Variety reviews Iron Man
April 27, 2008
If “Iron Man” delivers on the prognostications, the first summer blockbuster of 2008 will see several participants emerge with new cachet. First among them will be Robert Downey Jr., who has signed to play billionaire inventor Tony Stark and his superhero alter ego Iron Man in two sequels.
No one doubted Downey’s gift of gab, comedy and sex appeal. But now, he seems to have put his demons behind him and reached that magical moment when an edgy character actor acquires a certain stature. Having been nominated for an Oscar (for “Chaplin”) but never having carried a blockbuster, Downey may see “Iron Man” and “Tropic Thunder,” the comedy bowing later this summer, push him into real movie stardom.
Also coming out way ahead is actor-writer-director Jon Favreau, who showcased his chops with his 2003 breakout holiday comedy “Elf” and emerged from the B.O. disappointment “Zathura” with a solid understanding of the f/x process. Favreau now looks to ascend to the ranks of top-tier in-demand directors.
That’s because he can write and direct with equal measures of humor and weight, elicit strong perfs from actors, and deliver warm, stylish, accessible, hip mainstream entertainment. That kind of filmmaker doesn’t come along every day.
Paramount had him attached to launch another possible franchise for the studio, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Princess of Mars,” but then-studio chief Gail Berman passed on renewing the option. (Pixar snapped it up.) Favreau quickly chased after “Iron Man,” one of his fave comics.
Via Variety
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