Afghan village called Gulmira.

Faran Tahir plays Raza: A terrorist hired by Stane to capture Stark, who then orders Stark to build a Stark Industries missile system for his organization, the Ten Rings. Tahir is an Iron Man reader,[14] and wanted to bring humanity to the henchman. "I tried to find ways to show that although he may be the bad guy, there might be a moment or just a hint of vulnerability at times, where he hasn't made the right calculations or there's a certain amount of doubt. Jon was very receptive to that kind of layering."[15]

Paul Bettany voices Jarvis, Stark's personal AI, which assists him in the construction and programming of the Iron Man suit. The name of the character is a reference to the comic book character Edwin Jarvis, Stark's butler.

Leslie Bibb plays Christine Everhart: A Vanity Fair columnist whom Stark sleeps with before he leaves for Afghanistan. Later, she appears again, to tell Stark of the Ten Rings in Gulmira and at the end, suspecting Stark of being Iron Man.

Cameos include Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee (whom Stark mistakes for Hugh Hefner at a party),[16] and director Jon Favreau as Stark's bodyguard/chauffeur Happy Hogan.[6] Ghostface Killah cameoed in a scene where Stark briefly stays in Dubai while returning to Afghanistan, but it was cut for pacing reasons.[17] Hilary Swank reportedly had a cameo in the film,[18] but this was revealed to be part of a disinformation campaign by Favreau designed to keep "website guessers at bay".[19] Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who provides additional guitar music for the film, has a brief cameo as a guard. Clark Gregg appears throughout the film as Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Samuel L. Jackson appears as their head Nick Fury following the credits. Jim Cramer, star of CNBC's "Mad Money" also appeared as himself as he commented on the investment opportunities ("Sell, Sell, Sell") of Stark Industries.

Production

Development

In April 1990, Universal Studios bought the rights to develop Iron Man for the big screen.[20] Stuart Gordon was to direct Universal's low-budget film.[8] By February 1996, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights from Universal.[21] In January 1997, actor Nicolas Cage expressed interest in being cast for the lead role,[22] and in September 1998, actor Tom Cruise had expressed interest in producing as well as starring in the film debut of Iron Man.[23] Jeff Vintar and Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee co-wrote a story which Vintar adapted into a screenplay. Jeffrey Caine (GoldenEye) rewrote Vintar's script.[24] Director Quentin Tarantino was approached in October 1999 to write and direct Iron Man.[25] With no deal made, Fox eventually sold the rights to New Line Cinema the following December.[26] By July 2000, the film was being written for the studio[27] by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio,[24] and Tim McCanlies.[28] McCanlies's script used the idea of an Ultimate Nick Fury cameo to set up his own film.[24] New Line entered talks with Joss Whedon, a fan of the character Iron Man, in June 2001 for the possibility of the director taking the helm.[29] In December 2002, McCanlies had turned in a completed script.[30]

"We worked with Michael Crichton's researchers to find a grounded realistic way to deal with the suit. The idea was he needed the suit to stay alive. He’s the same guy we used with Spider-Man 2 to come up with Doc Ock's inhibitor chips and what the arms are made of and how they work. [...] Mandarin was an Indonesian terrorist who masqueraded as a rich playboy who Tony knew."

—Alfred Gough on his draft for Nick Cassavetes's and New Line's aborted version[31]

In December 2004, the studio attached director Nick Cassavetes to the project for a target 2006 release.[32] After two years of unsuccessful development, and the deal with director Cassavetes falling through, New Line Cinema returned the film rights to Marvel. Screenplay drafts had been written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and David Hayter, but they were not retained. New Line's script pitted Iron Man against his father, who becomes War Machine.[33] In November 2005, Marvel Studios worked to start development from scratch,[34] and announced it as their first independent feature, as Iron Man was their only major character not depicted in live action.[5]

In April 2006, Jon Favreau became the film's director, with Arthur Marcum and Matt Holloway writing the script.[35] Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby worked separately, with Favreau compiling both team's scripts,[36] and the script received a polish by John August.[37] Comic book staff Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, Joe Quesada, Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso and Ralph Macchio were also summoned by Favreau to give advice on the script.[38]

