Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man

• This was definitely a one-of-a-kind superhero film, and one of the better superhero origin stories. Not only is it a strong solo film, but it completely springboards the MCU in the best way possible. Does it have its flaws? Of course. But for a cinematic universe debut, and did all it needed to. Everything about this film really stands, from the aesthetic and sci-fi atmosphere, to the grounded war profiteering details. You immediately get pulled in with the first few scenes, and I am particularly drawn to the first 30ish minutes, mostly because it kind of gave me a Indiana Jones-y feel with some Rambo mixed in. I always love some well shot combat scenes. I also love how this was a superhero film that didn’t just take place in the United States, and it added Middle East turmoil into the mix. Much like 'Batman v Superman'. It's not too centralized, but still uses American soil for the majority. The cast is pretty good, but obviously we have to talk about Academy Award winner RDJ. Not for this film, but Academy Award winner nonetheless. He is objectively a top five best CBM casting of all time, maybe even in cinema history. That man absolutely embodies everything Tony Stark is. In fact, RDJ didn't become Tony Stark. Tony Stark became him. Gwyneth Paltrow is decent but nothing remarkable, and Jeff Bridges is bald and evil. The score is quite impressive, though when it comes to Marvel films, it occasionally blends in with others. But it still gets you pumped up and adds some nice tension to the action scenes. Same for the VFX, which are (for the most part) pretty good, though very evidently late 2000s. Overall, it's quite a wonderful start to the MCU, and one of the most iconic origin films ever released. I would recommend it to all superhero fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!