Iron Man: Revisiting an Old Friend with The Polymath Roundtable

We here at Cinematic Doctrine are happy to kick off a series of reviews on Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Iron Man to The Avengers, we’ll be looking at each film and discussing them one by one, and along the way we’ve decided to bring on a few guests from other Christian podcasts, starting with Caleb Young. Caleb hosts the popular Polymath Roundtable, a Christian podcast that produces bite-sized reviews and topical discussions on all sorts of media. Some episodes he is talking about movies, other’s he’s discussing books, and at other times he’s looking at video games. It’s well-rounded and often balanced pursuit makes for easy listening on your daily drive for when you need some good Christian thoughts on all kinds of topics.

And so, with Cinematic Doctrine offering a larger format than bite-sized 20-minute episodes, Caleb and I had a lot of time to dig into Iron Man. From the start, we discuss what it was like to revisit this modern classic in the comic-book film canon, as well as discuss a few issues we have with the film including, but not limited to, some surprisingly sensual sequences. We also discuss the stark themes of legacy and responsibility from the perspective of Tony Stark’s struggle with arrogance. And finally, we close out with an introspective discussion on what it means to be a film critic as we weigh the value of Iron Man both culturally and morally.

Iron Man is Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content. It features Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow, and Shaun Toub. Directed by Jon Favreau. Iron Man is available on Disney Plus.

Consider supporting Cinematic Doctrine on Patreon! As a bonus, you can gain access to a once-a-month movie poll where you decide a movie we discuss on the podcast, early unedited episodes of the podcast, and merch!!

Caleb Young is a remarkably short giant, or maybe a very tall hobbit, who hosts the weekly Christian podcast The Polymath Roundtable where he discusses culture and entertainment media of all kinds. Books, games, movies, and music are all on the roundtable!

Cinematic Doctrine is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other major podcast apps.