Author Topic: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise  (Read 4297 times)

fdbryant3

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My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« on: April 24, 2013, 01:10:18 AM »
I like the Iron Man movies but there is one thing that bothers me more than any other flaw you can level against them. Why wasn't the shrapnel removed shortly after he returned to the US? I mean for all intents and purposes he has unlimited resources. Which means he has the money to get the finest surgeons in the world on the case ASAP. Not only that if they need hitherto unheard of tech to remove - he not only has the resources put the finest minds on the planet onto the problem, he is one of finest engineers on the planet who would be capable of building whatever he needs.

For the sake of argument though lets say the reason is that he got caught up and focused on his plans he just never finds time for it, I'll buy that. However why are they still there after the first movie. You would thing after what Obidiah did he would make getting them removed priority 1 just so he would never find himself in that position again.

I really hope they finally fix this in IM3.

Anyway - I just needed to get that off my chest.

TerminalVelocity

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2013, 01:44:59 AM »
Suspension of disbelief. How did they preform the surgery to even get the reactor in place, anyways?
Might interest you, the Ultimate Comics Iron Man has a terminal illness that the reactor keeps dormant. (I like that concept more, but not it's execution. 'Spose that's neither here or there.)
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fdbryant3

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2013, 03:00:28 AM »
Suspension of disbelief. How did they preform the surgery to even get the reactor in place, anyways?
Might interest you, the Ultimate Comics Iron Man has a terminal illness that the reactor keeps dormant. (I like that concept more, but not it's execution. 'Spose that's neither here or there.)

Trust me, my disbelief is suspended.  In fact it doesn't believe how suspended it is some times.  This just annoys me because it is a plot device that in the context of the events and universe shouldn't be left in there particularly when it could be fixed with a line or two of dialog.

Rotten Luck

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2013, 03:22:56 AM »
Well two reasons I can think of.  One location of the some of the shrapnel.  From the dialog we get the impression that these are small slivers of metal and a lot of them what if some are at such an angle that cutting to it with normal tech would risk cutting an artery or the heart as well?  So it like if he was shot with a shot gun and has his chest cavity peppered with the shrapnel.  Cutting into him to get all of them might be more risky then letting the reactor do it's job.

Another idea is his own ego.  It was Stark Tech and who ever does operate might discover that fact and leak it out.  In the movie he said the terrorists used Stark tech on the troopers but didn't directly say he was wounded by his own weapons.  This might be a fact he didn't want logic to get to the public.
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TimtheEnchanter

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2013, 05:11:54 AM »
The shrapnel wasn't just near his heart. It was barbed in such a way that they would slowly burrow their way through the body, hence why magnets were necessary to keep them from getting any further. Surgery would be pretty risky business with something like that.

Though you'd think with all the tech he had available, he would've figured out a way to get them out on his own.

Instead of metal, it probably would've been better to have the shrapnel contain some sort of corrosive chemical or a nasty toxic isotope, that only behaves itself while in the presence of a powerful EM field.

eabrace

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2013, 06:05:24 AM »
Instead of metal, it probably would've been better to have the shrapnel contain some sort of corrosive chemical or a nasty toxic isotope, that only behaves itself while in the presence of a powerful EM field.
I probably would have had a harder time letting them pass either of those off.  :)

At any rate, there are certainly real-world cases where doctors opt to leave shrapnel in a patient rather than extract it because the surgical procedure would put the patient at a higher risk than leaving the shrapnel in place.  If I recall correctly, the shrapnel was eventually removed in the comics after surgical techniques and technology had improved to the point where the procedure became less risky.  That's also pretty realistic, and we could very well see that in the movies at some point, too.

But, yes, suspension of disbelief is required for the arc reactor holding the shrapnel at bay with an EM field - especially with how far into the chest the cavity seems to extend.
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Rotten Luck

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2013, 12:38:11 PM »
I can accept the shrapnel being left due to risk.  My logical question is... why doesn't the magnet pull the shrapnel to it!  We have metal shrapnel or something affected by Electromagnetic fields, but doesn't move to said magnet?  Perhaps those barbs snag the flesh around the shrapnel so it don't move back. 
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eabrace

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2013, 12:46:38 PM »
Oh, easily.  If the shrapnel had barbs on it, it would definitely do more damage tearing its way back out than it did going in.
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TimtheEnchanter

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2013, 06:29:30 PM »
Brings up another interesting thought. Considering this isn't anything like a metal plate bolted to the skull or an artificial bone...

Does he ever feel pain from that when he gets into fights? The armor protects him from impacts but it can't protect him from Newton's law of motion. You'd think getting bounced around like that would cause the shrapnel to jiggle ever so slightly, like someone twisting a knife.

