@DeepDiveNR it's thanks to the success and Brilliance of this film that we managed to explore even more incredible stories in the Marvel Universe. It's crazy to think that the Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn't have been a Trilogy that existed without the success of Iron Man.
What makes this movie stand out to me is how it’s either extremely noisy or pin-drop quiet with no real in between (in terms of both its sound design and soundtrack). I feel like this first film really captures who tony was; a loud flashy genius with an introspective side that could drown out the rest of the “noise” about life. I love how those choices make the movie feel a little ASMR in that way ❤
The biggest blooper is still that Pepper removes the electro magnet that's keeping Tony alive. The arc reactor, fair enough that's just a power source, but the electromagnet gets removed and never replaced, so the new arc reactor is powering nothing and those metal fragments are heading towards his heart. some people say there is an electromagnet built into the new arc reactor, in which case why does the cable need to be plugged in. But if this was the case then later after obidiah takes his new reactor, Tony uses his old one that woulsnt have the built in electromagnet.
No, the biggest blooper is a hole that deep in his chest would be directly fatal due to the actual HOLE IN THE CHEST , lol, and also because even if it hadnt deflated one lung and severed the oesophagus (thus breathing is impossible) his ribs will no longer be able to move or move enough to breath in the first place. The magnet is the least of the issues.
This is a gem. I actually loved the start of the MCU. What makes this iconic is the pure storytelling that was a tapestry that was carefully weaved together to become Avengers Endgame. Nowadays, it’s quantity over quality for me with the MCU, and no focus on the tapestry but rather a spiderweb where they’re hoping everything just sticks
Iron Man is special to me because I took my two sons, 12 and 10 at the time, to see it in 2008, and we have seen every Marvel movie together since. Today, my oldest packed up a truck and moved to Denver. Not sure how that impacts our tradition. But what a great ride we've had!
Iron Man is the best MCU movie period. I recall taking my son to the theater to see it. It was definitely awesome on the big screen. As a teenager I loved the Iron Man comics because he is just a man, no actual super powers beyond his armor, gadgets and intelligence. Marvel's counter to Batman. BTW, love Batman too.
Except that at the end of Endgame, the sound is clearly Tony forging the first suit in the cave. I like the explanation but it's the wrong sound. So can we say that it's forging the first suit that is the birth moment? 🎉
I love how Tony continued to revamp his tech every time he found a flaw, forever working to be better and stronger. He was dedicated to being the best hero he could be from beginning to end.❤
Your last line of this video really nailed it. Heart. That's what the MCU (and really all of the Disney-acquired properties) is missing more than anything right now.
Iron Man/Tony Stark will forever be my favorite MCU character. He is the heart of the MCU which is why now it seems to be floundering without him. RDJ didn’t have to go that hard but he did and I’m so grateful. Love this analysis and breakdown!
I think that one of my favorite things about the Iron Man armor is the Heads Up Display. Just the fact that there’s SO MUCH STUFF in it show how smart Tony is to be able to understand all of it. We see RDJ’s head in that black void a lot throughout the MCU, and while I can’t remember every person who has had that black void, the shot shown here: 25:40 just looks way too zoomed out. I’m not saying it looks bad, but seeing the contrast of the first HUD shot to one of the most recent is a little jarring.
Great vid w thorough analysis as usual! If may respectfully add on, the music vid of GFK is "Celebrate" but for some reason the song playing is "Slept on Toney" 👐🏽 PEACE
he did get an oscar for his absolutely insanely brilliant performance in tropic thunder for the same year the first iron man was released, what an actor! look forward to what new stuff he will do, and yeah he did really great in oppenheimer as well
28:56 the sound and that scene with the superhero landing are still to this day some of the best bits of the MCU! To the point that when he lands in the vibranium facility in AoU I was like ooo there it is 👌🏽 chef’s kiss
RDJ has got to be one of the best feel good hollywood moments. The thing I like most about cinema ironman is just RDJs portrayal. There will never be another ironman who was both figure and actor in tune.
The first Iron Man will always be one of the best marvel movies ever made. Such a fun and iconic movie. I watched it over and over as a kid and more than holds up today.
I think the secret was what Jeff Bridges said - it had the soul of a student film. The creators hammering out the day's shoot in the trailer on the day. Solving problems and generating the themes and plot on the fly. The MCU now feels like it is run by committee. Plays it safe, even when it tries to push the envelope. That's because there is no feeling of risk. Even something like Moon Knight was planned to go for that aesthetic - didn't grow organically. Of course taking these risks means you will likely have some real bombs in there. And I know people are investing serious money into these IP. But that is the blueprint. To throw the blue print away. Get someone with a vision and some talent, let them struggle a bit, and see what comes out of it.
Love your Deep Dive Señor Voss 🥳 To me, this movie has that magic that sparked it all and not all MCU titles have. The sound, visual and artistic elements hold up the test of time. It’s something I feel I’d show my kids some day as a classic film through this era I happen to see evolve. When I question the reason I love the genre, Iron Man and The Dark Night are definitely my favorite films to rewatch.
This deep dive was amazing. Not only did you take a titular movie from the past (has it really been 15 years?, damn), but you also pointed out underlying themes and crossovers that I had previously not noticed...MAKING AN AMAZING MOVIE, EVEN MORE ENTERTAINING. Wish I could go larger with the caps to show my appreciation for the amount of information and just plain cool elements that you were able to hilight. Thank you so much for putting this together. Think I'll be watching RDJ in Ironman, again, this weekend.
