Iron Man (2008)
Related: Iron Man 2 (2010), Iron Man 3 (2013), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
This film portrays Iron Man as a champion of debauchery who willfully and unrepentantly pursues a course of sin and vice. Not even 5 minutes into the film, the holy name of God is taken in vain by the main character and hero, Tony Stark. It is interesting that while the movie has nothing to do with religion or Christianity, it is nevertheless replete with profane and irreverent references to God, Jesus, God's kingdom, the Bible, and hell.
This movie should be avoided because it is filled with profanity (at least 11 instances) and blasphemy (God's name is taken in vain at least 11 times), and involves and/or promotes defiance against God, immodesty, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and deceit. Since its heroes practice sin, this movie conditions viewers to substitute evil for good and good for evil (Isa. 5:20) by praising evildoers who ought to be despised (Ps. 15:4; Pro. 28:4).
Violations of God's Law
Defiance against God
This movie violates the First Commandment.
- This movie promotes the idea of going to heaven apart from Christ (cf. Jn. 14:6), in the scene in which Yinsen, as he's about to die, mentions going to see his family
- Tony expresses his resolve to follow and trust his own heart, which the Bible condemns as folly (Prov. 28:26; Jer. 17:9)
Blasphemy and Profanity
This movie violates the Third Commandment. God has warned that he will not hold guiltless those who take his name in vain (Ex. 20:7).
- Tony takes God's name in vain at least 3 times, and profanes Jesus' words in Matthew 22:21 as he hands an award to a man dressed up as Caesar in a casino
- Pepper takes God's name in vain at least 6 times
- James takes God's name in vain at least once, and profanely refers to "kingdom come"
- Christine utters "Jesus" in vain at least once
- Profane references: hell (4), damn (1), among others
Abuse, Violence, and Murder
This movie promotes violations of the Sixth Commandment. The Bible warns that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1Co. 6:9-10).
- Tony is known for drunkenness, particularly to the point where he becomes too drunk to remember people he had previously met
- There is a drinking party scene with Tony and James and flight attendant strippers
Immodesty and Sexual Immorality
This movie violates and promotes violations of the Seventh Commandment. The Bible warns that those who do not repent of sexual immorality will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co. 6:9-10), but will be judged by God (Heb. 13:4). We are commanded to "flee fornication" (1Co. 6:18), but this movie flaunts it, and its hero drinks it down like water.
- There is a sex scene (over a minute and a half long) with Tony (Robert Downey Jr., married) and Christine (Leslie Bibb, unmarried)
- In a drinking party scene, female flight attendant strippers dance sexually for Tony and James
- Tony is known to be sexually promiscuous
- Pepper tells him, "Everybody knows exactly who you are and how you are with girls and all of that…"
- He is known for and boasts about "going 12-for-12" with Maxim cover models
- Tony and Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow, married) are shown slow dancing, on verge of kissing
- Tony greets Hugh Hefner (Stan Lee cameo) with his Playboy girls
- Tony jokes about James sleeping with a transvestite
- Immodestly dressed women are shown making sexual gestures
- Pepper is repeatedly shown immodestly dressed
- Tony is shown shirtless
Deceit
This movie promotes violations of the Ninth Commandment. The Bible warns that all liars, whom God hates (Pro. 6:16-19; 12:22), shall have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8).
- Tony instructs James to lie to the press
- Agent Coulson preps Tony for lying to the press
Sinful Content in Iron Man
Warning! The following table contains direct quotations from the film, which include instances of blasphemy, profanity, and other vices.
