Second Look - Iron Man (2008)

Note: This review contains spoilers related to Iron Man (2008) and The Avengers (2012).

In 2008, Marvel Studios released their first live-action film, Iron Man. Though the project was a risk for a number of reasons, its success propelled the studio to new heights and their continued success with the Marvel Cinematic Universe would help reshape the cinematic landscape, for better or worse. With their most recent film, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) now out in theaters, we at Trophy Unlocked have decided to take another look back at Iron Man in celebration of its 10th anniversary and see just how well it’s held up after all these years.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), CEO of defense contractor Stark Industries, is in war-torn Afghanistan with Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes (Terrence Howard) to demonstrate the company’s latest weapon, the devastating Jericho missile, to the U.S. military. Soon after, however, Stark’s convoy is attacked and he becomes implanted with shrapnel from one of his own company’s weapons. The terrorist organization the Ten Rings captures and imprisons Stark in a cave, where he is forced to construct a Jericho missile using stockpiled Stark Industries weapons. Though Tony is able to escape with aid from Yinsen (Shaun Toub), a captive doctor who helped him construct a miniature arc reactor to keep the shrapnel away from his heart, he decides to shift his company’s focus away from weapons and figure out just how the terrorists got their hands on his technology in the first place.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) before his personal transformation.

After 10 years, the story holds up pretty well. The major characters are very three-dimensional from the moment they’re introduced and while the actual dialogue was largely improvised, the characters remain consistent and true to themselves throughout. As a result, Tony Stark’s personal transformation is believable and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) is a memorable villain who is very capable at using Tony’s trust in him to his own advantage. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Yinsen and Colonel Rhodes are also strong supporting characters due largely in part to how they interact with Stark and how well they serve the overall story. In addition, the plot is pretty easy to follow and is enough to keep viewers engaged for over two hours. The setting is also grounded very well within reality and the various twists and turns, while perhaps old hat at this point in the MCU, are handled well enough to enjoy this movie in a vacuum.

Along with the story, the special effects have also held up surprisingly well considering their age. The designs of the Iron Man suits, including Iron Monger, have a timeless quality to them and their interactions within the world are still convincing. One smaller scene that has aged especially well is one where Pepper Potts has to replace an arc reactor within Tony’s chest by reaching into a chest cavity to remove one wire and insert another.

Iron Man is also good at balancing its humorous and serious moments. The best way to describe this is that it’s serious when it needs to be and it’s funny when it feels appropriate to add a bit of levity to a scene. This balanced approach, along with the improvised dialogue, allows the film to include a rather famous line from Obadiah Stane. When frustrated at the inability of Stark Industries scientists to recreate the arc reactor technology, he yells, “Tony Stark was able this in a cave! With a box of scraps!” This line stands out not only for Jeff Bridges’ delivery, but also because it sums up how truly gifted Tony Stark is.

"Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!"

One thing that’s hard to discuss, however, is the music. While the score does match the tone when you can detect it, including a guitar riff that repeats a couple times, it’s not really memorable. The licensed tracks, on the other hand, especially AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”, really stand out and gel well with the energetic atmosphere of the film. My only complaint with the use of “Iron Man”, however, is that they don’t play the entire track.

At the time that Iron Man came out, it was facing somewhat of an uphill battle. In order to get funding for the project, Marvel had put up the rest of their film rights as collateral, meaning that if they failed, the bank would own their remaining properties. Additionally, Director Jon Favreau’s previous film, Zathura, was a box office flop (about $64 million earned against a budget of $65 million) and Robert Downey Jr., though a talented and successful actor in his own right, was more known at the time for his past addictions and run-ins with the law. When Iron Man became both a critical and financial success, the rest of the MCU became a true possibility.

Iron Man also helped, both directly and indirectly, to reshape the Hollywood landscape. The film’s more grounded and realistic approach to a superhero movie, as well as the shifting of the character’s origin from the Vietnam War to the War in Afghanistan, helped the movie stand out from its contemporaries and gave it a more modern feeling. Tony Stark’s declaration at the end of the movie, “The truth is…I am Iron Man,” also felt fresh at the time, as unlike many other superheroes, he had forgone the notion of a secret identity and publicly embraced his image as Iron Man. The film’s role as the launchpad for the MCU also contributed toward the buildup for The Avengers, which was so successful in its unique approach to storytelling, particularly as a crossover between multiple properties, that it would change how Hollywood approached short and long-form storytelling, for better or worse.