I love his movie, and honestly love the sequels. What they did with Iron Man blew my mind. And it was GLORIOUS to see RDJ rise to take this character on and make him amazing.
I know this vid is 10 months old and I doubt this comment will reach you, but I have to thank you, Erik for it. You really explain why it resonated so well with the public and why it reinvigorated RDJ’s career. Using Socrates to explain why Marvel Phase 1 works could be from a PhD at UCLA!
I think what makes Iron Man so great is: he's human - he's relatable. He has flaws, he has no superpowers. Granted most of us aren't crazy wealthy and brilliant like Stark, but I see the same thing with Batman.
what made iron man iconic for me is the suit. i’m obsessed with the suit up scenes and i’ll be mad if we don’t get at least 2 suit up scenes in “Armor Wars”
I knew nothing of superheroes or comics until I watched this when I was a kid. It's one of my favorite movies ever, and it sent me down a never-ending but amazing road. Iron man will always be my favorite, and RDJ is the MCU. This was an amazing breakdown. I've watched this movie a hundred times, and there's still a dozen new things I learned about it. Well done 👏
Vossman!!! You are amazing. I love the Deep Dive. I’m a diehard Ironman fan from comics, collectibles, and even the arc reactor on my chest. But I grew up with RDJ and his movies and I watched his downfall. I was beyond excited a to see him play one of my favorite comic book characters. I will watch it again tonight after seeing this deep dive. It was amazing. Much love.
*And wow, this guy really didn't left any stones unturned for he uncovered and showcased each and every details there could possibly be for this movie right here hehe.. He did a really great job at delivering appropriateness here, at times even overdid it, with including details that were very much in depth and kinda unnecessary to go at such lengths.. Well for some they might actually find it interesting to know but in general it was not that needed to indulge into stuffs that profound, deviating our interest from the main interesting and much needed stuffs.. Like i mean all the little extra details were pretty much far fetched, wasn't that necessary for him to include in this video, which for many it would be of no interest for their knowledge.. But all in all, he did a marvelous job here which I'm actually really amazed and impressed that he put in all of his time, energy and efforts, really did tons of hard works into researching all of these details to their cores hehe.. Totally wrapping everything there was to be known, even some added informations, to absolutely cover the entirety of this movie in whole..* 👏👏
I've always loved the theme music for this movie. Ramin Djawadi (who did GoT) with Tom Morello on guitar - amazing. It's still my favourite MCU theme, even though I prefer Cap and Spider-Man as heroes.
Great vid, Erik. Although I'd heard of Iron Man, I didn't know much about Tony Stark. The film just cemented what Stan had created in extreme high definition. He instantly became my favourite character, and that hasn't changed to this day. Tony has such an amazing arc, especially by the time we get to IM3. That film gets quite a bit of hate, but I think it's immense due to the human qualities and conditions explored. Maybe it's due to being bipolar, but the connection of having to almost start again mentally I felt was portrayed beautifully. As was the realisation that he might be physically fine, but that he was mentally broken due to the effects of his PTSD. Amazing script, direction and performance. Great mirroring of his issues and failures with his Mark 42 armour. Technically superior to anything else, but fails to deliver and he's not quite sure why. The MCU just hasn't been the same without him.
What makes Ironman so iconic is because it's relatable. Sure Tony Stark is a playboy, millionaire, philanthropist; but he is not infallible. We see him fail and struggle time and time again. Even in the final fight, Ironman isn't the one that defeats Iron Monger; it's Pepper coming to the Rescue again. It's a realization that no matter how much he wants to do this alone, he can't. Also, it's the subtleness of the entire movie as you pointed out. It's the hammer pings throughout that tie the entire movie together without the viewer realizing it. It's the callbacks from the climax to earlier scenes. The entire movie is connected and has weight. No part of the movie is meaningless or wasted. The production team/director/producers put so much thought into the storytelling aspect of the movie. They truly wanted to tell a story and built a masterpiece. Now I feel like studios are trying to repeated the masterpiece without starting with the story.
Honestly without Spider-Man, Blade, Daredevil, Fantastic 4 & X-Men... Iron Man and the MCU would not Exist, each and every one of those movies and TVSeries... Rather You LOVE them (OR) Hate them, they were just... Stepping Stones! Waiting for the next best Thing.
I remember when this movie first came out, I refused to watch it. I thought it’s another traditional super hero movie (those DC ones, which I didn’t like… 😅) But after iron man 2 released… my husband said to me, you really should watch it. Yes I did and glad that I did. And after that I became a diehard fan… 😆😊
As far as I'm concerned, there has been no better superhero movie before or since Ironman. It resonates so deeply with some of my own personal struggles, and judging by its popularity, I'm not alone. I wish the MCU had held up to the promise that Ironman made, but it is a hell of a challenge to match what Jon Favreau did with the first MCU film. Just amazing.
15:45 Not accurate. At the end of Iron Man 3, he surgically had the shrapnel removed. That's why in Infinity War/Endgame his chest plate is something he just sticks on, rather than being a full implant into his chest.
22:19 Detail here : Aircraft flight control surfaces concept was inserted in the armor design. To scientifically explain how he can "steer" the flight.
