Preview: Iron Man (2008)

• Poster: C; C-; C+

Review:

Like the trailer, this poster is rather lifeless. It's a reduction to a suit, which certainly fits the theme of the character, but it's not very evocative and not very much of a teaser. Only school-yard fans of the comic will see the poster and drool. Everyone else will probably shrug and walk on.

More cartoonish and more befitting a campaign for a comic book series, this second poster is hardly enticing and it doesn't have the classic look most poster collectors would want. It's too straightforward and unexceptional.

This new poster is a noted improvement over the first two, but not by too much. It is still a classic design using the heads of the cast against a backdrop appropriate to the film. However, this one is a bit too glossy to be classicism at its best. Instead, it's just another blockbuster-meets-serious-flick visual attempt.

• Trailer: C; B

Review:

This trailer literally feels like it's trying to explain Iron Man's origins before the movie comes out so that they can just cut those scenes and throw up a bunch of fancy action sequences. The trailer reminds me far too much of The Hulk and we all know what a disappointment that turned out to be.

I'm a little more interested after the full length trailer. Sure, there's a lot of "origin" story involved, but unlike The Hulk, this one actually has a witty actor to take on the barbs, he's not just a killing machine. Robert Downey Jr could finally become a box office draw after this, something that his contemporary Johnny Depp became after Pirates.

Oscar Prospects:

Unless the film's visual effects are better than what we see in the preview, this film will virtually sunk at the 81st Oscars.

Release Date:

• May 2, 2008

Full Review Synopsis:

One of the strongest entries into the superhero movie canon of recent years. While featuring a few flaws, this is one of the most entertaining comic book adaptations in last few years.

• Full Review: Iron Man

-Wesley Lovell (September 15, 2007) Original

-Wesley Lovell (April 20, 2008) New Poster; Buy the Poster Enabled

-Wesley Lovell (May 25, 2008) New Poster

-Wesley Lovell (July 13, 2008) Film Review Posted