Iron Man

PASSING THOUGHTS
I haven’t actually bought a DVD in a long time. Usually I just use RedBox when I do reviews, and it’s very rare for me to buy the DVD if I hadn’t given it much attention when it was in the theater. When I saw “Iron Man” back in May, I earmarked funds for the DVD release date, and yesterday I went ahead and bought the 2-disc version.

Why am I telling you this?

Eight weeks later I saw the much anticipated “Batman: Dark Knight”. It was a good, solid movie, but I don’t plan on picking up a copy when it comes out. I asked myself, “Why?” They’re both well-made comic book adaptations, they were both well received, and their protagonist and supporting characters closely parallel each other in many ways.

The answer came to me in a vision of two stone tablets sitting next to a burning bush. The tablets were titled: “Ten Reasons Why “Iron Man” Is Funner To Watch Than “Dark Knight””. Chalking the poor grammar up to sloppy shorthand, I pondered the comparisons and found there to be truth to them. Mind you, these aren’t reasons why Iron Man is better than Batman—in many ways the characters are knight and day, and it’s not fair to compare two different worlds. These are just the reasons why I actually want to watch “Iron Man” again—why it works as a DVD rental and not just a theater experience.

I. Better Butler
Batman has Alfred: An aging, fatherly figure who brings Bruce his meals and provides sentimental advice with a British accent. Iron Man has Jarvis: A state-of-the-art computer system that takes care of his mansion and doubles as the interface in the Iron Man suit. Bruce leaves Alfred behind when he goes to work, but the snazzy British accent accompanies/assists Tony, even when he’s in the heat of battle.

II. Behind Every Great Man…
Bruce has Rachel: An independent and self-assured professional who berates and judges him incessantly and ends up inhibiting Batman by making herself a target. Tony has Penny: An independent and self-assured professional who stands by him with unwavering loyalty and saves his life twice.

III. A Man’s Home
Bruce lives in a lavishly drab, contemporary, gothic mansion in one of the most depressing cities in the comic book universe; Batman operates out of a spartan cave with a leather chair and a PC. Tony lives in Malibu in a stunning cliffside mansion-of-the-future, complete with waterfalls and holographic windows; Iron Man works out of an immense lab with vintage cars, sentient robots, and what can only be described as one of the most elaborate computer systems seen onscreen.

IV. Public Speaking
When Batman talks, he sounds like he’s an avid smoker of 80 years—almost like a mix of James Earl Jones and a post-Scarface Al Pacino. When Iron Man talks, his voice is crisp and digital with a hint of inflection; a mix that represents a merging of man and machine.

V. Villain Velocity
When Batman hits someone, they crumple to the ground. When Iron Man hits someone, they fly through the air as if they have a propulsion system of their own.

VI. IQ to Shame Einstein
Bruce Wayne is a clever detective, able to follow clues and track down colorful villains. He also has the intelligence to utilize previously-invented technology for his cause and spray-paint it black. Tony Starks is a certified genius who built his first engine before puberty and who escaped from a cadre of terrorists using nothing but a paperclip, a blowtorch, and a few spare rocket parts.

VII. Radiant Centerpiece
Batman’s chest is adorned with a black bat that blends in with the rest of his ensemble and does little for his overall appearance. Iron Man’s chest is adorned with a miniature arc reactor that glows with the brilliance of 6 giga-joules per second.

VIII. Fire With Fire
Batman combats deadly force with fisticuffs and grappling hooks. He refuses to use guns, though he apparently has no qualms with packing a full arsenal on his vehicles. Iron Man combats deadly force with deadly force: big guns, little guns, even guns with laser-guided bullets. …And don’t forget the flame thrower…

IX. Best Dressed
Batman wears armor that costs approximately $300,000 that provides limited protection. Iron Man wears armor that costs $22 million (average cost of a fighter jet) that protects him from everything except bigger versions of himself.

X. For His Own Good
Batman is willing to sacrifice himself to spare the life of a mass murderer. Iron Man is willing to sacrifice himself to end the life of a mass murderer.

BASICS

Your Cup O’ Tea:
If you like action, superheroes, seamless CGI effects, engaging characters, and relatively straightforward plots that don’t require too much emotional or intellectual investment. In terms of comics-to-film, this is close to “Spiderman 2” and the “X-Men” franchise.

