Iron Man! (yes, I know I'm way behind the rest of the world)

[edenfalling]

Susan, Cat and I saw Iron Man tonight. I LOVED it!

It has kind of wonky subtext about America and military power and interventionism -- it's trying to be for them and against them in the same movie, and I'm not sure they were anywhere near clear enough on where they're drawing very finicky moral lines -- but it's very hard to care about that while the film is playing, and actually, I like having something serious to think about afterwards. :-)

I also utterly, completely, and totally love that when Tony tries to sweet-talk Pepper just before the press conference that ends the film, reminding her about the night they almost kissed on a roof... she reminds him that he then went inside to get her a drink, never came back, never explained, and never apologized. And she doesn't fall for it.

Cat, Susan, and I were torn over Pepper's high heeled shoes in the climax scenes. On the one hand, it's understandable that she isn't used to running for her life, and she wanted to look normal and professional when she went into Stark Industries to do computer espionage for Tony. On the other hand, she should have realized that she might have to run if Obadiah caught on to her.

I'm cutting her slack for this movie, but if she's still wearing impractical shoes in the sequel (I'm sure there'll be a sequel), I will be deeply annoyed at the writers, costumers, producers, et al. Because four-inch stilletto heels are not practical for action scenes.

Heels aside, the way Pepper grabbed the SHIELD agent and used him to cover her escape was brilliant. One wonderful thing about this movie is that brains count just as much as raw physical strength, if not more. And all of the main characters are basically smart people.

See, intelligence isn't something to look down on. Intelligence is cool. Intelligent people can build robot suits that let them fly. :-)

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*recites mantra: I will not write Iron Man fanfiction, I will not write Iron Man fanfiction, I will not write Iron Man fanfiction...*

Comments

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Loved Iron Man. Loved Tony Stark in all his slightly misogynistic glory. And adored Pepper Potts to an almost inhuman amount.

[edenfalling]

I'm not sure I'd call Tony a misogynist so much as a narcissist.* He's equally dismissive of men; it's just less noticeable since he doesn't seem to be sexually attracted to them. And he's fairly upfront about being a jerk, so on one level I feel that anyone who gets involved with him should know what she's getting into.

On the other hand, he's still a jerk. And the strip-dance pole in his private jet was, I think, a step too far. Miniskirts and low-cut shirts on the flight attendants would have been enough to get the point across, and while he became a better person over the course of the film, I don't think he ever quite realized that he was objectifying people -- seeing them as entertainment rather than as people -- the same way the Ten Rings group objectified him, seeing him only as a source of money or a tool for building more weapons.

*I'm not sure how much Tony actually likes himself, either, which makes narcissism not quite the right term, but I can't think of a more accurate one off the top of my head.

[bewize.livejournal.com]

I can see your points, and even agree with them to an extent. The misogynist comment was aimed more at the fact that he would only interact with women who met his "attractiveness" quota. I agree he was equally dismissive of men who couldn't rise to his demands, but those demands were more intellectual and less... visual.

Although, you're right about the fact that I don't think Tony hated women in particular, he just used them for sex only.

I'll have to think about what the correct term for that would be, if the modern slang "player" isn't acceptable. *amused*

[snaegl.livejournal.com]

Actually, not liking oneself is the key predisposition to narcissism. The narcissist is constantly trying to hide his or her own poor self image by creating a bombastic outer persona.

If you're interested more in the psychology, you might want to read Trapped in the Mirror by Elan Golomb, which examines the adult children of clinical narcissists and their coping mechanisms. I found it a tremendously fascinating and enlightening read.