Perfect casting and balanced story makes Iron Man one of if not the best superhero movies. Robert Downey Jr is Iron Man and Iron Man is the heart of the MCU. Do have a question, when Tony sees the Stark missile who or what is he texting on his phone? 6:27
You nailed it with the Ping and Sound design. Looking back I recall enjoying this in theatre because of the sound. As the mark one walks out, it sounds low-tech, heavy, a walking tank that we saw Tony put together practically; with inner workings to control and lift the weight.
You said it well--Tony Stark is flawed and impulsive but he leads from the heart. He is a brilliant engineer who takes feedback/failures well and is constantly improving his work. At the end of that road, he has made products that are of the highest quality and superior to those of others. Arrogance is to expected because he is the best, but it didn't come by chance or luck, but hard work and a hunger for knowledge and improvement. So he earns the right to be at least a little bit arrogant and snarky. He is intelligent and can perceive and thrives on truth. No matter how hard or unpalatable it is others, he is about truth, which sometimes makes him polarizing. His snark is hilarious and tops everything off which make the movies a joy to watch.
I always find it fascinating that a prevailing myth about technology in films is that "I'm not Tony Stark" idea. The idea that there are geniuses that can be so far ahead of everyone that they can create things no one else in the world can ever replicate. What's funny is just how much that isn't the way science and technology work. All science is built on previous work and ideas. Even Einstein, a guy so smart that his name literally became synonymous with intelligence, was just the first to publish ideas that were being worked on independently by many other physicists of the time. If he had had a heart attack and dropped dead before his big e=mc^2 moment, it's not like we wouldn't have that breakthrough today. In fact, it would probably have been less than a year before one of his contemporaries published the same idea. Not because Einstein wasn't a genius, but because he was grappling with the same problems and evidence as other leading minds looking for solutions that fit and applying the same tools to his efforts that others were. He was just a little faster is all. History tends to only remember the first to achieve and pays little attention to how close the second place finisher was, but you'd be surprised how often it comes down to months or even weeks.
Great video man!! Like the summer blockbuster’s u should do one in may and call it “may marvels” and do a deep dive into the big marvel releases in may each week of the month
Iron Man made it in my book for a few major reasons. 1.) We had ZERO expectations, and we would have been happy if it just wasn't a campy movie like the 90's Batman movies. Remember, at this time, Dark Knight hadn't released yet, and as good as Batman Begins was, the true style of that trilogy wasn't cemented in place yet u til after Dark Knight released. 2.) This was not only a rebirth for Marvel, but a redemption story for the Actor Robert Downey Junior. Many of us felt like who better than to play a Billionaire, Smart-assed, Play Boy... Than a Millionaire, Smart Assed Play boy like RDJ. Who better to have a deserving come back as not only a Hero like Iron Man, but a Hero in his own life, and in the eyes of many of his fans. To see him not just come back, but to explode back onto the scene with such greatness meant he had overcome his legal woes finally, and surely beat his addictions, and who doesn't love a comeback story? This was a comeback for RDJ as much as for Marvel, and we had plenty to connect too as the fans/viewers! I have other reasons as well, but these were the main 2 reasons I could think of at the moment without this turning into a full blown article, lol.
What makes Iron Man iconic is Pepper Potts. The character, Pepper, is the best depiction of the strong female character. She is flawed, she is a little bit unbalanced, but she grows into the strong and confident character due to her dedication to her cause, her ability to see the truth of the reality around her, and her ability to speak with confidence regardless of the situation. I can't stand the real person playing Petter, but the writers created her to be my favorite character of all the movies.
Setting that tone in I.M.1 REALLY just raised the bar for superhero films in general and I too love RDJ in that role. This initial journey really does mirror RDJ's life up to that point sand i love that they call this fact out in I.M.2.
13:13 Or did Stark make that first shield too. A man with so much pride that when it came time to design a shield he used his own family crest. Then the vibranium shield's design was due to the lack of vibranium. Go with a circle to maximize volume.
When Ironman was released, it took me so long to finally decide to go see it. Never did I realize that this movie will start a Studio that run Hollywood
Some say that 2008's Iron Man was the beginning of the MCU. I say that 2000's X-Men started the MCU. Bryan Singer was the first director to present these fantastic characters in a real world scenario. He one-upped the earlier Superman movies in a big way. He paved the way for Iron Man and those that would follow.
id like to point out that tony's "the bad guys wont even want to come out of their caves" line serves to show us how he's grown in both bravery and compassion. when he leaves the cave he's not a villain or even a narcissist anymore and he's willing to stand up against the weapons anymore.
Being an engineer, Tony Stark the Iron Man inspires me. RDJ is the same age as me, how his real life experience plays into this on screen character is incredible. While the world may look at him as a snob and show off, he is actually a real genius to solving problems. For that he has all the bragging rights. I am in the media engineering industry in Singapore for more than 30 years, I too believe that I can solve most engineering technical problems and often able to be prepared ahead of the problems. I call myself the Iron TomCat ( the Iron Man of the media engineering world), because I believe that anyone who can be at the cutting edge of what they do, they have become the giants / titans in their field with all the bragging rights. My daughters and interns (who are about the age) often challenged me in many of the problems they face, I therefore, put the challenge back to them to solve it or even predict the outcome of the situations it presents but placing a wager that who ever come up with a better alternative gets a reward along with the bragging rights of beating the Iron TomCat. So far, no one has bettered me. Am I bragging or am I actually good at what I do? I think Tony Stark was right when he declared who he really is, IRON MAN.