Part of the legacy of Iron Man also involves actor Clark Gregg, who plays S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson. This movie introduced Coulson to the greater Marvel multiverse and Gregg’s performance helped the character become rather popular. So popular, in fact, that not only does Coulson show up in later films within Phase One of the MCU, but soon after his death in The Avengers (2012), he was brought back to life for a lead role in ABC’s television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which thus far has yet to make a real impact on any of the films.

Clark Gregg would get a lot of mileage out of
his role as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson.

On the subject of S.H.I.E.L.D., however, there is a very noticeable retcon within the MCU that’s worth mentioning. In Iron Man, the way Agent Coulson talks about S.H.I.E.L.D. makes them come off as a rather new organization that had yet to really nail down their name. Beginning with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), however, S.H.I.E.L.D. is established as having existed since WWII and named after Captain America’s weapon of choice.

Those who watch Iron Man will also notice that a short sequence takes place at the Disney Concert Hall. This small moment turned out to be highly prophetic once Disney had bought Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for about $4 billion. This deal would cause some friction with Paramount Pictures, who at the time had a six-picture distribution deal with Marvel Studios, save for The Incredible Hulk (2008); Universal Pictures still owns the distribution rights to the property. After Disney purchased Marvel, they later bought the distribution rights to The Avengers and Iron Man 3 (2013) from Paramount, but they still had to display the Paramount logo on those films.

Another enduring part of Iron Man’s legacy is the post-credits sequence where Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) shows up to discuss the Avengers Initiative with Stark. This sequence would not only kick off the buildup to The Avengers, but also create a trend where Marvel would end every film with some kind of mid- or post-credits sequence (save for Age of Ultron (2015), which has no post-credits sequence), with some like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) reaching up to five end-credits sequences. Outside of Marvel, however, the impact of Iron Man’s post-credits sequence would eventually lead to other studios including such sequences in their films for one reason or another, which has essentially trained audiences to stay even after the movie is finished in the hopes of getting a surprise; in my own experience, I’ve seen more people complain when there isn’t some kind of post-credits sequence.

The moment that started it all.

Even 10 years later, Iron Man is not only a good superhero movie, but a great movie in its own right. The more grounded and realistic approach to the story and world help it stand out from other superhero films and the performances of the actors help the characters feel three-dimensional and their dialogue natural. The special effects still hold up well to this day, but the original score hardly feels present or memorable. Though Marvel Studios would ultimately copy a lot of elements from Iron Man for later MCU films, their first outing is still one of their best and is perfectly enjoyable in a vacuum (even with the post-credits scene). If you’re in the mood for a good action movie, Iron Man is sure to satisfy.

[OLD] Iron Man 3 - An Imperfect Upgrade

For the last five years of Marvel Studios' existence, the six films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have proven to be both popular and successful. Even if some of these movies weren't as good as the others, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger served as a build-up to The Avengers, which I have previously described on this blog as "The Best Comic Book Movie Ever". Since watching Iron Man 2 and The Avengers again to build up to seeing this film, I still consider this to be true, thanks to its ability to tie each of those five movies together and deliver on a level that has yet to be matched since. Before seeing Iron Man 3, I wasn't quite sure how to feel based on what I saw. I didn't even see a single trailer aside from those on TV, but I had already set my expectations lower thanks to how good The Avengers turned out to be. I eventually decided that even if Iron Man 3 won't be quite as good as The Avengers, it should at least be better than Iron Man 2. In the end, I think it managed to exceed these expectations, but it still didn't outdo the original Iron Man.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe up until now.

