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Movie review: Batman - The Dark Knight |
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Written by Lisa Miller/special to the World
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Tuesday, 22 July 2008 |
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Flying above lofty expectations
(Ratings are out of four stars)
THE DARK KNIGHT
(2008)
* * * *
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall
Warner/Rated PG-13/Action, Fantasy/152 mins
Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker — discomforting as a school girl’s nervous laugh — is the most outstanding feature of Christopher Nolan’s mesmerizing “Batman” sequel. From his seat atop the pit of hell, the marvelously twisted Joker pursues his diabolical heart’s desire. He’s the ultimate terrorist, wreaking havoc for the sake of watching others sink to new lows. To achieve anarchy, The Joker happily burns a mountain of money, but to worm his way into Batman’s psyche, the Joker will burrow deep into the caped crusader’s emotional world.
 “Dark Knight” aptly describes Christopher Nolan’s sordid second chapter. He, and his co-writing brother, Jonathan, depict one evil man’s efforts to infect the minds of ordinary people with hate. Director Nolan has not forsaken the major action set pieces, but he has unexpectedly put the carnage into frighteningly relevant context. If The Joker, an allegory for anyone that goes bump in the night, can bring a megalopolis to its knees, then we begin to appreciate our illusion of safety.
While The Joker seeks his Batman fix, Batman awakens to the harsh reality of operating outside the law. A vigilante easily cast in a harsh light, Christian Bale’s Batman does the right thing at great personal cost. In real life he is Bruce Wayne, a billionaire dedicating a chunk of his fortune to high tech weaponry needed for stopping and capturing bad guys. For his personal needs Wayne relies upon his ever faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine). For for his arsenal of gadgets he depends upon business associate and inventor, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). The two men are father figures doling out more than expertise -- they provide moral support and guidance for Wayne’s alter-ego.
District attorney, Rachel Dawes, is the third and final person entrusted with the secret of Batman’s true identity. Played by Maggie Gyllenhaal whose big brown eyes mirror Batman’s regrets, she is the best new thing (after The Joker) to emerge from chapter two. Warner Brothers wisely identified that casting Katie Holmes’ in this pivotal role was the weak link in “Batman Begins.” Gyllenhaal completes the circle of emotional intensity occupied by her male costars. Aaron Eckhart, playing DA, Harvey Dent, and Gary Oldman, disappearing into the role of police commissioner, James Gordon, are powerful brush strokes in this portrait of a city in peril.
When soaring on his batwings, Batman cuts a mournful, lonely and breathtaking figure. In ways even more profound than those embodied by The Joker, the caped crusader is an emblem for loss, longing, and emptiness. Listen and you will hear a lament on the wind.
MOVIE PREVIEWS
CR = Critics’ Consensus Rating (where available), PR = Lisa’s Predicted Rating
THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
(2008) (Opening Midnight, Thurs, July 24, in select theaters)
PR: * *1/2
Directed by Chris Carter
Starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly
Fox/Rated PG-13/Thriller/104 min
Little is known about the long-anticipated sequel other than creator-director Chris Carter’s assertion that it stands on its own. As of this writing, the few trailers around are sketchy and sufficiently blurred to build the film’s hype. Between smudges we glimpse a mumbling, white-haired Billy Connolly playing a religious zealot, and something running behind a curtain that could have escaped from “Signs.” When an FBI agent (Peet) seeks Mulder’s (Duchovny) help investigating strange entities, Mulder pleads with Scully (Anderson) to help out -- for old times sake.
STEP BROTHERS
(2008) (Opening Midnight, Thurs, July 24, in select theaters)
PR: * * *
Directed by Adam McKay
Starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Andrea Savage
Columbia Pictures/Rated R/Comedy/98 min
Evidence that males, 35-and-under, are ready to have a laugh, can be gleaned from snappy ticket sales to easily outpacing those for the “X-Files.” Ferrell and director Adam McKay penned their script from a story conceived by Ferrell and costar Reilly, cast as Brennan and Dale. They play spoiled 40-year-olds, each still living at home when their respective single parents (Jenkins and Steenburgen) fall and love and get hitched. The boys go to war -- but hate gives way to bro-mance when the pair discover their shared obsessions. Brennan and Dale join forces to thwart a decree by the parental units that they get jobs and move them out. Crass dialog and gross out jokes form the mean underbelly of an otherwise sweet, Apatow-produced laugh-a-thon.