*Honestly i wouldn't have imagined anyone better other than Robert Downey jr doing this Iron Man role.. He's hands down thee best actor ever to undertake and execute this role so brilliantly perfect, this role in itself actually suits him, like it was made for him hehe.. With his excellent acting skills and prowess, he really brought this character to life like no other.. Imo no other actor would've been able to get this Iron Man character justice, he's simply made for it period.. He has what it takes in him, that aura and all, to portrait all the various characteristics of Tony Stark, being the Billionaire, the low key Playboy, one which really does look to be blessed with intelligence, Philanthropist and last but not least, to be badazz enough to do the iron man role within the suit in itself hehe..* 🤗😁😎😎
What made ironman iconic is that at least in the MCU he wasn't given powers, he had to build his way up to go toe to toe with gods and aliens. We got to see his failures and how he patched in the subsequent movies.
15:40 been a few years since I last watched it, but when you said he was "living on borrowed time"..."until Avengers Endgame", I'm pretty sure that's wrong. I think he had surgery to remove the shrapnel in Ironman 3. I'm not 100% sure it was IM3, but I remember a scene where he talks about not needing to have an arc reactor in his chest anymore, cause he got it done. In fact [just remembering this now] I THINK there's even a scene of the surgery that may have been made and shows exclusively for China? [as a way to try to get the film on the approved list for Chinese cinema screenings] and the surgeon is the same one involved in the creation of Vision in Age of Ultron?
I was so happy when they came out with this movie. I read Iron Man comics as a kid back in the day. So this movie really was a must see for me and having a young preteen son to see it with made it even better.
One of the things that made this film so great back when it came out was the mix of action, comedy, tragedy, etc. It wasn't JUST an action movie, it wasn't JUST a comedy movie. It had a little bit of everything, and that wasn't what films were doing at that time. It threw in pieces of comedy, even in the middle of an action scene sometimes, and these little unexpected moments really created a unique feel. I think that is something that the MCU needs to get back to as well. Some of the more recent titles are too serious, and they lack those lighter, comedic, moments.
I'd argue that that is exactly what is happening even till date. All the complaints you will hear from a lot of people are about those quippy humour in the middle of the fights that doesn't make sense for other characters except Iron Man. Shang Chi was a breath of fresh air where they actually got serious into the fights and storytelling. If anything, MCU needs to do away with Tony Stark-ing every other character's humour just because it worked before.
All six original Avengers fall into Erik’s three categories; Clint and Steve are soldiers, Tony and Bruce are engineers, and Thor and Natasha are royals (in the comics, Natasha is stated to be a surviving member of the Romanoff royal family. AKA related to Anastasia.)
At 15:41, you said that from this point onward till endgame he was living on borrowed time, but that's not true because he had the shrapnel removed from his chest at the end of Iron Man 3. It's the reason why at 15:46, he's able to just casually take the arc reactor off, it was only there to be the suit at that point, not keep him alive.
This movie is still one of my favorite MCU films. It's also nice to look back on how this crazy and awesome Cinematic Universe kicked off.
@DeepDiveNR it's thanks to the success and Brilliance of this film that we managed to explore even more incredible stories in the Marvel Universe. It's crazy to think that the Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn't have been a Trilogy that existed without the success of Iron Man.
same here
Man this gave me nightmares after watching because I was already traumatized by 9/11 as a child. I wasn’t able to appreciate it until I was a teen.
When I 1st watched this movie, I really didn't like it. However, I've rewatched it numerous times and the more I watch it, the more I love it.
Proof?
You're really cranking out the goods lately Erik, thanks for all your hard work!
What makes this movie stand out to me is how it’s either extremely noisy or pin-drop quiet with no real in between (in terms of both its sound design and soundtrack). I feel like this first film really captures who tony was; a loud flashy genius with an introspective side that could drown out the rest of the “noise” about life. I love how those choices make the movie feel a little ASMR in that way ❤
The biggest blooper is still that Pepper removes the electro magnet that's keeping Tony alive. The arc reactor, fair enough that's just a power source, but the electromagnet gets removed and never replaced, so the new arc reactor is powering nothing and those metal fragments are heading towards his heart.
some people say there is an electromagnet built into the new arc reactor, in which case why does the cable need to be plugged in.
But if this was the case then later after obidiah takes his new reactor, Tony uses his old one that woulsnt have the built in electromagnet.
No, the biggest blooper is a hole that deep in his chest would be directly fatal due to the actual HOLE IN THE CHEST , lol, and also because even if it hadnt deflated one lung and severed the oesophagus (thus breathing is impossible) his ribs will no longer be able to move or move enough to breath in the first place. The magnet is the least of the issues.
Accurate within the laws of reality; I think the commenter was pointing out a plot hole within the movie's reality.
This is a gem. I actually loved the start of the MCU. What makes this iconic is the pure storytelling that was a tapestry that was carefully weaved together to become Avengers Endgame. Nowadays, it’s quantity over quality for me with the MCU, and no focus on the tapestry but rather a spiderweb where they’re hoping everything just sticks
Iron Man is special to me because I took my two sons, 12 and 10 at the time, to see it in 2008, and we have seen every Marvel movie together since. Today, my oldest packed up a truck and moved to Denver. Not sure how that impacts our tradition. But what a great ride we've had!