The demons of Tony Stark's (Robert Downey, Jr.) past have truly come back to bite him. At a New Year's Eve party in Switzerland in 1999, Stark is approached by a scientist named Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), who offers him a place in his think tank, Advanced Idea Mathematics (AIM), but Stark turns him down in favor of spending time with another scientist named Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), who invented an experimental regenerative treatment known as Extremis. In the present day, Stark has been having anxiety attacks as a result of the Battle of New York (seen in The Avengers), building multiple Iron Man suits as a way to cope with his restlessness. A man known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) has also begun a string of terrorism shortly after Aldrich Killian returns to Tony's life in an unexpected manner. When The Mandarin hits a bit close to home, Stark must now figure out how to locate and end the attacks by this new villain while solving an internal struggle: is it he who defines Iron Man, or does Iron Man define him?

Through the struggles that Tony Stark has to face as Iron Man, the story becomes a lot more emotional than in previous films. Here, Stark is seen in a much more vulnerable state from his anxiety, but in a way that he becomes more of someone to feel sorry for; he's even shown to cry in his sleep. It's clear that the events of New York have taken a toll on him, as evidenced by his behavior being noticeably a little less cocky, which is more of a sign of character development carrying over from all of his appearances. The movie in general is also a bit darker, and dare I say grittier, but in a way that is doesn't come off as consciously trying to copy the Dark Knight Trilogy. The movie may not be as fun as the original Iron Man, but it is certainly gripping and engaging, and at times even chilling. Pacing is something that's also handled well, without a single real lull in the events; I only looked at my watch once or twice throughout the whole movie, both instances being at least an hour apart from each other.

Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin

What I should probably mention however is the complexity of this film. Within the plot are quite a few important characters and creations that have some significance to what is going on. The number of villains seems large at first, but within a good period of time they are all seen to be connected in some way, which helps alleviate the confusion and shows just how far of a reach The Mandarin has. Even a certain twist regarding the villain is pulled off very well to me and I feel that it cements how good of a character he is. With all that goes on, I think it's sort of like a David Wong novel: at first it seems to go off in a few directions at once and is a bit spread out, but when it reaches the final stretch, everything begins to make perfect sense.

The Extremis invention is really something else, granting the user immense power, the ability to heat something up through touch and, most importantly, high speed regenerative capability. However, this is only if the compound is accepted within the user, as rejection can lead to a rather, shall we say, explosive outcome. Since I went into this movie with no real knowledge of how Iron Man is in the comics, I'm pretty accepting of how Extremis works in this movie. I will admit, however, that at certain points in the movie I couldn't help but think of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, particularly in regards to the motivation of the villain and the way Extremis works (especially the latter). To elaborate (Warning: Major MGR:R spoiler ahead. Please scroll down further if you have not yet played the game):

Video by legend91mgs

As for the special effects, Iron Man 3 manages to succeed in blowing its predecessors out of the water. Not only are the effects more involving, they are also very well integrated into the world. The Iron Man armor, Mark XLII, is much more elaborate, with the ability to fly toward Tony Stark and attach with simple gestures, along with the new power of remote assembly and control. This allows some moments to be more tense or surprising and the rest of the technology used in the movie is very impressive and fun to watch. At this point, I think later movies will have a lot to live up to.

The acting in this film was also superb, with Robert Downey, Jr. continuing to give a very convincing portrayal of Tony Stark, proving once again that he's the perfect fit for the character. Other returning actors Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow continue to give solid performances and Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley bring a presence to the new characters they portray. Overall, I really have no complaints.

Finally, there's the music. The score by Brian Tyler falls under a certain category where its only purpose is to cause the audience to emote, which it does really well, but as a result it is very forgettable and not a single piece stands out in particular; in other words, fitting but forgettable. As for the licensed music, I have to admit that I wasn't completely impressed by it and whoever was in charge of this could probably have selected better accompaniment. At this point I just feel more indifferent towards it and just take it for what it is, though that doesn't mean I have to be a fan. The credits could have used a punchier song at the end like in Spider-Man 2 that would make me want to see it again.

Iron Man 3, while excellent, isn't really perfect. The story is plotted out nicely and maintains a great pace, but the music selection could have been better and the overall combination of elements is missing a certain spark that made the original Iron Man work so well as a movie. Perhaps it's because this one was decidedly darker and edgier, but in the end it falls short of total greatness despite exceeding my expectations. This is a movie that every fan of the Marvel Studios flicks must see at least once and fans of the comic series should go in knowing that this movie adapts certain stories and elements differently and try to leave prior knowledge behind for the best enjoyment.