NOW PLAYING
SPACE CHIMPS
(2008)
CR: * *
Directed by Kirk De Micco
Starring Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, Patrick Warburton, Stanley Tucci, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Chenowith
Fox/Rated G/Animated, Comedy/80 min
Parents hoping to entertain their rugrats are the only adults likely to seek out “Space Chimps.” Simplistic storytelling, weak comedy and less than riveting voice performances make this galactic animated comedy seem mundane when compared to the imaginative family science fiction flick, “Wall-E.” Ham III (Samberg), descended from the first chimp in space, is a slacker circus ape recruited to explore distant galaxies. He joins a crew of two experienced simian astronauts, commander Titan (Warburton) and officer Luna (Hines). When the chimps land on an alien planet, fallen under the dictatorship of the evil Zartog (Daniels), Ham must either rise to the occasion or forget returning to earth. Pass the galactic peanuts.
MAMMA MIA!
(2008)
CR: * *1/2
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, Dominic Cooper, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard
Universal/Rated PG/Comedy/108 mins
The film’s name, taken from one of its showcased song titles, masks a story about a young woman’s efforts to identify her biological father. Sophie (Seyfried), contrives to invite three men, one of whom she believes is her dad, to her wedding in the Greek islands. Streep appears as Sophie’s mom, Donna, unaware her daughter has found a 20-year-old diary identifying the potential papas. Happily, all three men arrive (Brosnan, Firth, and Skarsgard), providing perfect foils for Donna and her two fun-loving best friends (Walters and Baranski). The film uses Abba’s songs, sung by the cast, to gather emotional steam. When preparing for this charmer, consider priming the pump with “Muriel’s Wedding,” an early Toni Collette vehicle featuring many of Abba’s lighthearted hits.
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Anna Walton, Luke Goss, Thomas Kretschmann, John Hurt
Universal/Rated PG-13/Action, Fantasy/110 min
When an army of evil creatures is unleashed, it falls to Hellboy (Perlman) and friends to stop it. Finally settled down with Liz Sherman (Blair), and preparing to become a dad, Hellboy can look forward to a happy life. His efforts to seek public acceptance fall by the wayside when earth is attacked by an otherworldly Prince (Luke Goss) wanting to destroy mankind. Visually astute and marvelously inventive, del Toro’s second “Hellboy” movie introduces so many new creatures that he fails to find the balance between character development and spellbinding special effects.
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
(2008)
CR: * * *
Directed by Eric Brevig
Starring Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem
New Line/Rated PG/Sci-Fi/92 min
This latest film adaptation of a classic novel is all about fab special effects in 3-D. Fraser appears as Trevor, a geologist teamed with his nephew, Sean (Hutcherson), to find Max, the lad’s missing dad. Long a believer in the truth of Jules Verne’s hidden world, Max went exploring beneath the earth’s surface and never returned. Following Max’s trail, the duo find the entrance to a wondrous realm deep inside our planet. There are many dangers such as predatory water, fanged piranhas, and especially a very “Jurassic Park” T-Rex. Playing like a theme park ride for the big screen, the film races from set piece to set piece, propping up the action with rapier wit.
MEET DAVE
(2008)
CR: *1/2
Directed by Brian Robbins
Starring Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, Scott Caan, Ed Helms, Kevin Hart, Austyn Lind Myers
Fox/Rated PG/Comedy, Sci-Fi/90 min
A crew of tiny, extraterrestrial humanoids arrive on earth in a space ship that takes the form of an earthling. The man-ship goes by Dave (Murphy), a human size replica of the ship’s 1-inch-tall captain (Murphy again). Instead of fulfilling their mission, Dave becomes infatuated with a gorgeous earthling (Banks). Having forgotten how to procreate, the remaining crew must steal earth’s salt to ensure their survival -- unless Dave can rediscover their lost knowledge. So whose idea was it to promote “Dave” by hauling 15-foot-tall Murphy-heads around on flatbed trucks? Art is imitating life and this time it’s really creepy.
HANCOCK
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Peter Berg
Starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron,Jae Head
Sony/Rated PG-13/Fantasy, Comedy/92 min
A Los Angeles based superhero with issues, John Hancock (Smith) is indestructible, but reckless, behaving erratically and leaving damage in his wake. After Hancock’s antics cause a public outcry, the superhero allows a PR wizard (Bateman) to repair Hancock’s tarnished image. Smith’s ad-libbing has become predictable and the plot could stand fine tuning. That said, Hancock is saddled with an untenable story arc that doesn’t coincide with the turnaround in his behavior. Besides, he was funnier as a bad superhero.
KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL
(2008)
CR: * * *
Directed by Patricia Rozema
Starring Abigail Breslin, Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Julia Ormond, Glenne Headly, Jane Krakowski
New Line/Rated G/Drama/100 min
“Kit Kittredge” excels as both a family movie and socially aware film. Set during the depression, the story, adapted from a series of popular childrens books, follows Kit’s (Breslin) efforts to become a kiddie journalist. Mom (Ormond) makes a meager living taking in borders -- a magician (Tucci), a dance instructor (Krakowski) and a librarian (Cusack). Kit’s eyes are opened when she meets a pair of homeless, hungry orphans shortly before someone steals the mortgage money her mother has saved. Kit and her pals race to solve the crime before the bank forecloses. Though neither frivolous nor overly sentimental, the film’s delicate handling of serious issues is enough to make many adult dramas jealous.
KABLUEY [limited]
(2007)
CR: * * * *
Directed by Scott Prendergast
Starring Scott Prendergast, Lisa Kudrow, Christine Taylor, Conchata Ferrell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Teri Garr
Regent Releasing/Rated PG-13/Comedy/87 min
This darling of the festival circuit has been dubbed “A genuine discovery” by critics at The Hollywood Reporter. Writer-director Scott Prendergast was inspired by his own real-life experience. Here, Lisa Kudrow plays Leslie, a midwestern mother of two brats intent on killing their unemployed uncle Salman (Prendergast), arriving after their dad is sent to the Middle East. While seeking a job to help Leslie make ends meet, Salman carefully negotiates breakfast cereal laced with thumbtacks by the boys. Finally, Salman is hired to hand out fliers while wearing a goofy blue costume featuring a blank, huge round head. As if things weren’t bad enough, Leslie’s depression turns to anger toward Salman in this black and blue comedy that wanders far off the beaten path.
DIMINISHED CAPACITY [limited]
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Terry Kinney
Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda, Virginia Madsen, Dylan Baker, Louis C.K.
IFC Films/Not Rated/Comedy/89 mins
Long suffering Cubs fans get little relief though their favorite team is showcased. Cooper (Broderick) takes a vacation from his Chicago newspaper job to help his senile uncle Rollie (Alda). With Charlotte (Madsen), Cooper’s highschool sweetheart in tow, Cooper and Rollie head for a baseball memorabilia show planning to sell Rollie’s rare baseball card from the Cubs’ long ago World Championship. While Cooper romances Charlotte, Rollie is conned into parting with the card for a mere $500 bucks. Cooper must try to set things right while earning Charlotte’s respect. A winsome premise, this broad comedy suffers from awkward plotting and overly serious story passages. On the bright side, Alda shines as an unpredictable father-figure to the addled Cooper.
WALL-E
(2008)
* * * 1/2
Directed by Andrew Stanton
Voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Macintalk, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver
Disney and Pixar/Rated G/Animated Sci-Fi/97 min
When Earth becomes so polluted that mankind must leave, clean-up robot, Wall-E, is left behind. Hundred of years later, a scout ‘bot arrives from space. Hiding in the rubble, Wall-E watches, then gets to know robot, Eve, before he hitches a ride on her space ship. Wall-E is in love. In “Wall-E,” Pixar has created a nonspeaking protagonist though no one seeing the little robot’s expressive binoculars-for-eyes, could doubt his feelings. With much of the story occurring off-planet, and mankind’s fate hanging in the balance, Pixar has created an intriguing cautionary tale. Additionally, the film wins the cute robot wars, even besting R2-D2.
WANTED (2008)
* * *
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann
Universal/Rated R/Sci-Fi/110 min
The summer’s highest octane flick casts Angelina Jolie as a highly tattooed uber assassin. Based on Mark Millar’s explosive graphic novel series, the film, directed with plenty of razzle dazzle by visually astute Timur Bekmambetov (”Day Watch” and “Night Watch”), offers up warriors bending space and time with their minds. McAvoy appears as Wesley Gibson, a worker drone who learns his father had a secret life with the Fraternity, a covert society of assassins operating according to an unbreakable code. Group overseer, Sloan (Freeman), guides Wes in locating his dormant powers while fellow operative, Fox (Jolie), imparts wisdom such as, “Kill one, save a thousand.” As Wes progresses, he begins to suspect things are not as they seem. Part “Matrix,” and part “Transporter,” “Wanted” creates the myth and spectacle summer crowds crave.
FINDING AMANDA [limited]
(2008)
CR: * *
Directed by Peter Tolan
Starring Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Maura Tierney, Steve Coogan, Peter Facinelli
Magnolia Pictures/Rated R/Comedy/90 min
An alcoholic, addicted gambler, television producer, Taylor (Broderick), travels to Vegas. Though the neon city is filled with temptations, Taylor’s wife (Tierney), delegates him to rescue her niece, Amanda (Snow), fallen into prostitution. Persuading Amanda to leave is a long process requiring Taylor to take numerous breaks that allow him to run up a huge gambling debt. Meant to be touching, tragic and funny, the superficial film squanders much of its comic potential. Since Magnolia Pictures has already placed the film on DISH’s On-Demand service, it should be a short hop to DVD.