Favreau had wanted to work with Marvel producer Avi Arad on another film after the Daredevil adaptation.[5] Favreau celebrated getting the job by going on a diet, and lost seventy pounds.[8] The director found the opportunity to create a politically ambitious "ultimate spy movie" in Iron Man, citing inspiration from Tom Clancy, James Bond and RoboCop.[39] Favreau also described his approach as similar to an independent film, "[i]f Robert Altman had directed Superman",[5] and also cited Batman Begins as an inspiration.[40] He wanted to make Iron Man a story of an adult man literally reinventing himself, and realizing the world is far more complex than he believes.[41] Favreau changed the Vietnam War origin of the character to Afghanistan, as he did not want to do a period piece.[9]

Choosing a villain was difficult, because Favreau felt Iron Man's nemesis the Mandarin would not feel realistic, especially after Mark Millar gave his opinion on the script.[38] He felt only in a sequel, with an altered tone, would the fantasy of the Mandarin's rings be appropriate.[42] The decision to push him into the background is comparable to Sauron in The Lord of the Rings,[40] and Palpatine in the original Star Wars film.[42] Favreau also wanted Iron Man to face a giant enemy, akin to RoboCop 2,[6] The switch from Mandarin to Obadiah Stane was done after Bridges was cast.[17] Stane was intended to become a villain in the sequel.[38] Crimson Dynamo was also a villain in early drafts in the script.[6]

Filming

Production was based in the former Hughes Company soundstages in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California.[43] Favreau rejected the East Coast setting of the comic books as many superhero films were set there, and he wanted to avoid repetition in his film.[9] Hughes was one of the inspirations for the comic book, and the filmmakers acknowledged the coincidence that they would film Iron Man creating the flying Mark III where the Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose" was built.[14]

Filming began on March 12 2007,[44] with the first few weeks spent on Stark's captivity in Afghanistan.[45] The cave where Stark is imprisoned was a 150-200 yard (150-200 m) long set, which was built with movable forks in the caverns to allow greater freedom for the film's crew.[9] Production designer J. Michael Riva saw footage of a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, and saw the cold breath as he spoke: realizing remote caves are actually very cold, Riva placed an air conditioning system in the set. He also sought Downey's advice about make-shift objects in prison, such as a sock being used to make tea. All this created greater authenticity.[14] Afterwards, Stark's capture was filmed at Lone Pine, and other exterior scenes in Afghanistan were filmed at Olancha Sand Dunes. There, the crew had to endure two days of 40 to 60-mile an hour (60 to 100 km/h) winds.[14]

Filming at Edwards Air Force Base began in mid-April,[46] and was completed on May 2.[47] Exterior shots of Stark's home were digitally composited on footage of Point Dume in Malibu,[17] while the interior was built at Playa Vista, where Favreau and Riva aimed to make Stark's home look less futuristic and more "grease monkey".[14] Filming concluded on June 25 2007 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.[48] Favreau, a newcomer to action films, remarked "I'm shocked that I [was] on schedule. I thought that there were going to be many curveballs." He hired "people who are good at creating action", so "the human story [felt] like it belongs to the comic book genre".[8]

There was much improvisation in dialogue scenes, because the script was not done when filming began (the filmmakers had focused on the story making sense and planning the action). Favreau acknowledged this would make the film feel more natural though. Some scenes were shot with two cameras to capture lines said on the spot. Multiple takes were done as Downey wanted to try something new.[17] It was Downey's idea to have Stark hold a news conference on the floor,[8] and he created the speech Stark makes when demonstrating the "Jericho".[4]

When shooting the Nick Fury cameo, Brian Michael Bendis had written three pages of dialogue for the scene, the best lines of which the filmmakers chose.[38] The cameo was filmed with a skeleton crew in order to keep it a secret, but rumours appeared on the internet only days later. Marvel Studios's Kevin Feige subsequently ordered the scene deleted from all preview prints in order to maintain the surprise and keep fans guessing.[49]

Effects

File:Ironmonger 2008film.jpg
A scale model of the "Iron Monger" suit

Favreau wanted the film to be believable by showing the construction of the suit in its three stages.[9] Stan Winston, a fan of the comic book, and his company built metal and rubber versions of the armors. They had previously worked on Favreau's Zathura.[14] Favreau's main concern with the effects was whether the transition between the computer-generated and practical costumes would be too obvious.[50] Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) was hired to create the bulk of the visual effects with additional work being completed by The Orphanage and The Embassy; Favreau trusted ILM after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Transformers.[14]