As the movie says, Tony Stark will return. I don't know how just yet, but I'm looking forward to it anyway.

[OLD] Iron Man 2 - Could Use More Engineering

Two years after The Incredible Hulk, the next movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would be released, known as Iron Man 2, which also serves as a direct sequel to the original Iron Man. Since I really loved the original, I felt hyped before watching it in theaters for the first time. At the same time I also remember liking it that time, but not as much as the original. After watching it again on Blu-Ray as a build-up for The Avengers, I still feel that way now.

After the events of Iron Man, the world at large is now aware that Tony Stark is Iron Man, a hero that will protect America from danger. Not all is well however, as somewhere in Russia a man named Anton Venko (Yevgeni Lazarev) is on his deathbed, telling his son Ivan (Mickey Rourke) that it should be him in that position instead. When Anton passes on, Ivan is inspired by both the Iron Man suit and leftover blueprints to create a weapon of his own. Meanwhile, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is busy convincing the government that his technology is not a weapon as they believe, but also that he is the only one in the world capable of creating it the way he did. He is also simultaneously in danger from the miniature arc reactor that's keeping him alive, since the palladium core within is poisoning his blood and he has yet to find an effective substitute. As the movie continues, he must not only worry about keeping himself alive and keeping his tech to himself, but also a nasty revenge scheme created by Ivan Venko, who is out to destroy the Stark name.

While the story was still pretty enjoyable, it didn't feel as fresh as the first entry, sometimes almost as if it's going through the motions. Even then however, it doesn't fail to deliver something exciting to the screen. Robert Downey Jr. still gives a fantastic performance that reminds me just why he was cast in the first place. He perfectly reflects the emotions that Tony is going through, even in some of the most subtle ways, especially how he handles the fact that he might actually die. This justifies the actions he takes regarding Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who still manages to give a good performance for her part, and Lt. Colonel Rhodes (Don Cheadle). While Cheadle doesn't have the same appeal as Terrence Howard when playing Rhodey, he manages to bounce off Downey Jr. pretty well when onscreen and brings a certain personality to the character that I can't really complain that much about. S.H.I.E.L.D. also has a more prominent role here than in any other MCU film, with interesting looks at Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) most of all. Scarlett Johansson, while fun to look at in a fight or standing still, seems mostly to be there for eye candy to the audience, though I would like to see where they go with such a casting decision; I am unfamiliar with what Black Widow is like in the comics, so it'll take me a while to form my opinion of her. Nick Fury on the other hand is such an enjoyable character that I wonder when they'll make a movie out of him.

The villains are another story. This time around there are two more prominent ones in Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and Ivan Venko. Both of them want to make Stark look bad, the former even hiring the latter to help him out, though both of them want to go to different lengths to get there. Hammer in the movie is a man struggling to keep up with Stark Industries, and what we see reflects that very well in both the body movements and level of confidence in his voice. Mickey Rourke's role as Ivan however is a bit more interesting to me. Not only does he look the part of a physicist that can only exist in comics, he plays one very well too. Ivan has a legitimate grudge against the Stark family and it's interesting to see just how bloodthirsty he can be while getting closer to his ultimate goal, even backstabbing Hammer to do it. When he's Whiplash, he shows some interesting skill with his weapons, but when he's the Crimson Dynamo, it doesn't look like he needed to do very much to fill the same role. In any case, I was satisfied with Rourke playing the main villain.

One thing I really enjoyed was the action scenes. I don't want to sound like someone who only watches this sort of movie for the action, but it seems that the mixture between action and story was more imbalanced in favor of the former. It seems that Genndy Tartakovsky storyboarded the project very well, since the well-framed action impresses on all counts. The awe-inspiring visuals are all well-paced and adrenaline-filled, but that doesn't help make every fight completely satisfying. After Whiplash and an army of drones, Crimson Dynamo's fight at the end is cool to watch, but is too short and arguably very anticlimactic. When all is said and done however, I can't wait to see how Iron Man 3 will top the sequences here.

