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Please see the movie before reading this review.

1. For the first 17 minutes, I found Tony Stark mostly unlikable, albeit not as much as Hal Jordan. His behavior is irresponsible bordering on prickish and his altruistic rhetoric with the journalist does not sound very believable. For example, somebody who delivers lines like, “I’ll be throwing in a case of champagne with every [arms] purchase of $500 million or more. To peace!” does not sound like he is actually engaged in a higher mission. However, even in the first twenty minutes, we see more charm and intelligence from Stark than we do from Hal Jordan over the course of Green Lantern. It makes it somewhat easier to look past his prickish tendencies.

1.1. After Tony Stark wakes up in terrorist captivity, he matures significantly and becomes much more likable. In particular, he becomes substantially more altruistic (concerned for others). For example, he attempts to stop Yinsen from suicidally attempting to buy Stark time. His press conference coming back from Afghanistan is not a triumphant victory speech but a sober reflection on his weapons being used to kill U.S. servicemen. I’d like to contrast that with Green Lantern – after Hal Jordan torpedoes the jet contract, he never expresses any concern for the hundreds of teammates that will lose their jobs. If Hal Jordan had held this press conference, it would have been to congratulate himself.

What I like most about Tony Stark’s maturation is that his edges don’t soften entirely. He’s never a team player (e.g. he shuts down his arms division and he outs himself as Iron Man entirely on his own). Stark isn’t very forgiving after Rhodes dismisses Stark’s offer to involve him in the Iron Man project. He’s extremely impulsive, particularly compared to Batman. He still lacks restraint, although it’s executed in a more likable way. For example, more than an hour in, a journalist (and one-night stand) tells him he has a lot of nerve showing up and asks him for a reaction. STARK: “Panic. I would say my reaction is panic.” (Contrast to “If my calculations, which they always are” earlier). Although he’s grown, he retains some of the edges which make him human and memorable.

2. More so than any other superhero movie, Iron Man did a great job mixing in unexpected emotional cues to help develop the plot and characters.

After Tony’s kidnapping and return, the characters express grief in unusual ways. I think this makes them feel more distinct and establishes that Tony is much more than just a coworker/boss. TONY TO PEPPER: “Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?” PEPPER: “Tears of joy. I hate job-hunting.” The first thing Rhodes says to Stark is: “How was the fun-vee?”
Dr. Yinsen’s suicidal blaze of glory starts out comical and ends about as grimly as you would expect.
The cheeseburger is a light and believable touch to an otherwise sober press conference.
The film uses Jim Cramer to demonstrate that the markets are panicking about Tony Stark’s change of heart. This is more humorous and eccentric than, say, having financial analysts seriously discussing the fallout. We didn’t see anything this charming when Ferris Industries lost the fighter contract in Green Lantern. In addition, using Cramer helps develop Stark’s decision – Stark looks sane and mature by comparison.
In the middle of a highly serious battle, the CIA asks the Air Force if Iron Man is theirs. This humorously helps develop how chaotic the scene is. I could imagine that various government agencies had similar conversations about Stuxnet.
STARK: “Tell me you don’t think about that night.” POTTS: “That night we danced and you went down to get me a drink and you left me there by myself? Is that the night you’re talking about?” *Stark gulps.* POTTS: “Thought so.”
TERRORIST: “Stark has made a masterpiece of death.” This is an interesting contrast with what we’ve seen from Tony’s perspective – the curiosity/testing, the love he put into the colors, the hilarious fire dummy, etc.
Stane reveals his betrayal to Tony at a cheerful public gathering, as journalists are taking their picture. I think the surprising choice of setting worked out really well here – in this scene, Tony is powerless to respond as forcefully as he wants to. I think that adds to the stakes.

3. If you’re struggling with how to make an emotional impact with minor characters, I’d recommend checking out Dr. Yinsen.

