Iron Man

It's a bit difficult for me to review this latest Marvel movie because I became so excited on seeing the trailer that I actually badgered my housemate into taking me to see it the day it came out. You have to understand that, since I am broke and jobless, it takes a lot for me to descend to that level of badgering. He's paying for my groceries, for crying out loud, and movies are expensive now!

The final result: disappointment on my part. Oh, there's lots to love in this movie. The special effects are great, and what's more they are done in an effectively subtle manner that makes them something more than simple eye candy. The plot is sensible, the acting is fairly good, and the theme is important.

That last one is what got me. Here you have a movie--and not just any movie, a popular, big-budget movie!--tackling a deep philosophical theme. Here was an opportunity to shed the heavy weight of "safety" and "conventionality" and really say something profound that struck at the core and heart of the conflict that has raged through civilization for centuries and made wreckage of so many lives. And what do we get? A "safe", "conventional" movie that seems to be attempting to apologize for its own message.

If you go to see Iron Man, be prepared for the fact that you will only take away what you already brought in with you. If all you seek is a couple of hours' entertainment, you will not be disappointed. But if you were hoping for the kind of soul-filling experience you would get from a work of art, you will go away still bearing the emptiness that yearns for the sight of someone else's achievement.