The Mark I design was intended to look like it was built from spare parts: particularly, the back is less armored than the front, as Stark would use his resources to make a forward attack. It also foreshadows the design of Stane's armor. A single 90 pounds (41 kg) version was built, causing concern when a stuntman fell over inside it. Fortunately, it was not damaged. The armor was also designed to only have its top half worn at times.[14] The Embassy created a digital version of the Mark I.[51] Stan Winston Studios built a 10 feet (3.0 m), 800 pounds (360 kg) animatronic version of the comic character "Iron Monger" (Obadiah Stane),[14] a name which Obadiah Stane calls Tony Stark and himself earlier in the film. The animatronic required five operators for the arm, and was built on a gimbal to simulate walking.[14] A scale model was used for the shots of it being built.[17]

The Mark II resembles an airplane prototype, with visible flaps.[17] Iron Man comic book artist Adi Granov designed the Mark III with Phil Saunders.[52] Granov's designs were the primary inspiration for the film's design, and he came on board the film after he recognized his work on Jon Favreau's MySpace page.[40] Saunders streamlined Granov's concept art, making it stealthier and less cartoonish in its proportions.[14] Sometimes, Downey would only wear the helmet, sleeves and chest of the costume over a motion capture suit.[14] For shots of the Mark III flying, it was animated to look realistic by taking off slowly, and landing quickly. To generate shots of Iron Man and the F-22 Raptors battling, cameras were flown in the air to provide reference for physics, wind and frost on the lenses.[53] For further study of the physics of flying, skydivers were filmed in a vertical wind tunnel.[54]

Music

See also: Iron Man (soundtrack)

Composer Ramin Djawadi is an Iron Man fan, and still has comic book issues from the late 1970s. While he normally composes after watching an assembly cut, Djawadi began work after seeing the teaser trailer. Favreau clearly envisioned a focus on "heavy" guitar in the score, and Djawadi composed the music on that instrument before arranging it for orchestra. The composer said Downey's performance inspired the several Iron Man themes (for his different moods), as well as Stark's playboy leitmotif. Djawadi's favorite of the Iron Man themes is the "kickass" because of its "rhythmic pattern that is a hook on its own. Very much like a machine." The other themes are "not so much character based, but rather plot based that carry you through the movie".[55] Guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave contributed (credited) additional guitar work to the movie's soundtrack.

Release

The premiere was held at the Greater Union theater at George Street, Sydney, on April 14 2008.[56] The film was released worldwide between April 30 and May 3, 2008 (except Japan, which will receive the film in September).[19]

Marketing

Marvel and Paramount are modeling their marketing campaign for Iron Man on that of Transformers.[57] Sega will release a video game based on the film as well as the classic iterations of the character.[58] A 30-second spot for the film played during a Super Bowl XLII break.[59] Close to the film's release an "audio re-mix" trailer was released by British DJs Addictive TV who created an original song using audio cues from scenes of the film.[60] 6400 7-Eleven stores in the United States helped to promote the film, and LG Group has also made a deal with Paramount.[57] Hasbro has created figures of the Mark I and Mark III armor, as well as Titanium Man (who appears in the video game) and the World War Hulk armor.[61]

Worldwide, Burger King and Audi will help promote the film. Jon Favreau was set to direct a commercial for the fast-food chain, as Michael Bay did for Transformers.[57] In the film, Tony Stark drives an Audi R8, and also has an "American cheeseburger" from Burger King after his rescue from Afghanistan, as part of the studio's product placement deal with the respective companies. Three other vehicles, the Audi S6 sedan, Audi S5 sports coupe and the Audi Q7 SUV, also appear in the film.[62] Audi will also create a tie-in website, as General Motors did for Transformers.[57] Oracle Corporation also promoted it on their site.[63] Estimates for the cost of marketing Iron Man ranged from US$50 to to $75 million.[64]

Reception

Iron Man received generally positive reviews from fans and critics alike. As of May 7, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 93% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 177 reviews, with the consensus that "even non-comics fans can enjoy this smart, high impact superhero movie". Rotten Tomatoes "Top Critics" gave the film a 91% positive ratio[65] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 78 out of 100, based on 37 reviews.[66] The movie received an average score of 80.1% from 63 film critics according to Movie Tab.[67]