Why does it matter that Yinsen lies about his (actually murdered) family being safe at home? It encourages viewers to root for him to survive – he has something to look forward to. When he revealed “They’re already dead,” that was like a kick in the teeth. In contrast, compare this to Green Lantern killing off Amanda Waller’s husband and Hal Jordan’s dad seconds after introducing them. Umm . . . who cares? Readers/viewers will only miss characters who have actually contributed something.
Yinsen contributes something that other characters don’t – he is the perfect foil for Stark’s selfishness and is better at pulling Stark towards altruism than anybody else.
Deep down, I thought he might pull it out and escape with Tony – his initial combat with the terrorists went so well and he was so likable. These subverted expectations made his death that much more tragic.
Yinsen’s loss is more chilling because it’s intentional and because he treats it so unemotionally. STARK, to a dying Yinsen: “Come on. We’ve got a plan.” YINSEN: “This always was the plan, Stark.”
I like that Yinsen lies to Tony about his family and his strategic intentions. It gives the character a bit of an edge and makes their relationship a bit more interesting than it would have been otherwise.

4. As far as speeches/monologues go, I recommend Stark’s press conference. “I never got to say goodbye to my father. There’s questions I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability. I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I'm shutting down the arms division . . . ” (Stane ends the press conference).

I really like this speculation/uncertainty about what his father would have done. It effectively creates distance and is more mentally engaging than having him narrate that “I didn’t know my father all that well.” This is more artful than anything we saw for the fathers of Hal Jordan and perhaps Bruce Wayne. (Also, Hal’s father took far too much space, whereas Stark’s dad gets only a few passing mentions).
This is one of the only points in the movie where Tony shows uncertainty.
As noted above in 1.1, he doesn’t talk about his heroism or his suffering. That’s effective characterization. He’s maturing.
I really like Stane’s subtle opposition here. Stane looks alarmed when Tony mentions the fallen servicemen – this is the first sign that he is not a friend of freedom. In contrast, Catwoman’s relationship with the manipulative villainess wasn’t nearly as subtle – there was never any doubt that she was an enemy rather than merely an obstacle. In contrast, watching this the first time, you might easily walk from this scene thinking that Stane is trying to stop Tony from making an impulsive mistake rather than trying to harm him.
I’m torn on the emotional development. On the one hand, he could show rather than tell: “I had my eyes opened,” but I think it works in context. If he had a masterfully-crafted and well-rehearsed speech here, it’d probably feel less authentic and heartfelt. here. were super-glib and incredibly well-rehearsed here, I’m inclined to give him a pass, though, because in context I think he comes across as someone who’s been so shocked by the experience that his narration is less smooth than it could be.

5. The film did a great job using unusual decisions by characters to develop the plot and characterization.

Early on, the unusual decisions didn’t have any substantial consequences. Missing the awards ceremony, giving the award to Caesar, and drinking with Rhodes on the plane, for example. This is not ideal.
Stark loses hope after realizing that the terrorist will eventually kill him. This helps make Stark more relatable and leads to an interesting conflict with Yinsen. (“Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?” “Why should I do something about it? They’re going to kill me, you, either way. And if they don’t, I’ll probably be dead in a week.” “Well, then, this is a very important week for you, isn’t it?”)

