Iron Man: "Not technically accurate, since it's a gold titanium alloy"

[nwhyte]

Well, another Hugo-nominated film based on a comic that I had barely heard of. I found the politics stupid to the point of being offensive: I don't think anyone with the slightest notion about Afghanistan could find either the kidnapping plot or the Iron-Man-rescues-the-villagers scene anything other than crude and simplistic. (And bloke who's

Comments

[redfiona99]

>>(And bloke who's grown up living off the fortunes of his dad's arms business is converted to Doing Good when he suddenly realises that the bangy things kill people? Gimme a break.)<< About the only thing I can say in the film-makers defence is that they were kind of stuck with that, as it's an origin film and that's always been the story in the comic book.

[andrewducker]

I am intrigued to know what comics you _have_ heard of.

[nwhyte]

My education is ongoing, and for the last few years has been blogged here under my comics tag!

[natural20]

Whereas I'm of the opinion it captured Tony Stark really well and was one of the best superhero movies of recent years, probably beating everything apart from Batman Begins & Dark Knight. But then again, I'm pretty familiar with Iron Man.

[raycun]

I can kind of let them away with the "Guns kill people?!?! OMG!" thing, because Stark is shown as very self-centred. He obviously knows what it is that he's making, but he doesn't think about it beyond the intellectual challenge. He's good at it, he enjoys tinkering, and his world is divided into i) the things he does in his lab, and ii) the parties he goes to. It's all a game, and it only stops being a game when he himself is under threat, and he is forced to relate to someone else.
It's not deep characterisation, but it is a comic book movie, and Downey is charming enough to bring me along.

The rest though... Why do they kidnap Stark? Because they're evil. Why kill the Americans? Because they're evil. Why attack the village? Because they're evil. AIUI, the original comics had the same basic plotline, but instead of EVIL Afghans they had EVIL Vietnamese.

[seawasp]

It's not "guns kill people, OMG", it was "Holy CRAP, my weapons are being sold and used WITHOUT REGARD TO WHO USES THEM

[yea_mon]

I feel the same way - a really enjoyable movie.

And regarding the physics - at least we had the high altitude ice-up...

[yea_mon]

Sh*t - did I write 'movie'?

I mean film, film!