Iron Man, Iron Man, does whatever an iron can

[dreamer_easy]

Iron Man brought the lulz. Also squee. You young whippersnappers probably didn't spot a jazzed-up version of the old cartoon theme in the casino, not recognise the awesome guitarage over the end credits.

Took me a while to recognise Jeff Bridges. Never did recognise Gwyneth Paltrow. I just can't tell actresses apart. Didn't pick Paul Bettany, either. Sigh.

Best end credit:
AHMED... Ahmed Ahmed

Comments

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Haven't had a chance to digest it fully, but I can say that when the Ten Rings baddies first turned up, ranting in Arabic and making a hostage video, I got a bit nervous that we were in for some bashing of Muslim Terrorists yadda yadda yadda. The film quickly took a different direction, though. I was surprised by its political forthrightness. What'd you think?

[alawston.livejournal.com]

I was relieved when the focus of the film changed to naughty corporate people, because the Afghan fighters were TOTALLY the Terrorists from Team America only without the irony.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

The trouble and misery was being caused, of course, by a synergy between the warlords and the war profiteers. For a superhero movie to manage that level of sophistication was pretty surprising. (It also gave us the striking image of Tony Stark as the angel of death, "wings" of dust flying up behind his outstretched arms.)

[jebni.livejournal.com]

While I enjoyed the movie and loved loved loved RDJ, I thought it was kinda like having your cake and eating it -- I didn't feel that the plot machinations undid the viscerality of the crazy Muslim/Arab Terrorist stereotypes (which, of course, included your classic "good native"). And ironically, I think the reference points were too close to reality to have much clout as a critical allegory. Within the confines of a respectable narrative, it could only do so much -- e.g. the arming of warlords needs to eventually be explained as Obidiah being an evil rogue -- an exception, rather than something that's been systematically pursued by various governments and arms corporations.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

All good points. It does shift the blame from guvmint to naughty companies. And it does bear more than a passing resemblance to numerous episodes of the "The A-Team" - construction sequence defeats fanatical dusky militia. (Your point about the "good native" clarifies why Yensin was changed from Chinese(?), although I think that had already been done in the comics and the film just borrowed it.)

One thing I did appreciate was that the Ten Rings guys were thugs doing business, not religious madmen who Hate Our Freedom.