Stark puts an unusual amount of preparation into his breakout (e.g. memorizing the amount of steps he will need to get out of the cave, because turning on the suit will overload the cave’s generator). Although his plan hinges on raw strength (tanking his way through terrorists), note that he actually executes his plan in a very stealthy and intelligent way. This is more than we can say for Catwoman.
Yinsen lies to Stark about his family and his plan. I think this helps show that there’s more to him than just generic niceness/heroicness – he knows that Stark would not sign onto this plan if he knew that Yinsen had something suicidally brave in mind. Note that Stark tells him to stick to his (nonsuicidal) plan even though this plan means more danger for Stark.
Most characters would have treated the press conference as a victory lap, which would have cheapened the death of Yinsen.
Tony uses flamethrowers against the terrorists, whereas most superheroes use nonlethal measures. Except for possibly Dark Knight Rises, I think this is as close to a “war is hell” superhero movie as we’ve seen so far. (In contrast, the violence in Iron Man 2 was so soft I’m guessing they threw in the hanging to avoid a PG rating).
Tony passes on a hospital stay, even after three months of captivity. “Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first. And a press conference.” I think that doing the press conference before seeking medical treatment subtly develops him as increasingly selfless. As for the burger, I think that helps develop that he’s human and a bit eccentric. The cheeseburger also helps develop Stark’s obstacles moving forward: the media thinks the press conference was a bit bizarre and perhaps a sign of posttraumatic strain.
Agent Coulson is unusually soft with Pepper. Potts sort of brushes off his request for an interview with Stark, but he warmly thanks her anyway. Making demands of a recent captive might look unfriendly, particularly since Stark already done debriefings with other agencies, so this is helpful to establishing Coulson’s likability and differentiating him from the stereotypical hardass g-man. Similarly, he’s not exactly the prototypical build for a government agent, either – he’s shorter than Pepper!
Stark asks Pepper to do a medical procedure? Yeah, this didn’t make much sense. See #8.
Stark asks her to destroy the backup generator. This helps develop his increasing paranoia and lack of nostalgia. She instead makes it into a charming gift, which simultaneously helps develop her as an independent and a friend and sets up the plot device so that Stark can survive after Stane steals the main reactor.
POTTS: “I thought you said you were done making weapons.” STARK: “It’s a flight stabilizer. It’s completely harmless.” *rocket launcher effect.* STARK: “I didn’t expect that.”
Whereas I suspect that Batman would probably push ahead more methodically, Iron Man tests himself with reckless abandon. He decides to break the record for fixed-wing flight. I like that there are consequences here – he nearly kills himself, but he incidentally solves a problem which proves useful in the climactic fight.
Stark rescues the F-22 pilot even though the other F-22 has locked onto him. This is unusual altruism, particularly given that the F-22s opened unprovoked fire on him.
RHODES: “The less I know [about your work as Iron Man], the better.” Saying no to a tour would be a hard call for an R&D guy – almost as hard as an astronaut passing on an opportunity to meet aliens.
Stane kills the terrorists even though it isn’t urgent and the terrorists have been exceedingly generous. The head terrorist gave him the designs and prototype in the hopes of getting Iron Monger suits eventually. Stane takes trust very seriously.
Pepper’s uneasy about Tony Stark risking his life to be Iron Man. Tony asks Pepper for espionage help. Pepper: “I cannot help you if you’re going to start all of this again.” “There is no art benefit, nothing to sign, nothing. There is the next mission and nothing else.” “Is that so? Well, then, I quit.” Unfortunately, he convinces her to change her mind almost immediately. This might be more dramatic if it took more time – e.g. he tries to find the information on his own, but fails in a major way, and she figures that he’s going to get himself killed without her. I’d recommend looking at The Dark Knight’s Lucius-Batman disagreement for a more interesting example of protagonist-vs-protagonist conflict.
Stark uses Pepper on a dangerous mission. I found this a bit asinine, but he probably couldn’t have done it himself. (Also, it helps her be more useful, which is a perennial concern for love interests).
Stark blows his own secret identity. This is one of the most impulsive/reckless decisions I’ve seen in a superhero movie – I like that they pushed the envelope. The consequences are great, too (in Iron Man 2).

6. I found Iron Man’s characterization generally memorable (especially in the last 90 minutes of the movie). Here were some aspects that stood out.