Technology and special effects are something else to consider. While the effects were spectacular, especially on the electro-whips and Tony's scientific endeavours in the second act or so, the various armor used throughout is also fun to look at and spot every detail. I especially loved the design of Tony's suit in the last half hour of the film and how War Machine was weaponized to give a distinct but realistic sort of look. The most exciting part however would be the suitcase version of the Iron Man suit, which I can never get tired of watching unfold.

The original score was also interesting to hear due to it matching up very well with what was going on, though it is a little forgettable. Licensed music on the other hand was perfectly selected and used appropriately. The songs played by the late DJ AM during the fight at Stark's home, appropriately including Robot Rock by Daft Punk, and AC/DC's Highway to Hell at the end are all perfect matches and I enjoyed every second of them, as well as AM's mixing skills.

Following up to Iron Man is something that seems a bit hard to do and the first sequel tried admirably to reach that same standard. Unfortunately, the story isn't as fresh and doesn't hold up as well, but the unique blend of humor and character development is still present and the action doesn't fail to deliver great thrills. While everything in the film basically gets an upgrade, it seems best to see this as the second movie in a planned trilogy rather than merely a sequel in order to view it better. I would still recommend a viewing, mainly because it helps to further establish the MCU and lead properly into Thor.

[OLD] The Incredible Hulk - The Credible Hulk

The second movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be 2008's The Incredible Hulk, distributed by Universal rather than Paramount like Iron Man previously. While I wasn't sure how I had felt about this movie the first time I saw it in a theater, having not remembered too much of it due to a lack of a copy on home video, my opinion changed a bit after renting it for a second round. Though I don't think it was as good as Iron Man, an inevitable comparison anyway, it was a lot better than I had remembered it being in retrospect.

Rather than spend the entire movie focused on the Hulk's origin story, the movie makes the interesting decision to show it in the opening credits, filling us in on the specifics as the movie goes on. It's actually a good move and it allows the audience to get a full story in return, which thankfully does not really require reading the comics to understand. In this case, it details Bruce Banner's (Edward Norton) attempts to rid himself of transforming into the Hulk, a struggle filled with many dead ends and hardships, while also on the run as a government fugitive trying to get away from General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) and Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). On a second viewing I was able to experience more of what was going on and listen to some of the more subtle dialogue that hints heavily toward the larger MCU, though most of the movie does a pretty good job at following the separate story it has. Bruce Banner is actually an interesting character in his quest to become normal again and his relationship with Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) is handled in a way that adds depth to his character. Another interesting characterization is that of the Hulk (Lou Ferrigno). Rather than make him out to be a completely unstoppable monster, he is shown to actually have emotions beyond anger that in turn make him more three-dimensional. Thunderbolt Ross and Emil Blonsky both go through their own arcs as well, but in opposite directions; Ross starts out doing whatever it takes to get Banner but then realizes the sort of monster he created in Blonsky, and Blonsky continues lusting for power until he becomes a complete abomination.

But while I did actually enjoy the story better this time, I must admit that unless you pay full attention to the dialogue, some things might come off as plot holes, such as how Banner was discovered at the University to trigger a pivotal scene. Re-watching these parts on a Blu-Ray helped me fully understand the events, so it seems that the movie requires multiple viewings to fully understand the events. On the plus side, I did have fun trying to find references to the MCU or other information about the Hulk that I had gathered from other sources.

If there's one thing to enjoy however it would be the action scenes. The destruction caused by the Hulk is impressive to watch thanks to the well used special effects that display his coordination and strength. However he does seem more vulnerable, even though he's practically bulletproof, which does help to make the big fight against Abomination at the end really memorable and more interesting to watch. Hulk's cerebral instinct and resourcefulness in combat do help make him seem much less mindless than one may think, though it is rather annoying that the military loves to waste valuable bullets even when it is proven that they simply do not work on him. Regardless, the effects also help to display a wide array of emotions in the Hulk's face, allowing the viewer to see when there is more of Bruce Banner on the surface than the monster, especially when Betty is around. I was also amazed by the attention to detail put into animating Hulk, making him seem a bit more realistic as well, though still looking like something out of a comic book.

Other aspects that pulled through rather well were the cinematography and score. The action is framed very well while capturing the speed and power of the fights as well as the more important scenes that help establish more of the characters and events, though I couldn't help but be slightly annoyed at the use of shaky cam when following the army on the ground. Thankfully however, it is more subtly used here than in other movies and did not escalate for me beyond a minor complaint. I also found the lighting fairly balanced even in the night shots. Craig Armstrong's score helped to gel well with the events onscreen and I really have nothing to complain about there.