Iron Man is the best MCU movie period. I recall taking my son to the theater to see it. It was definitely awesome on the big screen. As a teenager I loved the Iron Man comics because he is just a man, no actual super powers beyond his armor, gadgets and intelligence. Marvel's counter to Batman. BTW, love Batman too.
Your explanation about the sound used to tell the story was really amazing. I have a new perspective and love for the movie now.
Except that at the end of Endgame, the sound is clearly Tony forging the first suit in the cave. I like the explanation but it's the wrong sound.
So can we say that it's forging the first suit that is the birth moment? 🎉
I love how Tony continued to revamp his tech every time he found a flaw, forever working to be better and stronger. He was dedicated to being the best hero he could be from beginning to end.❤
Your last line of this video really nailed it. Heart. That's what the MCU (and really all of the Disney-acquired properties) is missing more than anything right now.
They're sacrificing freedom of artistic vision for security of profits… just like Hydra tried to get the world to do in Winter Soldier. 🤔
Wow, i never noticed that Obidiah was playing Salieri on the piano. Good catch, Erik!! 🎼
Iron Man/Tony Stark will forever be my favorite MCU character. He is the heart of the MCU which is why now it seems to be floundering without him. RDJ didn’t have to go that hard but he did and I’m so grateful. Love this analysis and breakdown!
I think that one of my favorite things about the Iron Man armor is the Heads Up Display.
Just the fact that there’s SO MUCH STUFF in it show how smart Tony is to be able to understand all of it.
We see RDJ’s head in that black void a lot throughout the MCU, and while I can’t remember every person who has had that black void, the shot shown here: 25:40 just looks way too zoomed out. I’m not saying it looks bad, but seeing the contrast of the first HUD shot to one of the most recent is a little jarring.
I had that exact thought when I saw that shot! How big is that helmet??
Great vid w thorough analysis as usual!
If may respectfully add on, the music vid of GFK is "Celebrate" but for some reason the song playing is "Slept on Toney" 👐🏽 PEACE
Iron Man: "I don't believe it"
Yoda: "That is why you fail"
Why you fail, this is.
So this proves that Robert Downey Jr. should deserve his Oscar nomination for Oppenheimer & see him beyond than Man with an Iron heart
he did get an oscar for his absolutely insanely brilliant performance in tropic thunder for the same year the first iron man was released, what an actor! look forward to what new stuff he will do, and yeah he did really great in oppenheimer as well
Robert would be on my top ten list of people to meet I think. I've had struggles and he got through them in style. He's probably a pretty chill dude
Unfortunate you had to reupload this it's such a banger💪
Me when I watch a deep dive video before Erik uploads it
I swear I watched this last night
28:56 the sound and that scene with the superhero landing are still to this day some of the best bits of the MCU! To the point that when he lands in the vibranium facility in AoU I was like ooo there it is 👌🏽 chef’s kiss
The deep dive on this one is as good as the movie, so very rewatchable ! 😂
@@DeepDiveNR Don’t make yourself smaller than you are ! You guys rock 👌
You’re doing such a great job with these. They just keep getting better. Thank you, and keep them coming!
RDJ has got to be one of the best feel good hollywood moments. The thing I like most about cinema ironman is just RDJs portrayal. There will never be another ironman who was both figure and actor in tune.
The first Iron Man will always be one of the best marvel movies ever made. Such a fun and iconic movie. I watched it over and over as a kid and more than holds up today.
I think the secret was what Jeff Bridges said - it had the soul of a student film. The creators hammering out the day's shoot in the trailer on the day. Solving problems and generating the themes and plot on the fly.
The MCU now feels like it is run by committee. Plays it safe, even when it tries to push the envelope. That's because there is no feeling of risk. Even something like Moon Knight was planned to go for that aesthetic - didn't grow organically.
Of course taking these risks means you will likely have some real bombs in there. And I know people are investing serious money into these IP. But that is the blueprint. To throw the blue print away. Get someone with a vision and some talent, let them struggle a bit, and see what comes out of it.
Love your Deep Dive Señor Voss 🥳 To me, this movie has that magic that sparked it all and not all MCU titles have. The sound, visual and artistic elements hold up the test of time. It’s something I feel I’d show my kids some day as a classic film through this era I happen to see evolve. When I question the reason I love the genre, Iron Man and The Dark Night are definitely my favorite films to rewatch.
This deep dive was amazing. Not only did you take a titular movie from the past (has it really been 15 years?, damn), but you also pointed out underlying themes and crossovers that I had previously not noticed...MAKING AN AMAZING MOVIE, EVEN MORE ENTERTAINING. Wish I could go larger with the caps to show my appreciation for the amount of information and just plain cool elements that you were able to hilight. Thank you so much for putting this together. Think I'll be watching RDJ in Ironman, again, this weekend.
Tony's line about fear vs. respect also mirrors Caligula's (not the most quotable guy) line: "Let them hate me so long as they fear me".
I love his movie, and honestly love the sequels. What they did with Iron Man blew my mind. And it was GLORIOUS to see RDJ rise to take this character on and make him amazing.
I know this vid is 10 months old and I doubt this comment will reach you, but I have to thank you, Erik for it. You really explain why it resonated so well with the public and why it reinvigorated RDJ’s career. Using Socrates to explain why Marvel Phase 1 works could be from a PhD at UCLA!
