Iron Man - Nostalgia Critic 

Does the movie to start it all still hold up? Watch last weeks NC on Zathura - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fd5Mx0LooYo.html Come see Doug at Vaticon in Dublin - vaticon.eu/ DOUG IS LIVE ON TWITCH DOING A Q&A - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome

It's worth noting that Tony Stark also did away with the tortured hero archetype that was so prevalent at the time (Batman, Wolverine, Spider-man). He was a breath of fresh air because he enjoyed being himself, was a quippy smartass, and massively charismatic. Future MCU projects try to recapture the magic, but Tony Stark was special because he made it cool.

Fun fact about the Burger King shoutout: RDJ has credited Burger King as being part of his rock bottom and helping him get off drugs. He said he was so disgusted by one of their burgers that it helped him realize he's at his lowest point and that he needed help to get out of it. He insisted on the shoutout when they did this movie as a way to pay thanks. Edit: According to the replies, he was actually disgusted with himself cause he realized he couldn't taste it. Every source I've read usually said he found it disgusting, but I guess that was referring to something else. My bad.

It’s still hard for me to believe it’s been 15 years since the start of the MCU. Also, I miss Yinsen. He could’ve been a unique ally for Tony in later movies.

Fuck. Hearing Nick say "I'm here to talk about the Avengers Initiative" brings me right back to the moment that happened in theater with my dad. He's excitement and clear "holy shit my childhood is happening" was clear. Still gets chills

When you're old enough for Iron Man to be nostalgic. And yes this still holds up.

Fun Fact: Director Jon Favreau wanted Robert Downey Jr. because he felt the actor's past was right for the part. He commented: "The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic book character having trouble in high school, or can't get the girl." Favreau also felt Downey could make Stark "a likable asshole," but also depict an authentic emotional journey once he won over the audience.

Love the fact that this and Tropic Thunder came out the same year makes me love Robert Downey Jr even more.

Crazy to think that Iron Man was a C-lister at best in the comics before all of this. A real testament to both RDJ and Favreau.

Fun fact: the Nick Fury of the MCU is based on the Universe 1610 (aka Ultimate Marvel iirc) Nick Fury, which was actually modeled after Samuel Jackson years before the movies started coming out. The one that shows up in video games is often based more on the 616 Nick Fury.

"Does it still hold up 15 years later?" Yes, yes it does.

15 years later and this is still one of my favourite marvel movies

I saw this when it first came out. When I saw Coleson’s first line I turned to my brother and said “I think that guy works for shield.” At the time I assumed it was a throwaway line. A treat for the comics fans that would have no impact on the story. I was happy to learn the truth.

To this day, I’m still hearing people say “Tony Stark was able to make this in a cave! With a bunch of scrap!”. This movie really started an important movement in cinematic history. And I honestly can’t imagine the day the MCU ends

Special thanks to the serious moments, the heartfelt permanent deaths and the realistic sensibilities that made this movie a hit. You're being heartily missed at this phase 😭😭😭

Nearly 15 years later, and the suit CGI still looks incredible. It's a shame the effects are so bad now.

Fun fact: that scene with Tony eating the cheeseburger was supposedly based on Robert Downey Jr.'s real life experience getting a burger and deciding to change his life around because of it so they stuck it in the movie because of that

For those not in the know, Jackson as Fury started out because of the Ultimate Marvel version is based on him. That's the Marvel Universe that gave us Miles Morales as Spider-man, because that version of Peter Parker had died three years into the MCU being a thing.

It's actually rather amazing how well a lot of phase one still holds up

I know it's been played, replayed, replayed some more, and used in countless memes... but damn that tank missile scene is one of the coolest "badass character walking away from an explosion" moments ever.

8:33 Actually didn’t get cancelled. Went out on its own terms with 7 seasons, & it was a great series that’s heavily underrated.

I'm just glad this film was made because it got a lot of people more into comics than if they didn't make in the first place

There was actually some foreshadowing about Stane. When he was playing the piano, he was playing a piece written by Antonio Salieri who was suspected of poisoning the much more famous and arguably more talented composer Mozart, thus alluding to Stane being the Salieri to Stark’s Mozart

In hindsight: *this film was the greatest decision Marvel ever made.* Iron Man helped boost the character's popularity with the mainstream, convinced Marvel that even their less popular heroes could be box office draws, and propelled the studio to super-stardom. On the Hollywood side of things, it gave Robert Downey Jr. a massive Career Resurrection and launched one of the most influential franchises in modern cinema, which would also become the most profitable film franchise in history.

Fun fact: when reviving the characters, Nick Fury was modeled after Samuel Jackson and got into a small legal issue over it. He was fine with it as long as he got to play him in the movies.