Much more so than most other superheroes, Tony Stark is explicitly American. There aren’t many characters that are both aware/realistic and luridly hopeful. I find that very refreshing.
Some of Tony’s most important decisions (leaving the arms business and outing himself as Iron Man) are completely impulsive. At the time of the press conference, he isn’t sure what the company will make instead. I think most other characters (especially Bruce Wayne) would have handled this very differently, which helps Stark come across as memorable.
In almost every case, major decisions have believable consequences for the characters. Notably, when Tony Stark leaves the arms business, investors freak, Rhodes and the military become notably cooler to Stark, and Stane escalates his opposition. In contrast, Green Lantern has a breathtakingly inept plot arc where Hal Jordan nearly dooms his company and gets half of the employees fired, but a character who had called him a failure both to the company and a disappointment to women everywhere personally intervenes to save his job. WTF? If office romances actually worked like that, we wouldn’t have bars.
Tony leaves the arms business in a characteristically impulsive fashion. I like that the consequences for this are fierce and very believable – investors freak, Rhodes and the military become notably cooler to Stark, and Stane ratchets up his opposition.
Stark is explicitly non nostalgic. I think this helps build an interesting contrast with Captain America. Also, Hal Jordan keeps a picture of his dad in his cockpit, even though he freaks out whenever he sees it. Not the brightest bulb, that one.

7. The film took an enormous risk spending so much time on Tony Stark’s origin, but the combination of high stakes, characterization and humor made it work. The film spends 25 minutes (!) on Tony Stark’s captivity and another 10 covering the design of the Iron Man suit. Iron Man has the longest cinematic origin story I’ve seen besides maybe Batman Begins. In BB, the training scenes with Ra’s al Ghul were rather long and could have done more to develop Batman/Wayne. In contrast, Tony Stark’s Afghani scenes are critical to his character development (e.g. developing guilt over his weapons, becoming altruistic, realizing that he could be doing more to help people, etc). The development of the Iron Man suit could probably have been shortened by a few minutes, but the stakes were high and the scenes were funny and fresh enough that the length wasn’t a major problem. Along with First Class, I’d recommend Iron Man for great training sequences – the writers kept viewers guessing by pushing the envelope, like having Iron Man test 10 percent thrust and become one with the ceiling. In contrast, with a more standard training sequence like Spider-Man 1 or Amazing Spider-Man, it was pretty easy to guess how they’d work in the various powers.

POTTS: “I thought you said you were done making weapons.” “It’s a flight stabilizer. It’s completely harmless.” *rocket launcher effect.* “I didn’t expect that.”
The fire dummy is one of the funnier silent characters I’ve encountered. He also helped develop Tony Stark’s personality and appreciation for fire safety.

8. The movie’s weakest scene was probably Potts replacing Stark’s arc generator. It was hard to believe that someone careful enough to memorize the number of footsteps to escape from a darkened Afghani cave would trust a life-or-death medical procedure to his secretary, or that she would agree to it. I think the easiest way to explain this would be to have the original generator suddenly fail (e.g. run out of fuel or whatever). If it looks like Stark only has a few minutes to live, then having Potts step in would make more sense. Then they can refuel the original in case the new one ever needs to be replaced.

9. The protagonist-vs-protagonist conflict was okay, but didn’t have enough consequences over the first ~15 minutes.

Rhodes and Tony have a minor spat over Tony skipping out on the awards ceremony and whether they should drink on the plane. These conflicts get resolved almost immediately without contributing much to the plot or character growth.
Rhodes to Tony: “I’m just your babysitter.” This conflict would feel more satisfying if he actually did something about it.
Tony tells Rhodes mentions an exciting nonmilitary project he’s working on, but Rhodes blows him off. Later on, when Rhodes has urgent questions about the mysterious prototype spotted in Afghanistan, Stark still hasn’t forgiven him. This hampers communication between the two, exacerbates the conflict with the Air Force, and probably puts Stark in more danger. This is much sharper than anything we saw between Rhodes and Tony early on.
We didn’t see very much from Peppers here. For example, later on she worries that Tony’s Iron Man work will get him killed. Early on, she could try to convince Tony not to go to Afghanistan. This would help raise the stakes when she gets nervous again about Tony’s safety – if she bites her tongue the first time and he nearly got killed, it’d give her more reason to hold her ground.
Yinsen vs. a despairing Stark who is convinced that he’s going to be killed either way. Yinsen not only propels him through the Afghani scenes but also provides a substantial motivation throughout the rest of the movie. Yinsen’s sacrifice also develops Stark’s internal conflict about whether he’s doing enough to help people. (“Thank you for saving me.” “Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life”).
STARK: “I could fire you, if that’d take the edge off.” POTTS: “I actually don’t think you could tie your shoes without me.” “I’d make it at least a week.” “What’s your social security number?” “ . . . five.” I like the banter here. Potts does a better job sticking up for herself than, say, Carol Ferris, or Catwoman, or (God help her) Emma Frost.