What an amazing episode. Erik Voss could geek out for hours and I’d watch every second of it
I think what makes Iron Man so great is: he's human - he's relatable. He has flaws, he has no superpowers. Granted most of us aren't crazy wealthy and brilliant like Stark, but I see the same thing with Batman.
what made iron man iconic for me is the suit. i’m obsessed with the suit up scenes and i’ll be mad if we don’t get at least 2 suit up scenes in “Armor Wars”
I knew nothing of superheroes or comics until I watched this when I was a kid. It's one of my favorite movies ever, and it sent me down a never-ending but amazing road. Iron man will always be my favorite, and RDJ is the MCU. This was an amazing breakdown. I've watched this movie a hundred times, and there's still a dozen new things I learned about it. Well done 👏
Vossman!!! You are amazing. I love the Deep Dive. I’m a diehard Ironman fan from comics, collectibles, and even the arc reactor on my chest. But I grew up with RDJ and his movies and I watched his downfall. I was beyond excited a to see him play one of my favorite comic book characters. I will watch it again tonight after seeing this deep dive. It was amazing. Much love.
Well done!!, I love this!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
*And wow, this guy really didn't left any stones unturned for he uncovered and showcased each and every details there could possibly be for this movie right here hehe.. He did a really great job at delivering appropriateness here, at times even overdid it, with including details that were very much in depth and kinda unnecessary to go at such lengths.. Well for some they might actually find it interesting to know but in general it was not that needed to indulge into stuffs that profound, deviating our interest from the main interesting and much needed stuffs.. Like i mean all the little extra details were pretty much far fetched, wasn't that necessary for him to include in this video, which for many it would be of no interest for their knowledge.. But all in all, he did a marvelous job here which I'm actually really amazed and impressed that he put in all of his time, energy and efforts, really did tons of hard works into researching all of these details to their cores hehe.. Totally wrapping everything there was to be known, even some added informations, to absolutely cover the entirety of this movie in whole..* 👏👏
Reposting the video. Thought we wont notice, but we did!
It's incredible the movie from the guy who made Elf sparked a 30+ movie franchise... 🤯
He'll always be the guy who spent $50k at the "ring designer" to me.
Yay Eric is back! I've been re-watching The Thing breakdown and saw this thumbnail and was like WHAT????? He's back!
I've always loved the theme music for this movie. Ramin Djawadi (who did GoT) with Tom Morello on guitar - amazing. It's still my favourite MCU theme, even though I prefer Cap and Spider-Man as heroes.
Could add that Tony's initial tests and crash landings of the MK II echo The Greatest American Hero
I always thought Ralphie was a Favreau collaborator from Elf
This is a great MCU Movie to watch! Great Breakdown Erik! 👍
Great vid, Erik. Although I'd heard of Iron Man, I didn't know much about Tony Stark. The film just cemented what Stan had created in extreme high definition. He instantly became my favourite character, and that hasn't changed to this day.
Tony has such an amazing arc, especially by the time we get to IM3. That film gets quite a bit of hate, but I think it's immense due to the human qualities and conditions explored. Maybe it's due to being bipolar, but the connection of having to almost start again mentally I felt was portrayed beautifully. As was the realisation that he might be physically fine, but that he was mentally broken due to the effects of his PTSD. Amazing script, direction and performance.
Great mirroring of his issues and failures with his Mark 42 armour. Technically superior to anything else, but fails to deliver and he's not quite sure why.
The MCU just hasn't been the same without him.
What makes Ironman so iconic is because it's relatable. Sure Tony Stark is a playboy, millionaire, philanthropist; but he is not infallible. We see him fail and struggle time and time again. Even in the final fight, Ironman isn't the one that defeats Iron Monger; it's Pepper coming to the Rescue again. It's a realization that no matter how much he wants to do this alone, he can't.
Also, it's the subtleness of the entire movie as you pointed out. It's the hammer pings throughout that tie the entire movie together without the viewer realizing it. It's the callbacks from the climax to earlier scenes. The entire movie is connected and has weight. No part of the movie is meaningless or wasted. The production team/director/producers put so much thought into the storytelling aspect of the movie. They truly wanted to tell a story and built a masterpiece. Now I feel like studios are trying to repeated the masterpiece without starting with the story.
Regardless that’s it’s a reupload, I’m watching and liking it again ❤
Honestly without Spider-Man, Blade, Daredevil, Fantastic 4 & X-Men... Iron Man and the MCU would not Exist, each and every one of those movies and TVSeries... Rather You LOVE them (OR) Hate them, they were just... Stepping Stones! Waiting for the next best Thing.
I was in the middle of watching this when it stopped suddenly. Now I know why
All these years later just found out that scientist was ralphie from “A Christmas Story” 🤯🤯🤯🤯 my mind is absolutely blown right now…
I remember when this movie first came out, I refused to watch it. I thought it’s another traditional super hero movie (those DC ones, which I didn’t like… 😅)
But after iron man 2 released… my husband said to me, you really should watch it. Yes I did and glad that I did.
And after that I became a diehard fan… 😆😊
As far as I'm concerned, there has been no better superhero movie before or since Ironman. It resonates so deeply with some of my own personal struggles, and judging by its popularity, I'm not alone. I wish the MCU had held up to the promise that Ironman made, but it is a hell of a challenge to match what Jon Favreau did with the first MCU film. Just amazing.
Why the repost?
15:45 Not accurate. At the end of Iron Man 3, he surgically had the shrapnel removed. That's why in Infinity War/Endgame his chest plate is something he just sticks on, rather than being a full implant into his chest.
