Is Iron Man IMAX Enhanced worth rewatching on Disney+?

In late 2021, Disney+ offered a new way to watch several of their classic Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films: IMAX Enhanced versions. These versions put back the IMAX expanded aspect ratio of 1:90 of the original IMAX release of the film to the streaming version, so plebs like you and me can see the entire frame as it was filmed, unchopped. 

They even released marketing graphics! You know it's serious then.

 For some, this'll be the first time they saw it this way since the theatrical release, and for others that didn't see the film in an IMAX screen, this'll be there first time ever.

But is it worth watching the IMAX Enhanced version of the MCU films? I decided to try it out with the one that launched it all, the first MCU film: Iron Man (2008). 

We were so young... with questionable fashion sense.

Would the few sequences they filmed with the expanded IMAX ratio be enough to make it worth a rewatch? Would I even notice it? Or worse, would the "IMAX Enhanced" version of Iron Man actually be distracting with the swapping back and forth of aspects ratios, and be a worse experience than just watching it normally?

So how do you even watch Iron Man in IMAX Enhanced? Don't just press play expecting Disney+ to default to it. You have to go to the main film page, then tab over to "VERSIONS", then press "IMAX ENHANCED"

r/UselessRedCircle? Maybe, but I'm trying to be thorough.

 

I won't red circle this one. But oooo, look how much bigger the IMAX Enhanced frame is!

I clicked IMAX Enhanced, Iron Man started playing... and how weird to see the Paramount logo play.

This... I... where's the castle?!

Yes, Disney had nothing to do with this film. Disney didn't buy Marvel until a year AFTER this film released. 

 The next thing I noticed is that the aspect ratio was decidedly... not expanded.

Yeah some of the dialogue has held up... not great.

Iron Man only had select scenes that were filmed in IMAX way back when, so you'll only get the expanded aspect ratio during those scenes. 

 Usually, they're the big budget action set pieces. The first one is about 3 minutes in (around when Tony decides to just stare at a rocket that landed right next to him).

The dangers of texting while warfighting.

But hey, look at the difference in aspect ratio! It's like what, 25% more image?

Okay you know what, close enough.

And just as importantly, it wasn't distracting. IMAX Enhanced isn't like the Snyder Cut where you're watching a film in an Instagram square the whole time. 

Complete with all the glorious thirst traps.

Iron Man basically goes from widescreen, to occasionally full screen. Personally, I didn't find this distracting. Most of the time I would notice eventually "hey, we're in big boy mode now!" during an intense action beat.

Oh, and a lot of this movie is still just as cool.

And having it be bigger I think does add. You're seeing the film as the director truly intended, the most it could be. 

The surprising thing was it even improved the non-IMAX Enhanced scenes. When it switched back, it made those scenes feel more intimate, more mature perhaps. 

There's a connotation between widescreen and cinema, where widescreen was the "cinematic experience" for so long, and full screen was where news and TV lived. Those neural links still hold strong today.

My favorite first date question.

It was subtle though. Rewatching Iron Man with the IMAX Enhanced version wasn't like watching a whole new movie.

Instead, it made the action scenes a bit more engrossing and enormous feeling, and the non-action scenes a bit more intimate and mature feeling.  All while never being distracting.

Pretend this is me watching Iron Man on Disney+

So the question remains: Is it worth rewatching Iron Man on Disney Plus with the IMAX Enhanced version?

I would say if you were already thinking about rewatching it: yes.

And who wouldn't?

It's a great film and IMAX Enhanced does nothing to hinder that.

I would say if you were considering rewatching it because of IMAX enchanced: yes.

Hell yeah.

 Disney+ IMAX Enhanced switches things up just enough to make things feel interesting again. 

It's the same film, and worth a rewatch.

I would say if you weren't considering rewatching it and the only selling point to seeing it is IMAX Enhanced: no.

Uh oh.

Like I said, it's the same film. Same great film, but an extra 26% of screen in certain scenes isn't going to convert many people. It was well made, never annoying, but never earth shattering either.

 

If you still aren't convinced, or are confused about the aspect ratio differences: u/Kynch did a great in-depth comparison between the normal version and the IMAX Enhanced version, so you can see just how much more frame you're getting.

Hope you enjoy!