Steer Clear:
If you don’t like sci-fi or fantastic physics. If comics strike you as lame or uninteresting, this may not be worth a look. Also, “Iron Man” angles more towards the fun, visually-pleasing elements of the comic book genre; it doesn’t have the social and human exploration that “Batman: Dark Knight” does.

Nothing New Under the Sun:
This is a superhero movie, so it’s going to feel like many of the other superhero movies out there. There’s no new twist to take it in totally different direction, though the Iron Man character itself has never been presented like this before.

Buy or Rent:
BUY. Unless you’re pretty sure this isn’t your type of movie and you want to rent it just to see what the hype is about, you’ll probably want to watch it again. It doesn’t have the weight or length of an epic, so it’s easily something you could pop in and watch on a whim. There aren’t any dull scenes to slow the pacing down, and there are plenty of moments that are fun to revisit.

FEATURES

-Languages

-Scenes

-Deleted/Extended Scenes
Approx 24 minutes. There are 11 scenes total, and most of them are “deleted”. The ones that are extended are interesting to watch because they show footage from the movie without the sound effects, music, and green screen mapping, in addition to the extra material. There are a few throwaways here, but most of these scenes were cut because they didn’t work with the pacing of an action flick. If the movie was just about the life of billionaire Tony Starks, they would have been entertaining and probably would have made the final cut. There are also a few key scenes that answer questions (like what Rhodes was doing when Tony got ambushed) and clarify relationships (like a scene between Rhodes and General Gabriel where we find out just how much Rhodes put on the line to go looking for Tony). There’s even an alternate ending to the rooftop battle that is a combination of finished and incomplete footage. All in all, one of the better collections of omitted material I’ve seen.
DUH! FACTOR: 1 out of 10

-Iron Man: Armored Adventures
A brief preview of the new animated Iron Man.

-Previews
There are three: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (DVD), “Star Trek” (prequel teaser), and “Hulk”.

Woulda Been Nice: If there were more extras on the standard DVD. 24 minutes of pretty respectable footage is a nice bonus, but it doesn’t tap into any of the behind-the-scenes features. If you rent “Iron Man”, that’s all you’ll see. But if you buy the 2-disc version…

-I am Iron Man
Approx 196 minutes. This feature can be seen as a whole, or viewed in 7 parts. It’s essentially an all-out documentary on making the movie. It covers everything from pre-production negotiation to post-production reception speculation. There’s something for everyone here, although some parts may be tedious for anyone who isn’t interested in the film-making process. This is an exhaustive exploration that reminded me of the deluxe “Lord of the Rings” features. It taps into all aspects of the film, complete with interviews from director, actors, producers, writers, special effects personnel—everyone.
DUH! FACTOR: 0 out of 10

-The Invincible Iron Man
Approx 47 minutes. This is a feature for the fans of the Iron Man comic. Jim Lee talks about the conception and development, and the history of Tony Starks and his alter ego is meticulously unfolded and explored. Lots of visuals from the comics, interviews with Marvel artists, and discussions on how the comic was converted to the screen.
DUH! FACTOR: 1 out of 10

-Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man
Approx 27 minutes. Exactly as it sounds, this feature looks at the three different special effects companies that handled the visual effects. It discusses everything from the suit to the HUD (Head’s Up Display) inside the helmet. Again, very extensive and detailed with some good technical jargon and a real good look at the folks who invented/created the great visuals.
DUH! FACTOR: 0 out of 10

-Robert Downey Jr. Screen Test
Approx 6 minutes. Essentially this is Robert doing some of the scenes from the movie sans backgrounds, wardrobe, etc.., No bloopers really, but there is some ad-libbing and a variation on some of the lines from the movie. Amusing enough for what it is, though you might not make it through all six minutes.
DUH! FACTOR: 4 out of 10

-The Actor’s Process
Approx 4 minutes. This is a rehearsal with Jeff, John, and Robert. It shows them working through character motivation, action, dialogue, and interpretation during the scene where Obadiah tells Tony that he’s the one who cut Tony out of the company. Great to see for aspiring/current actors.
DUH! FACTOR: 0 out of 10

-The Onion: “Wildly Popular Iron Man Trailer To Be Adopted Into Full Length Film”
Approx 2.5 minutes. A news spoof between an anchor and his contact regarding making the Iron Man trailer into a film. It’s a humorous skit interspersed with clips from the trailer.
DUH! FACTOR: 2 out of 10

-Galleries
Concept Art, Tech, Unit Photography, Posters. Good art, but small and a bit of a pain to navigate through.