10. Stane’s development is simple but very elegant – I think he really contributed to the movie’s success. Granted, he doesn’t make nearly as much of an impression or get as much screen-time as The Dark Knight’s Joker. Hell, he doesn’t even get as much screen-time as the development of the Iron Man suit. Despite that, I think he has a more interesting relationship with Tony than most supervillains do with their nemeses. For example, he made the obstacles facing Tony Stark’s change of heart feel very believable. His sympathetic appearance made Tony’s decision harder and more interesting, and his continuing selfishness is a solid foil to Stark’s newfound concern for others. In contrast, the relationship between Peter Parker and Curt Connors in Amazing Spider-Man doesn’t do much to develop either.

I don’t know how, but The Dude really pulled off a conniving business guru. His performance cornered Sharon Stone’s career and beat it to death with a box of scraps.

11. The characters were generally three-dimensional and believable.

Potts is probably at her most human when she worries about how dancing with Tony would affect her image (e.g. making it look like she’s romancing the boss to get ahead). It’s very refreshing that she has interests and concerns besides getting in bed with him, which, by the way, separates her from every other woman in the movie. In contrast, I think Rachel Dawes was a bit lackluster on this front – she didn’t get enough of a role outside of romance.
Even the fire dummy has emotional development. Put more bluntly: in terms of emotional development, Rachel Dawes makes the fire dummy look like Othello.
Most decisions have believable motivations and consequences – for example, it makes sense that a military officer would treat Stark icily after Stark suddenly parts ways with the defense industry. In contrast, the villains in Green Lantern and Catwoman focus on the superheroes even though the superheroes were at the time peripheral to their plans. For example, after Green Lantern inflicts a minor setback on Hector Hammond, Parallax announces that “The Green Lantern is a threat. Eliminate him.” Out of the thousands of Green Lanterns in the universe, has Hal Jordan actually earned this? Or is Parallax picking his name out of a hat because Hal Jordan is the guy on the movie poster?
In the heat of the moment, friendlies panic and cause some problems. For example, the minivan driver starts accelerating and runs over Iron Man. The jet pilots engage Iron Man before they completely understand the situation.
Tony retains enough of his edge.
Exception: I found it a bit hard to believe that someone as intelligent as Stane would take it upon himself to kill Tony Stark, particularly at his house. That place is probably loaded with security cameras and, let’s face it, nothing would suck more than getting convicted because of the testimony of a fire dummy. One possibility would be faking an accident when he’s outdoors.

12. I thought that the movie did a pretty good job balancing the importance of the side-characters vs. the main character(s). If the side-characters do too little, they’re useless (e.g. Darwin and Angel in First Class). If they do too much, they may overshadow the main character (e.g. Tom Lone tells Catwoman how to thwart the criminal investigation, but a great criminal should be able to figure that out on her own). Pepper strikes a good balance. For example, Pepper pulls the trigger on the reactor overload, but Stark has to get the villain into position for it to work (and then he has to survive the overload himself). She plays a key role in implicating Stane, and Stark plays a role convincing her (although I think she would have been more interesting if the convincing had taken more effort).

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