critical mass
The summer blockbuster season is upon us, and we all know what that means: a lot fewer female-centered movies. However, as much as movie marketers seem to think every woman wants to see
Made of Honor this weekend, many of us actually enjoy a good action flick every once and awhile. Like
Iron Man. The first of the big-budget summer blockbusters,
Iron Man, is a movie that has, in that annoying, trendy Hollywood jargon, "broad appeal". [
Like "broad" as in euphemism for "female"? -Ed.]
Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, an arms dealer with a limitless fortune who becomes Iron Man when he creates a computerized suit that gives him superhero abilities. (Sort of like
Inspector Gadget meets
Batman.) The real appeal of this movie is not in the stock Marvel Comics plot, but in the attitude and edge that Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow (who plays his assistant) bring to an otherwise standard, explosion-filled, digitally-enhanced film. In fact, film critics seem downright seduced by the film's cynical charm! Their reviews, after the jump.
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