Among the major trade journals, Todd McCarthy in Variety called the film an "expansively entertaining special effects extravaganza" with "fresh energy and stylistic polish",[68] while Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film while nonetheless finding "disappointment [in] a climactic battle between different Iron Man prototypes [...] how did Tony's nemesis learn how to use the suit?"[69] In one of the first major-daily newspaper reviews, Frank Lovece of Newsday lauded the film's "emotional truth [...] pitch-perfect casting and plausibly rendered super-science" that made it "faithful to the source material while updating it – and recognizing what's made that material so enduring isn't just the high-tech cool of a man in a metal suit, but the human condition that got him there".[70] A.O. Scott of the New York Times called the film “ an unusually good superhero picture. Or at least — since it certainly has its problems — a superhero movie that’s good in unusual ways.”[71]

Among the specialty press, Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons commended the "impressive sets and mechanics that combine smoothly with relatively seamless CG", and said, "Robert Downey Jr., along with director Jon Favreau [...] help this rise above formula. The result is something that, whilst hardly original or groundbreaking, is nevertheless refreshing in its earnestness to avoid dark dramatic stylings in favor of an easy-going, crowd-pleasing action movie with a sprinkle of anti-war and redemption themes".[72] IGN's Todd Gilchrist recognized Downey as "the best thing" in a film that "functions on autopilot, providing requisite story developments and character details to fill in this default 'origin story' while the actors successfully breathe life into their otherwise conventional roles".[73]

Among major metropolitan weeklies, David Edelstein of New York magazine called the film "a shapely piece of mythmaking [...] Favreau doesn't go in for stylized comic-book frames, at least in the first half. He gets real with it — you’d think you were watching a military thriller",[74] while conversely, David Denby of The New Yorker, in a negative review, found "a slightly depressed, going-through-the-motions feel to the entire show [...] Gwyneth Paltrow, widening her eyes and palpitating, can't do much with an antique role as Stark's girl Friday, who loves him but can't say so; Terrence Howard, playing a military man who chases around after Stark, looks dispirited and taken for granted".[75]

Box office

In its opening weekend, Iron Man grossed $98,618,668 in 4,105 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #1 at the box office,[76][77] making it the tenth-biggest movie opening weekend of all time,[78] ninth widest release in terms of theaters,[79] and the highest-grossing opening weekend of 2008. It grossed $35.2 million on its first day, making it the 13th-biggest opening day.[80] Iron Man had the second-best premiere ever for a non-sequel, coming behind Spider-Man. It had the fourth-biggest opening for a superhero movie.[81]

As of May 6 2008, Iron Man has grossed $214.7 million worldwide — $115.6 million in the United States and Canada and $99.1 million[82] in 57 other countries.[81]

Sequels

Jon Favreau planned Iron Man as the first in a trilogy, and has signed on all the original actors.[9] The day following the first film's highly successful opening weekend, Marvel Entertainment announced a release date of April 30, 2010, for Iron Man 2.[83] Favreau feels depicting Iron Man's nemesis, the Mandarin, who was created as a metaphor for communism, will be challenging, as he finds the character dated.[4] He also wants to streamline the effort it takes for Stark to put on his armor, considering the "assembly line" effort he makes in the first film.[53] Terrence Howard said he would like to follow the slow arc of the comics with Rhodes temporarily becoming Iron Man while Stark succumbs to alcohol, joking, "I don't want to introduce War Machine too early for my own monetary benefit."[84]

Favreau believes the sequel will allow a latitude in tone,[4] and explore darker story elements such as alcoholism, which he intentionally set aside from the first film.[2] Downey noted "the next one is about what do you do with the rest of your life once you've completely changed. [...] I think the drinking and all that stuff would be a good way to confront his age, to confront his doubts, to confront the fact that maybe Pepper gets a boyfriend." Downey and Favreau met with Shane Black, who suggested they model Stark on Robert Oppenheimer, who became depressed with being "the destroyer of worlds" after working on the Manhattan Project.[85]

Downey will make a cameo appearance as Stark in The Incredible Hulk,[86] while Favreau has expressed interest in directing Downey as the character in The Avengers (planned for 2011).[87] The director considers The Avengers as the third film; "It's very difficult to keep these franchises from running out of gas after two [movies]. The high point seems to be the second one, judging by history: If you just look at the consensus in the reviews, you see that X-Men 2 and Spider-Man 2 are sort of seen by the fans as the sort of high point of both franchises, though I don't necessarily agree with that. But to be able to fold it into an Avengers is something you just couldn't do in another studio, and I think what Marvel is about is stuff you can't do at a bigger studio."[49]

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Further reading

External links

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