GET SMART
(2008)
* *
Directed by Peter Segal
Starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Terry Crews, David Koechner, James Caan
Warner/Rated PG-13/Action, Comedy/110 min
Though the film casts Hollywood it-man, Steve Carell, as agent Maxwell Smart, the film’s haphazard humor lacks the wit and verve of the 1960s TV series. Anne Hathaway occupies the role of Agent 99, but her loose timing dulls the sharp edge needed to counter Smart’s klutzy agent 86. An overreaching plot has CONTROL infiltrated by KAOS, the evil crime syndicate. With most agents’ identities compromised, eager beaver analyst Smart gets promoted and teamed with veteran agent 99 (recruited out of high school?) and ill-tempered, super agent 23 (The Rock). CONTROL’s pay phone entrance remains intact. Hopefully it still gets a dial tone so someone can call No-Sequels-911.
THE LOVE GURU
(2008)
CR: *1/2
Directed by Marco Schnabel
Starring Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Romany Malco, Ben Kingsley, Justin Timberlake
Paramount/Rated PG-13/Comedy/87 min
Mike Myers pens a comedy loosely constructed around his latest muse, a fame-seeking guru and his longtime obsession, the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey team. Myers’ fantasy includes foxy team owner, Jane, played by Jessica Alba (accepting yet another bad role because it met her salary demands). Jane hires The Love Guru (Myers) to help her devastated star player (Malco) win back his wife, now shacked up with L.A. Kings’ goalie, Jacques “Le Coq” (Timberlake). At least Myers, who co-wrote this mess, creates pithy names. Case in point: Ben Kingsley as Guru Tugginmypuddha (Kingsley), and the Love Guru’s Indian home village of Harenmahkeester. Had equal effort gone into this overlong skit, “Love Guru” might have earned our affection.
BRICK LANE [limited]
(2007)
* *1/2
Directed by Sarah Gavron
Starring Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik, Christopher Simpson
Sony Pictures Classics/Rated PG-13/Drama/102 min
A handsome picture, “Brick Lane” opens with Nazneen’s idyllic life in the Bangladesh countryside before she is transported to London for an arranged marriage. Fast forward 16 years and Nazneen (Chatterjee) is trapped in virtual servitude to her oafish husband, Chanu (Kaushik), father of her two daughters. When Chanu loses his job, Nazneen takes in sewing. Her new occupation leads to meeting a young entrepreneur, who, in the wake of 9/11 is poised to embrace radical Islam. Nazneen’s adventures take some predictable turns before her life changes in surprising ways. Though slow moving, the characters lead us on a rewarding journey.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Christina Cabot, Lou Ferrigno
Universal/Rated PG-13/Action, Fantasy/112 min
If do-overs are for sissies and movies, then this second, more macho version makes Ang Lee’s earlier attempt look like a wimp. Marvel Studios’ influence can be seen in a 25-minute set piece pitting the big green machine against his enemy, the Abomination (Roth). A humanoid version of Godzilla, the Abomination is bigger and more toad-like than our angry hero. Geneticist, Bruce Banner (Norton), tries to control his hair trigger temper, lest he transform into the unjolly Green Giant. William Hurt appears as a military general determined to harness the Hulk as a weapon. Liv Tyler intones Betty Ross, Banner’s love interest, with a little girlish voice, while Norton tries not to drown in his character’s angst. Watch for an Iron Man cameo.
YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN
(2008)
CR: * *1/2
Directed by Dennis Dugan.
Starring Adam Sandler, Alex Luria, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Lainie Kazan, Rob Schneider, Sayed Badreya, Shelley Berman
Columbia Pictures/Rated PG-13/Comedy/113 min
Do you buy Adam Sandler as a well endowed playboy? How ‘bout as a super secret-agent? To escape his Israeli government job tracking down and defeating Arab terrorists, Zohan (Sandler) fakes his death and heads for New York city. A Paul Mitchell acolyte, Zohan changes his name to Scrappy Coco, and builds a clientele of elderly ladies whom he “does” in more ways than one. The only salon operator willing to hire Zohan is the beautiful, Palestinian, Dalia (Chriqui). When romantic sparks fly with his new boss, Zohan vows to save her block from being turned into a shopping mall. Co-writing the script with Judd Apatow results in Sandler wearing a really bad wig, appearing to do the splits and to grill fish using his buttocks. In other words, business as usual.