I always loved Obadiah's line when trying to replicate the arc reactor "Tony Stark made this in a cave!!!! WITH A BUNCH OF SCRAPS!!!"

The beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. *Chills, complete chills.*

8:55: "Even with a badass suit and a cigar, _nobody_ can make a Segway look good." Have you ever seen _Paul Blart: Mall Cop,_ Doug?

Two things: One - I wasn't much of a superhero fan before I saw this movie. This movie made me fall in love with Iron Man and Marvel as a whole. Other movies WISH they could have as epic a start to a franchise as this! Two - I'm so happy you're doing the Pirates movies! Can't wait to see how that goes!

After 15 years, WE STILL LOVE IT 3000✊🏾

I was a kid when this movie came out, and something that made it stand out for me was the war in Afghanistan. Back in 2008, the conflict in the Middle East was *always* on the news, it was hard not to see what was going on there, and it was hard as a kid to not feel like like there was a real villain organisation straight out of a comic book. The scene where Tony first goes to Afghanistan to save those citizens and unveils his suit is magical because it felt *real*. This wasn't a superhero saving people from a dire situation that the movie made up, those people existed to me. And that made the movie feel all the more impactful, and helped cement Tony as a childhood superhero for me.

One more fact about this film: When the day of the film test came, the SWS crew was ready to make their case for shooting with a real Mark I. "So we showed up for the first Mark I film test at the cave interior set. They didn't know we were bringing a suit, they thought we were bringing a prop on a stand that they could roll in and roll out as a reference element," said Hensley. "So we uncover the Mark I and Mike Justice is inside it, but it was dark and they couldn't tell there was a guy in the suit. We lit him all up and there was a very brief moment where they were all looking at it, Favreau, the producers, and then suddenly Mike took a step forward and they were shocked. And then it was lots of hushed conversation and they started asking 'How much can he move?' Mike starts turning sideways, putting his arms out, moving all around, and they realized this was a suit that they could actually shoot with. We were so proud that we did it." To support the nearly 90-pound Mark I suit, the Stan Winston Studio crew created a sturdy corset harness and aluminum support rig. The 90-pound suit was primarily comprised of epoxy "armor" shells, flexible urethane, leather and aluminum. Also Shane Mahan recalls the Mark I's digital beginnings: "The Mark I was going to be done entirely digitally, but we kept saying that this suit is perfect for having a performer inside and making it work. We were all a bit cocky about it. Our feeling was like, this is what we do. It's a guy in a suit, trying to escape. So let us make a guy in a suit, trying to escape. We would shoot our own internal tests with stuntman Mike Justice and he'd move around while we'd operate all the radio controlled engines and belt drives on the back of the suit." Proving the producers wrong became a point of pride among the crew at Stan Winston Studio. "They were telling us it was never gonna work. That the suit wouldn't walk. And Shane took that as a challenge and we all busted our ass to get that thing working. There's not a person who worked on that suit who wasn't up all night, taking that challenge by the horns," Trevor Hensley remembers.

Iron Monger in retrospect is one of the coolest antagonists in the MCU

Also the effects of the Iron Man suiting up are so satisfying to watch....They really did work with a iron suit instead of a CGI one

8:16 I had to admit, I absolutely love it when big CEOs or super rich people would just be this cool and just wanna sit down on the floor (or some bouncy cushion or whatever's better) and be like the everyday man. I know he did it because he went through a lot and just wanted to feel chilled and less stressed, but even if this were to happen more in real life, people probably would find it way more human to talk to them.

Marvel got me hooked with the "I am Iron Man" ending. I knew who Iron Man was, and it was a B list superhero at best. I knew Tony Stark always claimed Iron Man was his "bodyguard," though unbelievable. Marvel threw that (and Superman's glasses disguised Clark Kent) out the window to declare they had confidence with the story & characters and would forge their own path.

Ah, the movie that started a universe. One of Robert Downey Jr’s finest roles!

Another fun fact about this amazing film is: The script was not completely finished when filming began, since the filmmakers were more focused on the story and the action, so the dialogue was mostly ad-libbed throughout filming. Director Jon Favreau acknowledged this made the film feel more natural. Some scenes were shot with two cameras, to capture lines improvised on the spot. Robert Downey Jr. would ask for many takes of one scene, since he wanted to try something new. Gwyneth Paltrow, on the other hand, had a difficult time trying to match Downey with a suitable line, as she never knew what he would say.

Hard to believe I was 5 when this hit in theaters. I close my eyes and I'm a kid again. Watching the greatest superheroes come together.