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houtex

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2013, 03:27:35 AM »
I would imagine it's magictech where the magnets that keep the shrapnel in place, and Jarvis is probably in there somewhere to keep a track of the impacts and adjust accordingly.

Thus, Stark Tech is the inventor of the artificial gravity plating and inertial dampeners used in Star Trek, and the crossover can be plotted now.  Stark Trek: Into Insanity.  Coming soon to a theater near you.

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eabrace

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2013, 10:19:49 AM »
Thus, Stark Tech is the inventor of the artificial gravity plating and inertial dampeners used in Star Trek, and the crossover can be plotted now.  Stark Trek: Into Insanity.  Coming soon to a theater near you.
Then it could be a Star Trek/Star Wars/Marvel crossover event!

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/17/parks-and-recreation-patton-oswalts-amazing-star-wars-episode-viiavengers-crossover
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TimtheEnchanter

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2013, 05:17:49 PM »
Disney is just as likely to make a SW film with a CGI Mickey in the lead role.

eabrace

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2013, 06:17:07 PM »
Better than Jar Jar!  :D
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houtex

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2013, 01:39:09 AM »
Hey, now, it's not Jar Jar Binks' fault he was written badly!  ANd that Lucas can't write or direct to save his ass, people.  I mean, seriously, if you only have so much to work with... look at Sean Connery and Zardoz!  Or Highlander II!  And don't get me started about Patrick Stewart on SNL.  Or for that matter, any of the actors in Speed Racer and their having to put up with that... agents shoulda got fired. 

I mean, really, Jar Jar could only do what he could with what he had, and still work with that stupid green screen.  It's amazing he did as well as he did, given the circumstances.  And while I'm at it... WHAT?!  WILL YOU QUIT POKING ME IN THE ARM!?  What do you want?!?

...huh?  Jar Jar is motion captured CGI?  Really?  He's not real?  Oh!  Well...

..ok, yeah, he so sucked.  Dumb idea, George.  Amazing animation though, I'll grant that.

TimtheEnchanter

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2013, 02:58:10 AM »
Jake Lloyd is worse. At least the 'acting' of Jar Jar was somewhat believable.

JWBullfrog

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2013, 03:57:44 AM »
A couple of explanations from the comics.
 
1. the shrapnel is barbed and is slowly working toward his heart. His heart also suffered some damage. In the comics he did not wear just the reactor but the entire chestplate. the whole thing acted like a pacemaker. More than a few issues had him overextending himself and going into cardiac arrest. Later in the comics run (late 80's I think) he did have a heart transplant.
 
2. the interior of the armor is lined with a system like his repulsors but, instead of being a focused beam, it acts like shock absorbers. Don't ask how, that violates the spirit of comic book science.
 
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TigerKnight

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #16 on: April 27, 2013, 09:10:26 AM »
Actually the fact that they can't just stop his heart and give him a heart transplant or a pacemaker is kind of hard to believe.

Honestly, the only reason I think he keeps it like this is because of the ladies. Chicks dig the shrapnel and the whole "Woe is me' works well with his puppy dog eyes.

Sadly, it's the only problem I have with his character. They screwed up my favorite Marvel hero (Spider-Man) eight ways til Sunday so bad, I can't even read his books anymore since Brand New Day.

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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #17 on: April 27, 2013, 01:21:04 PM »
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that his wounds - and the fact he had a built in Arc Reactor in the first place - weren't public knowledge. Only his team and SHIELD knew the extent of his injuries and the average public had no idea he was that grievously wounded.

As such, he probably didn't want to undergo heart surgery because that would admit to the world he was wounded when he was captured, which would bring out the details of his escape. And that - in turn - would put Yinsen (The man who helped him escape)'s family at risk for retaliation by the Ten Rings.
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Re: My biggest gripe with the Iron Man movie franchise
« Reply #18 on: April 27, 2013, 09:00:42 PM »
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that his wounds - and the fact he had a built in Arc Reactor in the first place - weren't public knowledge. Only his team and SHIELD knew the extent of his injuries and the average public had no idea he was that grievously wounded.

As such, he probably didn't want to undergo heart surgery because that would admit to the world he was wounded when he was captured, which would bring out the details of his escape. And that - in turn - would put Yinsen (The man who helped him escape)'s family at risk for retaliation by the Ten Rings.

Wasn't Yinsen's immediate family already dead in the first Iron-Man movie.  I can see keeping it on the down low because it could be a vulnerability exploited by a foe but the previews from Iron-Man 3 shows him in surgery so the cat is out of the bag unless it's a SHIELD surgical team.
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