| Timestamp | Classification | Character | Quote/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:01:40 | Blasphemy | Tony Stark | "Good God, you're a woman!" |
| 00:02:55 | Profanity | Soldier | "Son of a bitch!" |
| 00:03:00 | Sexual Immorality | Soldier asks Tony Stark if it's true he "went 12 for 12 with last year's Maxim cover models," and Tony responds: "That is an excellent question. Yes and no. March and I had a scheduling conflict, but fortunately, the Christmas cover was twins." | |
| 00:06:45 | Sexual Immorality | Immodestly dressed women, sexual gestures | |
| 00:06:45 | Gambling | Tony Stark | Gambling at casino |
| 00:07:00 | Blasphemy | Tony Stark | "God" |
| 00:07:35 | Profanity | Tony Stark | "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." (Scripture profanation; Stark says this as he hands his award to a man dressed up as Caesar in the casino) |
| 00:08:57 | Sexual Immorality | Sex scene with Tony Stark and Christine Everhart, who walks around naked in a bedsheet the following morning (scene lasts longer than a minute and a half) | |
| 00:09:00 | Blasphemy | Christine Everhart | "Jesus!" (out of shock/surprise) |
| 00:13:55 | Sexual Immorality | Drinking party, female flight attendants immodestly dressed, dancing sexually, stripper pole | |
| 00:18:07 | Profanity | Tony Stark | "What the hell did you do to me?" |
| 00:19:08 | Drunkenness | Yinsen | Yinsen refers to Tony Stark being too drunk to remember him |
| 00:26:58 | Unlawful Lots | Rolling die, playing backgammon | |
| 00:33:49 | Minced Oath | Yinsen | "Oh my goodness!" |
| 00:38:07 | False Religion | Yinsen | "My family is dead. I'm going to see them now, Stark." (reference to heaven, without Christ, cf. John 14:6) |
| 00:49:30 | Immodesty | Immodestly dressed Pepper Potts, shirtless Tony Stark | |
| 00:49:34 | Blasphemy | Pepper Potts | "Oh my God, is that the thing that's keeping you alive?" |
| 00:50:02 | Blasphemy | Pepper Potts | "Oh my God!" |
| 00:51:10 | Blasphemy | Pepper Potts | "Oh God!" |
| 00:51:00 | Sexual Immorality | Tony Stark jokes about James Rhodes sleeping with a transvestite | |
| 01:08:10 | Sexual Immorality | Tony Stark greets Hugh Hefner (Stan Lee cameo) with his Playboy girls | |
| 01:08:10 | Blasphemy | Tony Stark | "God, you need a new name for that." |
| 01:09:58 | Blasphemy | Pepper Potts | "Oh God" (out of disgust) |
| 01:09:04 | Sexual Immorality | Immodestly dressed women Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, also immodestly dressed, slow dancing (scene lasts over a minute) |
|
| 01:11:00 | Sexual Immorality | Pepper Potts to Tony Stark: "Everybody knows exactly who you are and how you are with girls and all of that…" Tony Stark is known to be promiscuous |
|
| 01:11:22 | Sexual Immorality | Tony Stark and Pepper Potts on verge of kissing | |
| 01:11:56 | Immodesty | Immodestly dressed women | |
| 01:19:28 | Profanity | Captain | "What the hell was that?" |
| 01:20:34 | Profanity | James Rhodes | "What in the hell is that noise?" |
| 01:21:10 | Profanity | James Rhodes | "…it's about to be blown to kingdom come." (Scripture profanation) |
| 01:22:03 | Profanity | Pilot | "Holy!" (out of shock/surprise) |
| 01:24:20 | Blasphemy | James Rhodes | "Oh my God, you crazy son of a bitch!" |
| 01:24:38 | Profanity | Tony Stark | "Training exercise. Isn't that the usual BS?" |
| 01:24:38 | Deceit | Tony Stark | Tony Stark tells James Rhodes to lie to the press: "Training exercise. Isn't that the usual BS?" |
| 01:25:04 | Immodesty | Pepper Potts | Immodestly dressed |
| 01:30:09 | Folly | Tony Stark | "I shouldn't be alive, unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right." (Proverbs 28:26 says fools trust in their own hearts, cf. Jeremiah 17:9) |
| 01:32:00 | Blasphemy | Pepper Potts | "Oh my God" |
| 01:42:49 | Profanity | James Rhodes | "Damn! Next time, baby." |
| 01:49:15 | Blasphemy | Pepper Potts | "Tony! Oh my God, are you okay?" |
| 01:52:15 | Profanity | Obadiah Stane | "Hold still, you little prick!" |
| 02:05:36 | Deceit | Tony Stark is prepped by Agent Coulson to lie to the press | |
| 02:05:36 | Profanity | Tony Stark | "Who the hell are you?" |