8:31 Canceled? Agents of SHIELD lasted 7 seasons, which were all great! What are you talking about?

12:42 I did not expect that. XD

The thing I find the most amazing about the first Iron Man movie is how much they did with practical effects. The majority of the Iron Man scenes are done with either RDJ or a stunt double in an actual full body suit.

One of my ten favorite superhero movies that saved the career of one of my 10 favorite actors! 😎🌟🤟🏻

12:18 ALWAYS the funniest part! XD

I ca still remember my jaw hitting the floor when he revealed his identity. In that moment, as only a 14 year old kid can, I realized anything was now possible.

Tony flying into the atmosphere and his suit getting wrecked by frostbite was basically a modern day telling of Icarus flying too close to the sun.

Man, enough time has passed that Iron Man is getting an NC review.

13:38 I haven't laughed this hard in A LONG TIME XD

The pacing of the scenes with Tony being held hostage is top tier. The first like 2/3 of this movie is so good

Believe it or not, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actually ran for seven whole seasons and it even got a proper finale!

Ahh, memories. I remember when my dad got this movie back in 2010 for me, and when I saw it, it was awesome. I consider this to be in my Top 3 FAVORITE MCU Movies. This movie will always have a special place in my heart.

I gotta say, I love the themed months. They always make me giddy with excitement! I can't waaaaaait

Insane how long it’s been since the MCU movies began. ❤

Fun Fact: I was 6 years old when Iron Man came out and I still vividly remember the first time me and my family watched it. I've basically been watching Marvel movies my whole life!

The best part of "i am iron man" is that it wasnt scripted. Originally he was meant to read the speech on the note he is given but RDJ went off script and they played it for test auddiences and they loved it so much it was kept in

The burger king bit is a delicious bit of irony because it's what caused RDJ to get sober.

Ironman was a classic. I can still watch it and really enjoy it. It’s fun, funny, and an enjoyable watch now. Ironmans first action scene is still one of my favorite action scenes in the MCU

Personally Bridges is still one of the better MCU villain performances. Bridges steals a lot of scenes. Also surprised you didnt mention how much of the lines were improved. They only had a skeleton of the script when they started filming, Bridges almost quit more than once becasue he's not an improv actor. Really makes a lot of the performances shine when you realize how much of the dialogue was ad libd

2:25 My god, imagine an alternate universe where Paramount owned the MCU

Going back to watch this more recently, it's kinda surprising just how much of the movie is just RDJ playing around in his lab and inventing things and having fun. And it's somehow super engaging.

I'm really glad this film came out because up to this point Robert Downey Jr. was kind of having of rough phase in his life and also in his movie career so to see him come back like he has with these films is really beautiful because i still remember when people though he was never gonna be a star again in Hollywood.

Say what you will about the current state of the MCU, but this movie really was innovative to the modern renaissance of superhero films following X-Men’s OG trilogy to “Batman Begins”. My dad and I saw this and enjoyed it & it was amazing to see Robert Downey Jr. earn that return to the screen after his difficult early years

I wouldn't quite call Obidiah as the villain "lazy setup" because the writing's been hinting to it from his first scene. He acts like he's in control, has scenes making deals with the terrorists and even killing said terrorists to keep everything quiet, literally blurts out how he wants to rebuild Tony's suit ideally to make more and sell them like the US armed forces never ducked out on Projects Warframe or TALOS; his most quoted line is "TONY STARK BUILT THIS THING IN A CAVE!! WITH A BUNCH OF SCRAP!!" I couldn't call it "subtle," really since it's fairly blunt at times. Outside of that, I do agree on the points you made. And while I disagree on Stane's setup, the catharsis was definitely not present like with the terrorists everywhere else. Then again, those scenes have enough catharsis to make up for it because let's be honest: when has seeing terrorists getting taken out by a former captor NOT been heaploads of fun?

No matter how many times I watch this movie, the scene in which Tony's 1st armor test flight sends him flying backwards into the wall/ceiling always makes me laugh. It's just too damn funny. 🤣🤣🤣

7:01 meanwhile in heaven after endgame: Yinsen: So, you didn’t waste it? Tony: Well there was some drinks here and there and I caused a war between my friends but eh, pretty good

Fun fact: the reason Burger King was picked for the movie is cause that was where RDJ decided to turn his life around. So he wanted to pay homage to it. He did and now here he is.

I made an essay about this movie on how Tony's journey reflects the classic hero's journey. Got an A+ for it.

It's kind of amazing (and depressing) how much the filming and creation of these movies have changed, You can feel the passion and creative drive on all the early proyects, they were doing it for the love of making movies

7:30 fun fact during this sequence in the movie tie in video game for the Playstation 2 they actually had the song playing and it *rocked* I replayed that level so many times just for how awesome you felt.

