Shellhead vs. Little Dragon

Couldn't you use one minute (actually, more like 50 seconds) of awesome today? That is, if you haven't already seen this...



Not a surprise, really. If Bruce Lee could take down Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, what chance did Iron Man have? (Spoiler alert, if you didn't actually click on the video.)

If 10-year-old Ian had access to a video camera and super-cool action figures like Iron Man and Bruce Lee, he might have tried to do something like this. Of course, it wouldn't have been any good, and he would've run out of patience after the first 10 stop-action poses. But he might have tried.

And I just found out Bruce Lee's gravesite is in Seattle. That might have to be added to the itinerary when I visit in May. That is, if Mis Hooz will abide.

Iron Man: A Four-Sentence Movie Review

In the two weeks or so since Iron Man hit theaters, it occurred to me that trying to write a review might be redundant, as I've already written about how interesting I find the character of Tony Stark and how excited I was to see Robert Downey, Jr. do his thing with the type of role that should make him a star.

And Downey absolutely owns this movie, bringing the wit and charm that has made him so utterly capitvating in roles such as Tommy Larson in Home For the Holidays, Terry Crabtree in Wonder Boys and Paul Avery in Zodiac, yet also infusing Tony Stark with a vulnerability and heroism that makes him a fascinatingly compelling character. Downey is so enjoyable to watch, in fact, that hiding him in that super-suit kind of takes some of the thrill from the inevitable climactic battle scene, which is unfortunately rendered a bit coherent by sequences that moves just a little too fast - probably to hide the seams that hold the CGI special effects and physical action together.

As fun as it is to see Stark test out each version of the Iron Man armor (an essential part of the character), and riveted by his robot servants into the final kick-ass product, the scenes in which he tells Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts (another great performance) how important she is in his life, or when his fellow prisoner in Afghanistan tells him not to squander the second chance he's been given, both scenes are more believable (and touching) than you might expect from a rock 'em, sock 'em comic book action flick.

How Do You Like Your Billionaire Superheroes?

You may have already seen this, since it's been making the internet rounds. Batman vs. Iron Man. Both with movies out this summer. Both billionaire superheroes who have all the toys and get all the chicks. (Well, at least Tony Stark does. Bruce Wayne doesn't seem to allow himself that much fun.) Both also drink gross-looking green protein shakes.



Okay, I'm about to take it even nerdier. The guy who made this couldn't have found better Batman and Iron Man action figures? Maybe it adds to the charm of the video. I saw two better ones at Target yesterday, though.

Robert Downey, Jr's Victory Lap

The plan is to post a Four-Sentence (if I can rein myself in) Movie Review of Iron Man tomorrow, although - really, should I? Is it any kind of mystery as to what I may have thought of it?

But one of the great things about Iron Man is the triumph it represents for one of my favorite actors (Home for the Holidays, Wonder Boys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Zodiac), a guy whose talent should have made him a giant long ago. Robert Downey, Jr. should've had George Clooney's career, if not for his well-documented self-destructive impulses and addictions. But maybe it's not too late for him to get some of that now. To me, it was impossible not to root for Downey as he absolutely owned this movie and the role of Tony Stark, and enjoy watching him seize his moment of world-dominating stardom.

Monday night on The Tonight Show, Downey got to bask in the afterglow of his movie's huge opening, and you could tell he's going to relish this for quite some time. I dare you not to be charmed by his answer to Jay Leno asking him which was better, an Oscar nomination or blockbuster movie (1:05 mark):



And here's part two of the appearance, with an amusing story about the difficulties he encountered inside the Iron Man suit (2:50 mark):

A Flying Iron Man For Leap Year

Last night, I forgot that a new trailer for Iron Man was going to play during Lost. Of course, some enterprising soul posted it on YouTube, so I was able to see it. And I'm putting it here so I get to watch it again. And again.



This movie looks cooler with each trailer. But I'm now worried that too much good stuff from the movie is being put into these previews. I want that "wow!" moment in the theater. I'm sure we'll still get that, though. (And I could always just not watch this stuff when it's released online.) Until then, I'll probably snatch up whatever nuggets are given under the table.

Yeah, He Can Fly

Super Bowl XLII was a great game, including a signature play that will be forever be a part of pro football lore, but since I was sort of rooting for the Patriots, and having excellence go unrewarded kind of bummed me out, the Iron Man ad ended up being the most memorable part of the evening for me.



Just because. And a conversation with Matt reminded me that I hadn't posted this yet.

I wish that last sequence didn't look like it was from a video game, though. But everything else looked pretty bad-ass.

"That Doesn't Look Like a Missile"

It's been more than a month since I indulged my Iron Man anticipation. But there was a nice iron supplement available online today. (Just in case Iron Downey, Jr. is taken down from YouTube, you can also find it here.)



Maybe a little too much with the Black Sabbath. But great timing, since today was kind of a crappy day with cleaning out mold and smelly, backed-up-drain water out of my basement. But between the Tigers' walk-off win tonight and these two-and-a-half minutes of awesomeness, I'll sleep okay tonight.

(via The Movie Blog)

No Iron Deficiencies This Weekend

Didn't I just post something about Iron Man last weekend? I'm probably getting close to reaching an acceptable quota with anyone reading this blog. "Yes - we get it! You want to see this movie. Can you please write about something - anything - else? (And post more often, while you're at it?)"

I hear you. But this past weekend was Comic-Con in San Diego, and that means the studios showing footage to get the geeks excited. (Yeah - I think they sell comic books there, too.)