22:19 Detail here : Aircraft flight control surfaces concept was inserted in the armor design. To scientifically explain how he can "steer" the flight.
Perfect casting and balanced story makes Iron Man one of if not the best superhero movies.
Robert Downey Jr is Iron Man and Iron Man is the heart of the MCU.
Do have a question, when Tony sees the Stark missile who or what is he texting on his phone? 6:27
You nailed it with the Ping and Sound design. Looking back I recall enjoying this in theatre because of the sound.
As the mark one walks out, it sounds low-tech, heavy, a walking tank that we saw Tony put together practically; with inner workings to control and lift the weight.
You said it well--Tony Stark is flawed and impulsive but he leads from the heart. He is a brilliant engineer who takes feedback/failures well and is constantly improving his work. At the end of that road, he has made products that are of the highest quality and superior to those of others. Arrogance is to expected because he is the best, but it didn't come by chance or luck, but hard work and a hunger for knowledge and improvement. So he earns the right to be at least a little bit arrogant and snarky. He is intelligent and can perceive and thrives on truth. No matter how hard or unpalatable it is others, he is about truth, which sometimes makes him polarizing. His snark is hilarious and tops everything off which make the movies a joy to watch.
I always find it fascinating that a prevailing myth about technology in films is that "I'm not Tony Stark" idea. The idea that there are geniuses that can be so far ahead of everyone that they can create things no one else in the world can ever replicate. What's funny is just how much that isn't the way science and technology work. All science is built on previous work and ideas. Even Einstein, a guy so smart that his name literally became synonymous with intelligence, was just the first to publish ideas that were being worked on independently by many other physicists of the time. If he had had a heart attack and dropped dead before his big e=mc^2 moment, it's not like we wouldn't have that breakthrough today. In fact, it would probably have been less than a year before one of his contemporaries published the same idea. Not because Einstein wasn't a genius, but because he was grappling with the same problems and evidence as other leading minds looking for solutions that fit and applying the same tools to his efforts that others were. He was just a little faster is all. History tends to only remember the first to achieve and pays little attention to how close the second place finisher was, but you'd be surprised how often it comes down to months or even weeks.
I always thought of Tony and Steve being Step brothers because Howard is technically the father of both of them.
Great video man!! Like the summer blockbuster’s u should do one in may and call it “may marvels” and do a deep dive into the big marvel releases in may each week of the month
Isn’t that “ping” the sound of the hammer hitting and anvil when Tony made the suit?
Came here to say this. It's the sound of him hitting the anvil in Iron Man 1 making his first suit.
So glad we have this movie, because everything that follows is amazing, The Avengers being iconic in bringing all these heroes together
Wow, you know i wasn't the biggest fan of this movie before, but you made me see it in a whole new light .
Do in depth for Tropic Thunder, Watchmen, and maybe Austin Powers as well
Dude! You totally major league rock with your deep dives!!! Each movie is enriched by them ! ❤
*I'm Tony Stark and I approve this video*
What he film started is amazing looking back on the film now! It was revolutionary and at the perfect time!
For me personally, it's still the best MCU movie out there. I've been rewatching it countless times and still have fun every single time.
Iron Man made it in my book for a few major reasons.
1.) We had ZERO expectations, and we would have been happy if it just wasn't a campy movie like the 90's Batman movies. Remember, at this time, Dark Knight hadn't released yet, and as good as Batman Begins was, the true style of that trilogy wasn't cemented in place yet u til after Dark Knight released.
2.) This was not only a rebirth for Marvel, but a redemption story for the Actor Robert Downey Junior. Many of us felt like who better than to play a Billionaire, Smart-assed, Play Boy... Than a Millionaire, Smart Assed Play boy like RDJ. Who better to have a deserving come back as not only a Hero like Iron Man, but a Hero in his own life, and in the eyes of many of his fans. To see him not just come back, but to explode back onto the scene with such greatness meant he had overcome his legal woes finally, and surely beat his addictions, and who doesn't love a comeback story? This was a comeback for RDJ as much as for Marvel, and we had plenty to connect too as the fans/viewers!
I have other reasons as well, but these were the main 2 reasons I could think of at the moment without this turning into a full blown article, lol.
Didn't u upload this yesterday?
do a breakdown of the iron man trailer like if you did breakdowns in 2008 with the correct setting/ feel and some cool coincidence predictions lol
What makes Iron Man iconic is Pepper Potts. The character, Pepper, is the best depiction of the strong female character. She is flawed, she is a little bit unbalanced, but she grows into the strong and confident character due to her dedication to her cause, her ability to see the truth of the reality around her, and her ability to speak with confidence regardless of the situation. I can't stand the real person playing Petter, but the writers created her to be my favorite character of all the movies.
Setting that tone in I.M.1 REALLY just raised the bar for superhero films in general and I too love RDJ in that role. This initial journey really does mirror RDJ's life up to that point sand i love that they call this fact out in I.M.2.
Love this! This movie is so sentimental for me, I love it so much
13:13 Or did Stark make that first shield too. A man with so much pride that when it came time to design a shield he used his own family crest. Then the vibranium shield's design was due to the lack of vibranium. Go with a circle to maximize volume.
Such an amazing Deep Dive!!! You just connected every single dot (and ping)! Now I gotta go do a rewatch!!
