The Marvelous Marvel Rewatch (Now Playing: Avengers: Infinity War)

[Mandalore76]

I didn't have a chance to watch Iron Man last weekend. But after having to shovel snow yesterday, I didn't feel like doing anything else but lay back and watch a movie. So, Iron Man it was. I originally saw this movie in the theater when it released, and I remember thinking that it was just okay. I didn't dislike it, but all the scenes from the trailer were the ones that resonated with me most while watching (especially the tank scene). In that regard, I didn't think it was an overly great film despite all the praise it was getting. I should mention that I do not like Gwenyth Paltrow in just about anything, so that may have played a factor as well. Also, Terrence Howard always seems like he's on the verge of crying, so I usually don't care much for him in movies either. Having seen Don Cheadle take over as "Rhodey" later, it's clear the recast was the right move. Anyway, I would originally say that I gave the movie a 7 out of 10, and I never really felt the need to give it a re-watch in the intervening years.

I was expecting that my opinion would not change much, but I actually enjoyed it more the second time around. Maybe having seen where the MCU went from there heightened my enjoyment of watching Iron Man's origin. Robert Downey Jr knocks the role of Tony Stark out of the park of course. I do agree with many that Obadiah Stane is an incredibly weak villain though. So, the climax does kind of bring the film down. Seeing it again, and knowing that Don Cheadle steps into the role of James Rhodes with so much more personality makes Terrence Howard's performance seem even less desirable as well. And, as I mentioned, I really don't care for Gwenyth Paltrow. Watch the showdown with Stane. She's supposed to be running for her life, but you can tell she's almost casually jogging in front of a green screen displaying about "0" emotion. She practically walks outside the building and then just hangs out in the parking lot on her phone for the rest of the ending. It's a combination of weak writing and worse acting. I don't think they needed to rush into a romance subplot between Stark and Potts so quickly. Tony Stark is so much more fun and interesting as a bachelor. Despite all of this, I would still upgrade my score to an 8 out of 10. For an origin story, it fits the bill and laid a good foundation for the MCU.