Elf

As time goes on, more Christmas films are considered classics of their genre or, depending on who you ask, staples of the season. One of these is Elf, a 2003 comedy directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell. Back when I was only eleven, I saw the film during its original theatrical run and although I had enjoyed it, I never saw it again for one reason or another. Years later, I would see the film referenced more and more to the point where I thought I would give it another try, both to experience it with essentially fresh eyes and see if it was worthy of the praise others had given it. Twenty years after its initial release, I feel it’s safe to say that not only did it hold up pretty well on its own merits, it was actually better than I had remembered.

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.

Stubs – Iron Man 2 (Second Opinion)

 

Iron Man 2 (2010) Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson. Screenplay by Justin Theroux. Based on characters created by Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Stan Lee. Directed by Jon Favreau. Produced by Kevin Feige. Run Time: 125 minutes. Color. U.S. Science Fiction, Action.

With the impending release of Iron Man 3 next week, Trophy Unlocked thought it would be a good idea to revisit the two films the new film is supposed to be a sequel to, Iron Man 2 and The Avengers (2012). It may seem unusual to have a simultaneous sequel to two films, but the Marvel Avengers franchise has been breaking some of the rules. The Avengers itself was either a sequel or a culmination of sequels.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) confers with Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey).

Iron Man 3 will be the start of a new cycle of Marvel films culminating, in a few years, in The Avengers 2. One is always weary about going to the well one time too many, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves and with nothing more than a review in the trades and a few trailers to go from, a review of Iron Man 3 will have to wait for release.

While it’s always nice to re-watch a favorite film, sometimes you watch one again out of a sense of duty. We’ve fallen into a habit of watching the prequels to the sequels, as is the case with Iron Man 2.  Iron Man (2008), until the release of The Avengers, was what I considered to be one of the best comic-book inspired films ever made, on par with Spider-Man 2 (2004).

Jon Favreau, whose biggest film to that point had been Elf (2002), had been given the realms of a big budget film and had done himself and Marvel proud. Iron Man showed a lot of humor, told a rebooted, but believable origin story and delivered one of the bright spots of that summer. Whether or not it was part of the original master plan leading up to the Avengers or not, Iron Man 2 seemed inevitable, after the original’s success at the box office. And I remember settling down in my theater seat looking forward to the further adventures of Iron Man. And I remember leaving the theater a little disappointed.

Jon Favreau directs and reprises the role of  Happy Hogan, Stark's bodyguard, in Iron Man 2.

But that was three years ago and even though I’ve watched it since, I’m ready to sit down once again, this time at home to give Iron Man 2 a second spin, so to speak.

On what is probably a fifth impression (Yes I've seen the film that many times now), Iron Man 2 is not a bad film, but it suffers from sequelitis, the Hollywood disease that feels the sequel has to be bigger to be better, which fills me with some concern with how much bigger the threequel will have be.

Iron Man 2 suffers from flash over substance.

Accompanying the bigger is better theory are usually subtle changes in the cast. The most notable change was the replacement of Terence Howard with Don Cheadle as War Machine/L. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes. I’m sure money was involved and Cheadle is more than an adequate replacement for Howard.

Don Cheadle as Rhodey and Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer.

Then there are the additional cast members. We pick up Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. These are necessary as they will both play major parts in The Avengers film. But there are some actors that are just sort of passing through: Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash and Garry Shandling (almost unrecognizable from his days as Larry Sanders) as U.S. Senator Stern. Unfortunately, even together, Hammer and Vanko don’t really match up to Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger. With Stane, the villain was someone Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) grew up with and trusted like a father, so the backstabbing is more powerful than the misguided revenge of Vanko or the greed of Hammer.  Shandling seems to be playing someone close to his own personality, but really few of the characters, including Stark, are all that likable.

Scarlett Johansson's Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff kicks ass.

And speaking of Stark, Robert Downey, Jr. returns as the cracking wise hero and Gwyneth Paltrow (before her Goop/ego overload) as his long-suffering assistant Pepper Potts returns. Their relationship naturally moves to the next level as their professional façade is dropped and they become romantically involved. While this part of their relationship was highlighted in The Avengers, Iron Man 3 will no doubt take it further.

Robert Downey. Jr. as Tony Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.

Of the other returning cast members, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s part gets bigger and it is through following his character that we’re ushered into Thor (2011), the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film to be released. Gregg, who up until now had perhaps been best known for his part as the ex-husband, Richard, on The New Adventures of Old Christine television series, shows that he can be a versatile actor and make a small part memorable.

Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) helps tie the Avengers prequels together.

The bigger is better rule is also applied to the special effects, which one would only expect. Not only do we have War Machine in addition to an upgraded Iron Man flying around, we’re treated to a whole army of drones with like weaponry, not to mention Whiplash’s different variations. All this leads to the final climatic fight scene with more and bigger explosions than Iron Man, but bigger is sometimes just bigger. As stated above, the climactic scene of Iron Man brings with it more pathos than Iron Man 2 can handle.

Story wise, there are plot holes big enough to fly a Helicarrier through. Besides the franchise’s usual issues with time and space, the biggest one involves Vanko’s original revenge attempt against Stark. He somehow knows that Stark will be at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix and manages to infiltrate the raceway security brigade and gets onto the track to try and kill Stark as he races by. The only problem with the plan is that it wasn’t known that Stark would be driving, since he only replaced the car’s normal driver moments before the race began.

Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) awaits Tony Stark at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix.

The writing also seems to slip. Oh, Tony Stark is his usual snarky self, but the dialogue seems to be filled with terms that sound impressive, but are never explained. As an audience member it’s like being a child listening to your parents talk and not understanding what they’re talking about. But at the same time, I didn’t pay to be treated like a child. If you bring up some made up scientific term, then at least give it some sort of made up explanation. Also the humor goes low, so low as having Tony Stark tell partygoers that he’s going to the bathroom in his Iron Man suit and then discussing the filtration afterwards. I know we’re supposed to be seeing Tony Stark at his old Robert Downey, Jr. worst, but is having the character pee in his suit the best way to write about it? I would hope for Justin Theroux’s sake that this wasn’t his best writing.

Iron Man 2 tries hard to outdo its predecessor, but sometimes money, casting changes and special effects aren’t enough. Iron Man 2 is good, but it doesn’t quite rise to the same level of Iron Man, leading to the sequel truth that one is usually better than two. Soon we’ll find out if 3 is a magic number.

Cowboys & Aliens

In 2006, Platinum Studios released a graphic novel called Cowboys & Aliens, created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. Jon Favreau, who you may know as the director of the Iron Man movies, later directed a film adaptation of the same name for release in 2011. At the time this was hyped, I wasn't exactly sure what to make of it, but it did seem like an interesting concept. Having seen the movie without having read the graphic novel, I liked it better than I thought I would, but it still had a few problems.

The story begins in 1875 with an unknown man (Daniel Craig) waking up with no memory and a mysterious device on his wrist. While he tries to break it off with a rock, a group of men on horseback attempt to rob him. The stranger, however, manages to beat and rob all of them, taking a horse and their dog before making his way to the town of Absolution. Once there, he runs into the preacher Meacham (Clancy Brown), who treats a mysterious wound he has on his chest. Soon after, the stranger takes down another man named Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), the son of a cattleman (Harrison Ford), who has been a nuisance to the town. Soon after, the stranger is identified by the sheriff as Jake Lonergan, a wanted outlaw. Meanwhile, while a group of men tend to cattle, an alien spacecraft wreaks havoc as only one of the men survives. It isn't long before the aliens attack Absolution, abducting several people before one craft is shot down. After investigating the craft, a group of villagers plan to go against the aliens, while Jake searches for answers and his memories.

Overall the movie has an interesting premise and it seems to handle it in an interesting way. I don't know how it compares to the graphic novel it's based on, but I did notice a couple weird things about it. *Spoiler Alert* The female lead Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde) is at one point revealed to be an alien, which seems to come out of nowhere. To their credit, they do try to explain this, but later in the movie is a sort of continuity error: Ella reveals that the aliens work underground because they can't stand sunlight, yet during the final battle (in the sunlight no less), the aliens are perfectly fine. *End Spoiler*

The acting is good in this movie, but everyone seems to come off as a jerk to some degree. Even the main character comes off as somewhat of a jerk, but he also has a heart of gold. The effects are pulled off spectacularly in this film, especially when it comes to the aliens' technology, but the design of said aliens, save for one, got a little creepy at times, particularly in that they appear to have fish eyes. It got a little unsettling whenever that was clearly shown, but otherwise they were fairly easy to look at.

Cowboys & Aliens was better that I thought it would be, but it wasn't one of the best movies I've seen this year. They do try to explain everything, but a few things seem a little off. I don't know if those who have read the graphic novel will enjoy it, though I have heard that it differs from the source in some ways. If you're curious about seeing the movie, I would say it's worth seeing at least once.