I always LOVED the effects one Tony when the shrapnel wounds start to bleed I really miss the MCU that used a lot of practical effects
When Ironman was released, it took me so long to finally decide to go see it. Never did I realize that this movie will start a Studio that run Hollywood
RDJ's performance is what makes it iconic for me as well as Favreau's smart direction, brimming with laughs.
Some say that 2008's Iron Man was the beginning of the MCU. I say that 2000's X-Men started the MCU. Bryan Singer was the first director to present these fantastic characters in a real world scenario. He one-upped the earlier Superman movies in a big way. He paved the way for Iron Man and those that would follow.
A re-uploade with 10 different things?? Ah yeahhhh, love watching your breakdowns. ❤from🇵🇰
id like to point out that tony's "the bad guys wont even want to come out of their caves" line serves to show us how he's grown in both bravery and compassion. when he leaves the cave he's not a villain or even a narcissist anymore and he's willing to stand up against the weapons anymore.
Being an engineer, Tony Stark the Iron Man inspires me. RDJ is the same age as me, how his real life experience plays into this on screen character is incredible. While the world may look at him as a snob and show off, he is actually a real genius to solving problems. For that he has all the bragging rights. I am in the media engineering industry in Singapore for more than 30 years, I too believe that I can solve most engineering technical problems and often able to be prepared ahead of the problems. I call myself the Iron TomCat ( the Iron Man of the media engineering world), because I believe that anyone who can be at the cutting edge of what they do, they have become the giants / titans in their field with all the bragging rights.
My daughters and interns (who are about the age) often challenged me in many of the problems they face, I therefore, put the challenge back to them to solve it or even predict the outcome of the situations it presents but placing a wager that who ever come up with a better alternative gets a reward along with the bragging rights of beating the Iron TomCat. So far, no one has bettered me. Am I bragging or am I actually good at what I do? I think Tony Stark was right when he declared who he really is, IRON MAN.
34:54 your framing of this moment really brought a tear to my eye to think as such.
also, another tear for where we are after this milestone.
REUPLOAD YES
Reupload?
*Honestly i wouldn't have imagined anyone better other than Robert Downey jr doing this Iron Man role.. He's hands down thee best actor ever to undertake and execute this role so brilliantly perfect, this role in itself actually suits him, like it was made for him hehe.. With his excellent acting skills and prowess, he really brought this character to life like no other.. Imo no other actor would've been able to get this Iron Man character justice, he's simply made for it period.. He has what it takes in him, that aura and all, to portrait all the various characteristics of Tony Stark, being the Billionaire, the low key Playboy, one which really does look to be blessed with intelligence, Philanthropist and last but not least, to be badazz enough to do the iron man role within the suit in itself hehe..* 🤗😁😎😎
What made ironman iconic is that at least in the MCU he wasn't given powers, he had to build his way up to go toe to toe with gods and aliens. We got to see his failures and how he patched in the subsequent movies.
Could u do a breakdown of all the pirates of the Caribbean movies
15:40 been a few years since I last watched it, but when you said he was "living on borrowed time"..."until Avengers Endgame", I'm pretty sure that's wrong. I think he had surgery to remove the shrapnel in Ironman 3.
I'm not 100% sure it was IM3, but I remember a scene where he talks about not needing to have an arc reactor in his chest anymore, cause he got it done.
In fact [just remembering this now] I THINK there's even a scene of the surgery that may have been made and shows exclusively for China? [as a way to try to get the film on the approved list for Chinese cinema screenings] and the surgeon is the same one involved in the creation of Vision in Age of Ultron?
SO. MANY. THINGS.
Now I need one of these videos about Doctor Strange. Please?
I do enjoy Iron Man 1 quite a bit. The box of scraps line is probably the most iconic line for me.
I was so happy when they came out with this movie. I read Iron Man comics as a kid back in the day. So this movie really was a must see for me and having a young preteen son to see it with made it even better.
Honesty? every time I rewatch this, im blown away with the special effects and how im SO INTO IT. every freaking time!
One of the things that made this film so great back when it came out was the mix of action, comedy, tragedy, etc. It wasn't JUST an action movie, it wasn't JUST a comedy movie. It had a little bit of everything, and that wasn't what films were doing at that time. It threw in pieces of comedy, even in the middle of an action scene sometimes, and these little unexpected moments really created a unique feel.
I think that is something that the MCU needs to get back to as well. Some of the more recent titles are too serious, and they lack those lighter, comedic, moments.
I'd argue that that is exactly what is happening even till date. All the complaints you will hear from a lot of people are about those quippy humour in the middle of the fights that doesn't make sense for other characters except Iron Man.
Shang Chi was a breath of fresh air where they actually got serious into the fights and storytelling. If anything, MCU needs to do away with Tony Stark-ing every other character's humour just because it worked before.
Phenomenal breakdown!! Thank you New Rockstars and Eric Voss
All six original Avengers fall into Erik’s three categories; Clint and Steve are soldiers, Tony and Bruce are engineers, and Thor and Natasha are royals (in the comics, Natasha is stated to be a surviving member of the Romanoff royal family. AKA related to Anastasia.)
I love all you deep dives! I recently researched gladiator and would love to see your input on it.
At 15:41, you said that from this point onward till endgame he was living on borrowed time, but that's not true because he had the shrapnel removed from his chest at the end of Iron Man 3. It's the reason why at 15:46, he's able to just casually take the arc reactor off, it was only there to be the suit at that point, not keep him alive.