It's surprising that anybody could have thought Sam Jackson's appearance in 'Iron Man' was a..."cameo"?... Please. Makes no sense. This from the write up that's been in the Canadian press:
The actor confirms he's already received word the eye-patch-wearing operative will have a more significant role in the sequel, due in May 2010. "I saw (director) Jon Favreau last night. He walked up and said, 'Hey, I hope you're making your deal.' "
Of course. Duh.
I found this over at Wired. Stan Lee's cameos in X-Men, Spiderman, Daredevil, Hulk, Fantastic 4, et al.
They're running the Stan Lee compilation along with a look at 'Iron Man' -- as in 'everything you need to know about Iron Man'. It's fun.
I'm building one of these suits. I got it to fly but can't get it to walk right -- the left arm moves forward with the left leg -- same on the right side. They should alternate. I look dumb. Got to work that one out. But, I got it to fly. That's something, right.
Here's Todd McCarthy's review of 'Iron Man'. Anne Thompson says, "Downey's Iron Man may be the robust action fantasy hero movie fans have been waiting for, a contemporary complex male who isn't carved from the same block as archetypes Batman or Superman. While Iron Man comics fans are legion, this is a new modern movie hero who kicks ass. And he's not a nice guy."
Why can't they all be this good? Is someone working on that?
'Iron Man' is shaping up to be not just a hit, but a good movie on top of that. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect for the role -- well-versed in the ways of the world (as a superhero must be), but still just a kid at heart. Should lend Iron Man the gravitas needed to be taken seriously without alienating the kids the movie will be meant for -- think Batman sans all the moping around.
Jon Favreau is getting knocked for his unproven ability to direct (he's done some TV but that's it), but check out the clip -- it's perfectly shot, works as exposition (it explains [non-verbally] how the suit enables Stark to fly), and one can only assume the timing of this plot point is right on. Looks like Favreau not only has the chops needed, he's got a natural affinity for the material -- and that can't be faked.
As for the intangibles, the 'learning to fly' clip had me hooked -- it's just plain good, plays real, and gets you to know and like the protagonist. All in all, pretty effective film-making.
When I first heard that a movie would be made about Iron Man I rolled my eyes -- I'm betting you know what I was thinking -- 'Do we really need another vapid CGI-driven comic book movie'? The answer, of course, is 'no'. But, then I hear Robert Downey Jr. will bring the iron guy to life and my spirits are lifted. Then...I see a still like the one above and I can't wait to see 'Iron Man'. Can this guy act, or what.
