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Iron Man

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Great action, lots of style, some iffy stuff.

Themes in this movie include:   revenge

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

  • Role models:

    Tony is carefree playboy who eventually discovers a conscience and tries to do good. He's initially captured by terrorists, but another character offers him aid, assistance, and moral guidance. The movie's villain is clearly a bad guy.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    "Good guys" and "bad guys" are pretty clearly delineated, but there's some ethical iffiness on both sides. Extensive discussion of the morality of weapons sales, as well as the nature and character of maintaining peace through possession of the biggest guns.
  • Violence:

    Extensive, constant sci-fi action and war violence. Characters (including kids) are held at gunpoint; adult villagers are rounded up by bad guys and separated from their kids; wounded characters bleed; people perish in explosions or at the hands of weapons; Iron Man's armor shoots energy rays, micro-missiles, and, in an early version, flames -- all of which are used as weapons (the flame throwers result in some massive fireballs). Characters in high-tech power armor have impressive, super-powered fistfights.
  • Sex:

    Some making out and tumbling about in bed (partially clothed woman); a young woman wakes up in a bed covered only by a sheet, presumably after sex, and then walks around wearing just a man's shirt; stewardesses dance suggestively (a stripper pole is present but not used); much is made of Tony Stark's reputation as a playboy. Some flirting.
  • Language:

    Mild sexually suggestive language. Fairly infrequent use of words like "damn" and "hell." Generally, tame langage for PG-13.
  • Consumerism:

    Contextual references to Burger King, and characters drive Audi cars (both companies have promotional agreements with the film). Verizon cell phones. A montage includes several mock magazine covers with visible logos: Time, Newsweek, Wired, Rolling Stone, and others.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Alcohol is consumed frequently; one character enjoys a cigar, albeit mostly as a prop.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Iron Man

Parents need to know that, thanks to lots of hype and non-stop marketing, kids will be clamoring to see this fast-paced, action-packed comic book-based adventure. But it's definitely more age-appropriate for teens than younger children. Although much of the violence is clearly meant to be based in the realm of sci-fi and fantasy -- and/or is shown at a distance -- there's plenty of it, from massive explosions to children held at gunpoint to super-powered fistfights. Some of the violence is war themed, and some characters get hurt and/or die. While much is made of lead character Tony Stark's devil-may-care lifestyle of fun and frolic, viewers also see him turn away from the more irresponsible aspects of playboyhood. Language is minimal, and sexual content is more suggested than shown overall -- though there are a few eyebrow-raising moments.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the popularity of comic book movies. Do they speak to escapism or darker fantasies about power?
  • How does the fact that much of the movie's violence is based in fantasy affect its impact? How is it different watching human characters get hurt than robots and other beings?
  • Iron Man may be a do-gooder, but he's no Boy Scout. Can heroic characters still be flawed? Does that make them more heroic or less?

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Our Members Say

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See all 125 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Good for a mature person that loves movies!

    This great classic is a must own, I do not know anyone that doesn't love this movie. But it shows realestic views of war time and child peril the violence is gruesomly realestic and not for the faint of heart.

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    Good movie with a few iffy things....

    Iron Man has quite a bit of violence. The first few scenes are very bloody, with a few flashes of surgical images. There is a couple "making out" in a bed, who fall off.... But that's the worst it gets. The language is pretty mild.

  3. I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0

    great classic 10 and up

    awesome movie worth watching great actors too mild violence barley any sex at all 10 and up is fine for you familys with kids

  4. I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative role models

    Great movie, the best marvel one yet. Pehaps too much drinking and the sex couild go down a bit. Terrorist themes are beyond young childrens reach, so instead sho them something more child friendly like spiderman. This movie has some amazing inflight action scenes and Robert Downey Junior does extremely well.

  5. I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    Parents should be more careful reguarding the media they select for their children

    Us parents, tend to be too liberal when it comes to making decisions reguarding movies our children should watch. I have noticed a reviewer ( even though he/she is only twelve) saying: " I've seen more violent movies than this", as if this argument makes it ok to go against what the experts say regarding violence for young children. Before being informed about ratings and age appropriate media for children, I let my 7 year old watch this movie. Now that I am informed ( after a huge amount of research) I can say that I regret letting my son watch it. I don't care what a turn around "Playboy" tony had towards the end of a movie. He is shown in bed with a stranger ( and I don't want anyone giving me ANY crap that they did not show anything. REGARDLESS, you do not need to show the whole sex scene for the child to subconsciously comprehend that tony just had an "adventure" with that reporter only to have left her dumped in his room to be escorted by his secretary and to make things worse, to not even have remembered her name when he encountered her again. Parents, may I remind you not to judge the sexual and violent scenes according to the 30+ years you have been living, but, instead, according to the kind of scenes a child should be exposed to? May I remind parents that children MUST be exposed to good role models of masculine and femenine behavior. It doesn't matter that Tony had a turnaround in his life. The problems he had were on an adult level. Problems should be more at the child's reality. If it does not, I think that is a clear indicator that the movie is inappropriate. For example, can it be possibly good for an 8 or 9 year old to learn from a Playboy bandit turn good? The problem he turned away from is by far, ages away from youngsters realities.

