In recent years the Superhero Narrative has become much more popular in theatres and many different superheroes have been recreated. This extends to the Ironman series which has produced 2 new films. For my analysis I will be addressing the first film that was released in 2008. As a narrative I believe that Ironman succeeds in entertaining its audience regardless of the quality of the film.
The film itself is a very simple action movie that appeals to people who enjoy explosions and fight scenes. Although I would categorize it as an action movie there are also many aspects of humour that create a fun atmosphere for all viewers and this expands the audience to a much larger group of people. Action movies are typically meant entirely to entertain the audience. What you expect is almost always what you get with an action movie; minimal plot, little character development, and mindless action sequences are typical aspects of an action movie.
The main character in the film is Tony Stark. The character that Tony plays is playful and even a little bit crude. As a playboy and a millionaire he leads an extravagant lifestyle but as a genius he operates an incredibly successful business and works very hard. The actions that Tony takes part in lead the audience to be entertained but his is accomplished because of the audience’s perspective. In reality people like Tony Stark are not enjoyable. They are typically rude, selfish, and conceited, so why is it that the movie is entertaining?
Both the genre of the movie and the characters in the film are nothing spectacular when it comes to films and theatre but when we look at the audience we understand why the film was enjoyed. Action movies are not about the quality of the film but rather about the expectations of the audience. These expectations are well known by directors and so it is easy to entertain the audience. Ironman did well at the box office but not at receiving awards because the quality of the film it not important to its main objective; the entertainment of the audience.
Pop Studies and Rhetoric 
I have to say, I do agree with some points that you make, however, I also disagree with some of it as well. From what I think, when you look at a super hero movie, you don’t always think of a superhero to be paired with such a high intelligence level (take the Hulk, or even Batman for instance), but this is the case with Tony Stark. Sure the genre of the film is commonly addressed in many other movies, but how this film uses that genre to its own advantage is really unique. Tony Stark is a one man army type of guy and can be selfish at times, however, he still shows a sensible side to him which causes the audience to appreciate who he is. I’m a little confused as to what you meant by your final statement, but although I do agree that Iron Man was meant for the audience more than an Oscar, it doesn’t mean that there was minimal quality put into this action film. Iron Man was nominated for many categories, which shows that this was no ordinary action movie as it stood out from many action films that had come out that same year. So there was definitely quality in this film and by having that, it essentially brought a new sense of action into the action film industry. I think Iron Man did a great job in bringing up the standards to what an action film is because it not only has the explosions and brilliant effects, but it also has a brilliant mastermind behind it all, which I think makes action films that much better to watch.