KUNG FU PANDA
(2008)
CR: * * *
Directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Stars: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Ian McShane
DreamWorks Animation/Rated PG/Comedy/91 min
Po the Panda (Black) realizes his dream of training under martial arts expert, the tiny red panda, Master Shifu (Hoffman) because the village sage turtle claims Po is their long-awaited Dragon Warrior. Po’s right to the title is disputed by the Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a vicious snow leopard. Yep, it’s the week’s second action-comedy, but one aimed at the whole family. Po’s attempts to fulfill his promise appear bleak until Master Shifu teaches him to harness his love of food as an offensive weapon, and to defend himself using his generous belly. Po is joined by the Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Crane (David Cross) and Monkey (hello Jackie Chan). Hoffman’s house cat sized character delivers the film’s nuanced, breakout performance, while McShane’s leopard, brimming with menace, makes a fine foil for Black’s hi jinks.
SEX AND THE CITY
(2008)
* * *
Directed by Michael Patrick King
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg
New Line/Rated R/Comedy/145 min
Finally, a chick flick with legs -- eight of them, to be exact. Those lovely gams belong to New Yorkers, Carrie Bradshaw (Parker) and her three best friends, Samantha (Cattrall), Charlotte (Davis) and Miranda (Nixon), reunited to celebrate Carrie’s engagement. Chris Noth returns as Mr. Big -- Carrie’s billionaire love interest whose given name is finally revealed -- the culmination of a 10-year wait. Miranda, having married her baby’s daddy (Eigenberg), struggles to stay on the career fast track while holding her marriage together. Charlotte has adopted a Chinese daughter, and everybody is wearing anybody who’s somebody in design. Fashionistas or “Project Runway” contestants unable to catch a showing, should check out MovieWeb’s trailers -- three of which spotlight the extensive wardrobes that surely account for half the film’s $65 million dollar budget.
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt
Paramount/Rated PG-13/Action/124 min
Steven Spielberg’s first film since 2005’s “Munich,” returns the director and Harrison Ford to a much beloved series. When archaeologist, Indiana Jones (Ford), competes with the Russians to locate powerful artifacts, he comes face-to-face with Soviet villainess, Irina (Blanchett), a femme fatale able to out run, out punch, and out kick the aging adventurer. During an archeological race that leads him through the Amazon rain forest, Indy and his sidekick, Mac McHale (Winstone), are joined by Marion (Allen) -- Indy’s girlfriend from the first film, young Mutt Williams (LaBeouf), and an aging professor (Hurt) possessing knowledge of ancient languages. If it sounds like “National Treasure” and “The Mummy,” with different characters, it’s because those franchises have closely studied “Indiana Jones.” Not to worry. Our favorite matinee idol still has a trick or two up his sleeve.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Andrew Adamson
Starring Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell, Peter Dinklage, William Moseley, Sergio Castellitto
Walt Disney/Rated PG/144 min
The Pevensie siblings (Henley, Keynes, Moseley and Popplewell) return to Narnia, the beloved alternate universe they freed from the White Witch’s icy grip in the first chapter, one year earlier. However, time is calculated differently in the magical kingdom, where 1300 years have passed. Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), the rightful heir to Narnia’s throne, has been targeted for assassination by his tyrannical uncle, King Miraz (Castellitto). The Pevensie kids align themselves with Prince Caspian, Aslan, the mighty lion (voiced by Neeson), the Red Dwarf (Dinklage), and a valiant mouse (intoned by Izzard). Many new characters move the story through this dark era, but Narnia’s beauty and whimsical creatures remain. Numerous battles and assaults punctuate the suspenseful saga, adapted from the fifth Narnia book by C.S. Lewis. A third adaptation based on book four, “The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader,” is scheduled for release in 2009. Magically switching the order of the books was necessary to match the ages of the film’s young leads to the story.
IRON MAN
(2008)
* * * *
Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Leslie Bibb Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir
Paramount/Rated PG-13/Action/126 min
When industrial designer, Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), travels to Afghanistan to assess U.S. weaponry needs, he is kidnapped by local warlords and forced to build them a missile. Instead, Stark assembles an Iron Man suit used to decimate the guards, and outfitted with jet propulsion to fly him back to the USA. Subsequently, the industrialist loses all interest in warfare, but he becomes Iron Man once again when Stark’s partner -- played by a wickedly salivating Bridges -- steals the technology for himself. Fifteen years getting off the ground, the film adaptation owes much to marvel comic book hound and director Jon Favreau. Having persuaded the principals, including Paltrow and Howard, to sign on for a three-picture deal, Favreau is the iron man inside “Iron Man.”
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 July 2008 )
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