By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
An electric shockwave hit Seoul Wednesday morning with the Asia junket for the anticipated Hollywood blockbuster ``Iron Man.'' Lead actor Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau were in town to promote the first production by Marvel Enterprises.
This is the second time a junket was held here after last summer's event for the Steven Spielberg-produced and Michael Bay-helmed sci-fi flick ``Transformers.'' The press crowded the hall at Shilla Hotel, including a host of reporters from other Asian countries.
Also starring megastars Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges, ``Iron Man'' is based on a 1963 cartoon by Marvel Comics (``Spider Man''). Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is a genius scientist and billionaire CEO of a weapons industry, with the added bonus of celebrity sex appeal. Paltrow stars as his helpful assistant Pepper and Howard is his best friend while Bridges is cast as Obadiah Stane, Stark's right hand man in business.
One day Stark gets kidnapped in the Middle East but escapes by making a high-tech suit, Mark 1, which enables him to dodge bullets and fly. The apathetic scientist realizes how his inventions are abused in the wrong hands and sets out to rectify matters.
A wave of camera flashes went off when Favreau and Downey Jr. entered the room. In his first visit to Korea, the director said, ``Korea is a very important market for Hollywood'' and that ``it's become a priority for all Hollywood films to come here.''
The director and actor of ``Elf'' later added that the Korean audiences are ``very sophisticated'' that Korea is a growing economic power. ``One of the first events I had for the film was meeting with people from LG (Electronics),'' he said. Sleek LG cell phones and other nifty electronic devices appear in the film. The “Iron Man Special Edition” phone, a marketing partnership between LG and Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures will begin in May (the director told The Korea Times he already has one).
While not very familiar with Korean cinema, Favreau said he enjoyed Park Chan-wook's ``Old Boy'' and would like to see more works.
Leading man Downey Jr. said, ``That was a really cool show'' about the flashy opening performance by b-boy team Poppin, and the director agreed, saying he ``thought this was the Super Bowl.''
The show was in tune with the striking visuals of the movie. ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), who was in charge of ``Star Wars'' and ``Transformers,'' brings sophisticated computer-generated imagery (CGI) of the film, which was two years in the making.
However, the director said he was ``not a fan of CGI.'' ``I feel it's overused… People first saw it used in `Jurassic Park' and was very much charmed by it,'' he said. Soon everyone was using it, he said, and the problem is that the technology cuts off the emotional connection between the audience and film. But ``CGI has evolved over time and I'm impressed with what I've seen in `King Kong,' `Pirates of the Caribbean' and more recently `Transformers,' '' he said. And thanks to CGI, he said reviving the cartoon was possible.
Downey Jr. spoke about starring in the film. ``It felt like a big responsibility,'' he said, because the audience these days are ``very savvy.'' Filmmakers get feedback so quickly from pre-released images and data. ``If we're towing on the right track, it's great, but if it sucks people will hate it even before the movie comes out,'' said the critically acclaimed star of ``Chaplin'' (1992). ``We needed a leap of faith to see if it was feasible.''
The 43-year-old said the film was ``quite challenging but fortunately Jon (Favreau) was directing it.'' There were times when independent art movies were ``in vogue'' but they, too, proved to be ``fallible,'' he said. ``If I'm going to work my (butt) off I might as well do something people are going to see,'' he said. ``It makes it worthwhile.''
Son of underground filmmaker Robert Downey, the younger Downey is also a familiar face through the hit Fox-TV series ``Ally McBeal,'' for which he won a Golden Globe award and Emmy nomination.
The director said he hand-picked the start cast, and encouraged ``spontaneous performances between the actors.'' ``We had wonderful actors who had both dramatic and comedic backgrounds but they never did a film like this,'' he said, adding that he wanted to ``create an energy and a tone that was not like a superhero movie.''
The lead actor went on to explain that the film is set in a more ``modern, non-fantastic setting'' and ``is a little different'' from conventional superhero stories. His character, he said, ``has a change of heart, literally and figuratively,'' from being a billionaire playboy to a protector of the people. In a subsequent closed press meeting, Downey Jr. said he was ``trying to understand the human experience and the 21st century'' through ``Iron Man.'' He also spoke of hearing that the technology in the movie may be available in real life as early as the year 2020.
``Every culture can relate to (the film),'' said Favreau, including those who didn't grow up reading the American 1960s comic. ``The best way to make something universal is to make something specific and personal, if you deal with issues close to your heart,'' Favreau said regarding the protagonist's transformation.
As for the pop culture aspect of ``Iron Man,'' he said that Hollywood in recent years has looked to Asia for inspiration such as Japanese manga (comics). ``A lot of the cunning designs were happening in Asia… The world is becoming a very small place,'' he said. Another trend, Favreau explained, is the more apparent crossover of independent filmmakers to big budget works. It adds depth to the storytelling, he said.
The junket came to a close with a photo shoot featuring a shiny black Audi R8. A silver one appears in the film as part of Tony Stark's showy car collection.
``Iron Man'' is coming to theaters in Korea April 30 before its theatrical release in other parts of the world. It opens in the U.S. May 2. ``We'll have to see if this does well,'' the director said about possibilities of a sequel. But he said he is ready to work with Downey Jr. following positive results.
Another buzz is expected as Downey Jr.'s friend and ``A Scanner Darkly'' co-star Keanu Reeves arrives Thursday to promote his film ``Street Kings.'' Reeves will appear in a special red carpet ceremony 7:30 p.m. at Yongsan CGV Theater in central Seoul.