Ken Tucker’s Pop Culture

Went to see “Iron Man” this weekend, and liked it a lot more than I expected. One big reason? It had not just laughs and comic-geek thrills, but real, first-rate, non-F/X… acting! When Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark pulls Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts out onto the dancefloor for a little dipping and cooing, the romantic-comedy byplay is superb.
Which made me connect a few movie-industry dots. Hey, remember the whining about the last Oscar telecast, with its low-wattage star vehicles and lower ratings, and all the hand-wringing the media, including EW, did about how to improve the Oscars?
Here’s a thought. Hey, Hollywood and the Motion Picture Academy: Take a closer squint at the big summer movies. Take them seriously. As far as I’m concerned, Downey’s performance should go on any short-list that anyone draws up of potential Oscar nominees.
Oh, and another thought. “Iron Man” at my multiplex was preceded by a trailer for “The Dark Knight.” And if Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker is as good as these clips suggest—and my brain starts bubbling every time I see his deliriously-committed, smeared-make-up personification of pure, nut-job Evilness—then we’ve got a potential Best Supporting Actor nominee that will be much more than just a sentimental gesture to a cherished, departed actor.
“Iron Man “and “The Dark Knight” as Oscar-worthy—think about it… seriously.