16 years ago today, the original Iron Man film was released in theaters. Nowadays, moviegoers remember the film as the first entry in the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the film received moderate praise upon its release, many fans have looked back to compare it to later films. With the once unstoppable franchise faltering at the box office, many fans wish to see where the series began.
Overall, the first Iron Man movie was a simple, well-made gem. It combined a strong lead, powerful story, and epic effects to create a classic superhero blockbuster. It helped cement Iron Man as a blockbuster franchise.
A Dark Horse Victory for Iron Man
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One of the most impressive aspects of the original Iron-Man was its victory against adversity. Firstly was the comeback of its lead star, Robert Downey Jr.. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the actor had numerous run-ins with the law and was even arrested for drug possession. However, Downey Jr. managed to capture a similar quest for redemption from a celebrity within this very film, giving life to his most iconic role.
The same could be said of director Jon Favreau. While he rose to fame by directing the classic Elf, he fell to the wayside after the disappointment that was Zathura. After the success of this film, Favreau returned to the map and went on to run the hit series, The Mandalorian.
Finally, there is the character of Iron Man himself. Prior to this film, Iron Man wasn’t nearly as popular as the likes of the X-Men or Spider-Man. However, after this film, Iron Man became not only the de facto main character of the MCU, but returned to being one of Marvel’s main mascots.
A Grounded and Practical Story
In modern Marvel, most of the films focus on cosmic stakes and battles. Because of this, they rarely feel grounded or real to audiences. However, the first entry in the MCU had a very simple story based in its time period. The first Iron Man drew heavily from the ongoing “War on Terror” and the military industrial complex. After nearly dying at the hands of his own weapon, Tony Stark grapples with his role and seeks to fix his mistakes.
Standing opposite to Stark is Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, representing who he could have become had he not learned the error of his ways. Additionally, without needing to follow a dozen other franchises, this story was not constrained by the need to set up a bunch of other stories. Here, it was a story that stood on its own while being part of a much larger universe. Audiences just didn’t know it yet.
Well-Aged Effects
Finally, the original Iron Man has aged well due to its visual effects. For many modern projects in the MCU, the visual effects were subject to harsh criticism, especially for She-Hulk and Thor: Love and Thunder. Even worse, many rumors emerged of Marvel overworking their artists, as an IndieWire article highlighted the shortcuts taken. This revealed the dangers of excessive content in a short time.
Iron Man, however, gave audiences wonderful VFX. The CGI has aged brilliantly through its depiction of all of the gadgets and mechanisms of the titular heroes suit. Because of this, the action feels far more real than in later films. Furthermore, the film received praise for its bombastic score from Game of Thrones and Pacific Rim composer Ramin Djawadi.
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