Over the past couple of years, "exclusive" footage has been restricted to the audiences in San Diego. And that's fine with me. Attendees shelled out big money for convention passes, airline tickets, and hotel rooms, and deserve something for that effort. But I think some filmmakers are also smart enough to know that a little viral marketing can go a long way. So when footage of the Iron Man trailer that Jon Favreau brought to San Diego "leaked" onto the internet, I think he and Marvel knew exactly what the hell they were doing. Who am I to stand in the way of that?

Men shouldn't make the noise I made when I saw that suit of armor move on-screen. I already thought casting Robert Downey, Jr. was brilliant (though I'm already a big fan), but the footage confirms that sentiment. Tony Stark allows him to be what he's best at: playing a roguish charmer with a lightning-quick wit who just might be the smartest guy in the room. (Rent Zodiac this week on DVD, if you want another example.) It also allows him to try something I don't believe he's done before, which is play an action hero. Even if you can't see his face while he's wearing the suit, that's pretty cool.

EDIT (7/30): Well, poo. It looks like "The Man" (otherwise known as "Terms of Service") asserted his power and had the video taken down. That's just a damn shame. Dude, it was awesome. You should've seen it. (Ahem.) But if you're interested, Screen Rant posted a blow-by-blow description. Instead, I leave you with this.



Between Iron Man and Batman (with The Joker!), next year is going to rule, dude.

(Thanks to Matt for sending this over to me. Geek solidarity, baby. And I promise I'll try to write about something else this week.)

Talk to the Iron Man Hand

I've already said my piece on the Iron Man movie, and should probably leave it at that until the thing hits theaters. But if Marvel is going to keep releasing cool photos to whet my geek appetite, I won't be able to help getting excited again.

So maybe this is a dumb photo if you're not into Iron Man, or you're wondering what the hell Robert Downey, Jr. is doing in a movie like this. But if you're a fan of both, this might get some butterflies fluttering for you.


I guess this is a weekend placeholder until I can scratch out some more ramblings. (And I have to say, after reading the comments for that Transformers post, I'm getting more of an itch to write non-sports stuff again.) Oh, and here's another Iron Man poster, if you haven't seen it.

(via The Movie Blog)

My Geekish Blood is Rich With Iron

I'm probably getting too old for this stuff, and frankly, Superman Returns was disappointing enough to make me reconsider getting excited about a favorite childhood comic book or cartoon of mine coming to the big screen. For instance, I should be (pardon the pun) climbing the walls with anticipation over Spider-Man 3 hitting theaters this weekend. But I'm a bit subdued. (I should probably save my thoughts on Transformers for now. Oh, Young Ian might get giddy for that one.)

Maybe that's because so much footage has already been shown on TV and the internet (which I've tried to avoid, but if a whole cake is shoved in your face, you can't help but taste it). Or maybe it's because I just feel like there's no way it can be as good as Spider-Man 2. There's too many characters this time, especially on the villains' side. It can't possibly work, can it? (Some people are saying it doesn't.) Of course, I'll still see it this weekend. (And it looks like a Spider-Man 4 is going to happen, even if a new cast and director are necessary. If this is the villain they use, however, Young Ian will pout. And he can really pout.)

Anyway, I'm beginning to ramble. What I was going to say is that there is one comic book movie that will be coming out that I am still excited about. Why? 1) It stars one of my favorite actors, someone who probably should've been a superstar long ago, but let his addictions get in the way. 2) I dig the director. And 3) Of all the comic book heroes that could be adapted into a movie, this is the one that makes the most "real world" sense to me. If you were going to fight crime, wouldn't you want to do it in a suit of armor?


Iron Man wasn't one of Young Ian's favorite superheroes, though he certainly took part in several comic books I bought as a kid. One thing that was always interesting about him, however - as is the case with most Marvel Comics characters - is that he had to deal with some decidedly non-heroic problems. For one thing, Tony Stark built that suit of armor to keep himself alive, with a chestplate that was essentially a pacemaker. Secondly, and probably more important, Stark was an alcoholic. (Curiously, that little character trait is left out of his Marvel Comics profile. And from what I understand, it won't be a part of this movie, though if there's a sequel, it might come up.)

And this is why Robert Downey, Jr. - who seemed like a rather unusual choice, and I was surprised when my buddy Pete told me about it - is almost painfully suited for the role. Tony Stark is a brilliantly talented man whose personal issues and self-destructive character flaws have compromised what success he's achieved. Sound familiar?


This is what the Marvel Comics movies (besides those Fantastic Four flicks) have done really well: pick good actors to play their signature characters. (And considering a couple of them spend sizable chunks of their stories under full face masks or replaced by CGI, the story - or the paycheck - must be compelling enough to attract them.) And it's not just the main superhero or villain, either. Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow are in this, too - either as supporting characters or antagonists.

And in a wonderful bit of timing (which affirms my interest in writing about this), Fried Rice Friend Kevin Antcliff just sent me news that an image of the final Iron Man suit of armor has now been released on the internet. (The picture above is the first suit he builds in Afghanistan, I believe as a prisoner of war.) Of course, the movie's set to be released exactly a year from now, so I'm sure breaking this stuff isn't a coincidence.


I appreciate you indulging my geekish glee by following this post to the end, as I've likely embarrassed myself and displayed stunted emotional development. Carry on with your bad selves. I will now resume taping my glasses and deciding which pens will go best with my pocket protector tomorrow. Excelsior!