  6. I rate this title off for age 8 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    good job paramount! you rock dad!

    this is a good movie for age 10 and up ps the reason i put u rock dad is bcuz his company paramount made this movie!

  7. I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Negative role models

    Great movie for tweens and up, violent for a younger crowd.

    Very good superhero movie. Some violence would be intense for a younger crowd. He is very rich and the terrorists treat everyone horribly.

  8. I rate this title off for age 8 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

  9. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Some "real life" violence, but a very intense movie with a good underlying message

    As with my general train of thought, you know your kids, you decide. My 8 year old loves this movie. some parts of it hit alittle to close to home, regarding the terrorists, but on the other hand, I feel thats what made this movie something "deeper" then other "out there" sci fi movies. Mild sexual references, some language and smoking/drinking..nothing more then kids see nowadays. I clicked good role models, as Tony Stark turns his life around from a boozing womanizer to someone intent on helping others. Robert Downey Jr. was excellent in this movie..

  10. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 16 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

  11. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0

    I thought it would be terrible but it was amazing!

  12. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Arizona
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    It took me two hours to calm down after watching this intensely violent and disturbing film and I usually like action films. I certainly would not allow my 6 or 8-year old to watch it. I follow the MPAA ratings and always check commonsensemedia.org, but in this case, I would wait until they are 17.

  13. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Oregon
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 3.0

    Did I Miss Something?

    "Iron Man" was a good movie. Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwenyth Paltrow are very good. The action is good. The plot is original. But, despite the hype, it's no masterpiece. I feel like everyone I know saw a different movie than I did, and here's why: despite the actors, the characters feel slightly one-dimensional, the 'villain' element to the plot is laughable and feels like an afterthought, and finally, it just didn't feel profound. It's better than some summer action movies (Transformers 2, Indiana Jones 4), but isn't nearly as good as others (Watchmen, The Dark Knight). I don't want it to seem like I hated the film, just that it's not all that it's cracked up to be. The content is fairly mild, save for some action violence and witty sexual innuendos.

  14. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Iron Man

    A really cool movie, some unnessecary stuf, and a bit of violence but nothing too bad.

  15. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    Excellent, action-packed film.

    Iron Man was a very enjoyable film to watch. I found it to be quite humorous at some parts, but at other times it grew in seriousness. My two main concerns to point out are the surgery scene and the "sex" scene. The surgery scene could be rather intense for younger children as it is out of focus and depicts blood. Also, the scene when Stark is seen making out with the woman and rolling around is inappropiate for youngers children as well. Overall, this film was excellent and I highly recommend it.

  16. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Awesome movie, Alright for tweens and parents alike

    Iron Man is one of the best superhero films made. The storyline is great, depicting Tony Stark's transformation into Iron Man , and how he is forced to fight Iron Monger, who tried to have him killed. The violence is moderate. We see a torture scene where Tony Stark is dunked underwater, and another where his asistent nearly swallows a hot coal. There is also some blood; tony stark bleeds after being hit by a missle and is then operated on (we see a brief bloody wound), a villian has part of the skin on his head missing and we see his veins (not too graphic). In non-bloody scenes, we see iron Man killing multiple henchmen in two scenes, and we see Iron man and Iron monger figting during the finale. During Iron monger's death, we see him being electroquted (no blood, not graphic at all). There is a brief sex scene, where we see Tony making out with a reporter on a bed, and then falling off of it. Stark is fully clothed, and the woman has a shirt and panties. In the next scene, we see the woman naked in bed (the only thing we see his her bare back). We also hear talk about martinis, and see Stark drinking in one scene. Overall, an excellent and must see film, and in my opinion, Marvel's best film. Kids 12 and up should be OK, as long as they aren't scared by the scene where Stark is operated on. Iron Man is also iffy for 10-11. The biggest concern is the sex scene, which may leave parents having to have an awkward discussion with younger kids afterwards. The mesage is also good, showing how Stark, a millionaire playboy, discovers his true purpose in life. I give it 5 out of 5. It isn't as good as The Dark knight but comes extremely close to it.

  17. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Montana
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 0.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    for 13 year olds

    I thought this movie was really awsome not appropriate fo kids under 13 though and it is really intense at parts

  18. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 0.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    e.g. You should think twice before going with a tween!

    over all good movie but da sex scene wasnt needed

  19. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Utah
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0

    Iron Man will deliver.

    Iron Man is an exhilarating action film from Robert Downey Jr. and has a good story and characters. everyone will enjoy it.

  20. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Washington
    I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    AWSOME MOVIE

    Very good! but there may be parts that you should cover eyes on a kid younger than 7 because there is a whole lotta blood!

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