18:45 I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for Pirates Month!

Yensen is still one of my favourite characters, and he appears in the entire mcu for less than 20 minutes. Sometimes, simplicity is enough

The way that first scene opens up still gives me goosebumps every single time i watch it again

Jon Favreau was also instrumental in helping Seth MacFarlane’s love letter to Star Trek......the Orville become the huge success that it is today. Definitely check that out too.

3:00 heh heh, IRONy ;)

Was I really 11 when this came out, people keep calling Superhero movies a flavour of the mouth but I went through my whole adolescence and early adulthood to them. Usually when you find out how old a film you follow is it makes you feel old but this makes me feel really, really young.

This movie deserves all the praise, looking back, it still holds up. Still iconic, still meaningful. So glad you're doing more MCU stuff like this and No Way Home. Also, can't wait for Pirates Month!

I think this might be my favorite superhero movie. The arc that Tony goes through and how he goes through it is just so good. I would even rate this above the Dark Knight because that one can get depressing (that’s the point I know) and it’s longer. Iron Man is a movie I can watch multiple times a year and be entertained every time while I don’t think I could watch Dark Knight as often

17:15 : This was not the first time Nick Fury has been raceswapped - and as the rumour goes, it may have been a direct result of the one before it. Marvel used Jackson's likeness for Ultimate Marvel version of Nick Fury, and supposedly his condition was that they'd cast him as the character in movie adaptations.

5:24 I gotta respect Doug’s ability to laugh at himself

Thanos: "I am... inevitable" Stark: "And I... am... Iron Man"

Fun fact, that comment about the song around 7:15? Yeah, in the tie-in game, that's exactly what happens. The first level is escaping from the terrorist base, and that song is BLASTING the entire time.

18:40 I’m not complaining, but I’m just curious why Doug keep selecting movies that are my favorites to review during my birthday month. I mean… it is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.

3:25 Obadiah Stane does have a son named Ezekiel,who was the villain of a direct-to-video anime movie called Rise of The Technovore. Don't be surprised if he shows up in the MCU going after Tony Stark's surviving family or Iron Heart wanting revenge for his father.

I was hoping for a joke about terrence Howard looking at the proto war machine suit or the best line in the film... "Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!"

I really liked in the bonus features how John Favreau had mentioned how he was inspired by the first half of the first Raimi Spider-Man movie and wanting to build up the proper key moments so when the time came just like in the Rami movie when Spider-Man came, you would get excited. I really miss this storytelling in marvel movies lately, taking the time to set things up and taking yourself serious enough. This is what got people invested in the universe, and the lack of this is what now sadly is seemingly taking people out of it.

One of my favorite constants in the MCU is how Coulson handles door breaches with explosives. He always does the exact same pose where he stands with his back to it and his arms tucked in. Something that I noticed, though thats probably a common way to brace against explosive breaches for all I know

I want him to do a review on ‘The Wolverine’ from 2013, which is the most overlooked x-men film in my opinion. It really nailed Logan’s dark sense of self hatred, isolation, brushing, and had amazing action.

Still my favorite marvel movie. It's more character driven, not overly bombastic, and reminds me of when superhero movies weren't quite the corporate and marketing j*ckoff material that they are now.

16:17 "I never had a taste for this sort of thing!" "IT SHOWS." 😅🤣

I saw this in theaters and it was awesome. I still check it out from time to time and it is still awesome.

I've been waiting for you to do this review ever since you started the disneycember reviews of the MCU and thank you for giving your honest and thoughtful opinion on a pretty damn good Marvel movie that started an entire cinematic universe that I have been a fan of ever since it began ❤️

I'm so glad I went along for the MCU ride and this film will always hold an awesome place in my heart :).

7:10 they do in the game, but only in the low def versions, PS2 to Wii i mean, and it is amazingly done, seriously i name that one of my favorite video game moments ever

Honestly, this film still holds up. The flaws are there, yeah. But the pros *FAR* outweigh the cons.

"What, was Ezekiel Harsh not available?" OK I've never read the comics, but I know for a fact that Obadiah Stane had a son named Ezekiel. I believe I learnt that by watching the anime film, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore.

The start of the best film franchise in the world and an iconic actor's perfect role in that franchise

I never get tired of watching this masterpiece. ❤

I think a interesting thing about this was that Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise were originally interested in playing Iron Man

1:18 Not an anniversary? The film actually turns 15 in May! 🤩

1:04 this is exactly the current cgi-puke look of today's Marvel movies that makes me pass on them, something earlier movies like Iron Man werent plagued with