The Incredible Hulk isn't as good a movie as Iron Man, but on its own it's pretty enjoyable and I wouldn't mind owning a copy of it someday. An interesting story with good effects help it to stand out from other blockbusters and make it more memorable, though it isn't a flick I would be willing to watch again immediately. It is however at least worth watching again to help build up to The Avengers and see how it relates to all of the other MCU movies to date, and the scene at the very end is worth sticking around for. Those who do watch it however should keep in mind that they may need to watch it second time or more, if only for the sake of the plot.

[OLD] Iron Man - An Awesome Start

To help build up to Marvel Studios' upcoming movie The Avengers, we here at the blog will be re-watching each and every film made before it and reviewing them if they haven't been already or, if they have, they will be given a second opinion. We begin of course with the first Iron Man movie from the studio, which also happens to be their first ever independent production. Iron Man was released in 2008 to massive critical acclaim, acclaim which I myself agree with.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a playboy millionaire and prodigy that has inherited Stark Industries, a defense contractor, from his father. After showing off a new weapon called the Jericho missile to the military in Afghanistan, including his friend Colonel James Rhodes (Terrence Howard), he is captured by a terrorist group known as the Ten Rings. After having his life saved by Dr. Yinsen (Shaun Toub) thanks to an electromagnet that will prevent deadly barbs from reaching his heart, he is forced to build a Jericho out of parts from the Stark Industries weapons that they have on hand. Instead, he builds a suit that will aid in his escape, using a miniature arc reactor, which replaces the car battery powering his electromagnet, as a power source. When he escapes, he sets forth on a goal to use his company to aid his country in a way that doesn't involve weapons manufacturing, perfecting his suit as a way to accomplish this.

Personally I haven't actually read any of the Iron Man comics, but I'm glad that it isn't required reading. The story is very well written, using a near-perfect blend of action, comedy and drama that not only keeps the movie fresh throughout, but manages to keep audience interest up as well while also telling a tale that stands out perfectly well from the comic book rack. Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Tony Stark is the highlight of the cast, coming off as an easy-going man who manages to keep a sense of humor in his character even after feeling an epiphany that fulfills his fantastic character development. Terrence Howard is also a good match for Colonel Rhodes with great precision in serving as a personality to bounce off of Tony, much like Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts in a role that shows her ability to play a love interest who isn't just a flat archetype. What gets special mention as well is Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, whose role in the movie is played out so well that certain plot twists, which I will not divulge, are actually rather unexpected the first time around. In a nutshell, I'm glad that the characters are very three-dimensional and have a presence that contributes in all the right ways to suit an equally three-dimensional story.

Spectacular performances also give way to spectacular action sequences which easily have the power to grant viewers an adrenaline rush of excitement and awe, aided in part by the amazing CG that is so seamlessly blended in with the events that every one of these sequences has a new level of wonder and depth that few others can match. I also loved how the technology was designed, especially Stark's iconic red and yellow suit, as well as the fact that they were placed in a context that helped the whole thing feel more realistic, though also somewhat in a way that feels like a comic book come to life (in a good way).

Music was also a great aspect of the movie as well. The use of music by bands like Black Sabbath and AC/DC coupled with a well-utilized original score did wonders with setting up the tone of each scene and following through in a way that it doesn't quit, even during the end credits. It's emotional in a way that doesn't feel forced and it is also mixed perfectly with all the other sounds and dialogue.

What really make the whole experience especially worth it is a very special scene after the credits. It plants the first seeds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a connected entity and even manages to be a great treat for those who wisely stuck around the first time.

For its first independent production, Marvel Studios managed to produce what is now one of my favorite films of all time thus far. It's great blend of story elements creates a movie that, when coupled with what is simply a visual feast, is highly memorable and enjoyable. I have no idea how many times I've seen this movie already, but each and every time I walk away satisfied and glad to have seen it. I highly recommend everyone to see it for an opportunity to see a comic book movie that is simply beyond the realm of "good".