Hollywood What If Chapter 532
The theater was packed, every seat occupied by moviegoers. Today was the first day of Iron Man in theaters, so it was not surprising that the place was full.
Some of them were fans of Iron Man and had read the comics, while others were curious audience members who had seen the trailer. However, most of the audience were young boys, ranging from 5 to 17 years old. Well, the movie was meant for young guys anyway, since it was a superhero movie.
The anticipation filled the place as the Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox logos appeared on the screen, followed by the pounding beats of AC/DC's "Back in Black." (Note: I actually listen to this band together with Scorpions. They were great bands of the 90s.)
A father and his young son sat in the middle row, sharing a large bucket of popcorn. The father, dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans, leaned back in his seat. He glanced at his son, who barely reached the seat. The boy was 8 years old. The two had a father-and-son bonding moment and decided to watch a movie. Surprisingly, today was the first-day release of Iron Man.
The kid had been hearing about this movie from his friends. He also watched the trailer on television. So when he found out that the movie would be released today, he told his dad that he wanted to watch it.
Of course, the father agreed. Thankfully, they bought the tickets quite quickly despite the long line.
"I'm excited. My friends kept talking about Iron Man," the boy whispered, his eyes glued to the screen.
The audience watched the movie. Some laughed during Tony Stark's banter with the soldiers in the Humvee. The father and son also laughed along with them.
As the movie progressed, the audience's reactions grew louder. Gasps filled the room when Tony Stark was ambushed and injured. It was quite a shock as they witnessed how the Humvees turned around after getting bombed... Not related, but when Kazir saw this scene in a small screening, his heart almost stopped beating because he remembered that time when their car rolled over because Aaron hit them.
The boy leaned forward, holding the popcorn. He didn't expect that outcome, where Tony and the soldiers were attacked.
"Is he going to be okay, Dad?" he whispered anxiously.
"We'll see," the father replied. He had no idea, honestly. He didn't know who Iron Man was and had never read the comics. But considering that this was a superhero movie and rated PG-13, Tony Stark would probably be fine.
The movie continued.
When Tony first wore the bulky Mark 1 suit to escape the cave, the theater erupted in cheers. The boy's eyes widened as flames shot out from the suit, and Tony launched himself into the air despite the obstacles.
"Whoa!" the boy exclaimed, almost spilling his popcorn.
When Tony perfected the red-and-gold suit (Mark 3) and soared into the sky for the first time, the audience burst into applause. By the way, Mark 2 was a pure silver-colored design.
"This is so cool!" the boy said, his face lit with pure excitement. He suddenly imagined himself having an armored suit like Tony Stark.
The climactic battle between Iron Man and Iron Monger had everyone on the edge of their seats. The boy gripped the popcorn bucket, its contents long gone.
When the credits rolled, the theater erupted into applause once again. The boy turned to his father, his face glowing with excitement.
"Dad, did you see that? That was the best movie ever!"
Almost every kid in the theater had the same reaction as him.
The father chuckled.
"Yeah, it was pretty amazing. You liked it, huh?"
"I loved it!" the boy said, practically bouncing in his seat.
As the father and son exited the theater, still excited from the movie, they were greeted by some people who were doing a survey about Iron Man. They said they liked the movie and gave it an A+ rating.
"Dad, Dad!"
The boy saw something across the street. A toy store had set up a huge display featuring Iron Man merchandise. There was even a 1:1 replica of Iron Man's suit on display. Action figures, helmets, and even comics were on the shelves. There was also a large cardboard cutout of Iron Man standing at the entrance.
The boy's jaw dropped.
"Dad! Look!" He pointed excitedly.
The father followed his son's gaze and chuckled. "Well, buddy…"
"Can we go look? Please? Just for a minute!" The boy tugged at his father's hand, his eyes pleading.
"Alright, alright. Let's check it out," the father agreed, smiling. He knew that his son would ask him to buy a toy. He just hoped it wouldn't be expensive.
Inside the store, the boy went straight to the Iron Man section. He picked up a shiny red-and-gold action figure, turning it over in his hands.
"This is so cool! Look, it even has lights!" the boy said, showing it to his father.
The father knelt beside him, examining the toy. He looked at the price. It was $17. He confirmed that he could afford it. "That is pretty cool. What do you think, should we get it?"
The boy's face lit up. "Yes!"
The father smiled, pulling out his wallet. He was happy that his son didn't ask for something more expensive. He glanced around and saw an Iron Man helmet that cost $78… He was happy that his son was already satisfied with one toy.
As they walked out of the store, the boy hugged the toy tightly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thanks, Dad. This is the best day ever!"
The father ruffled his son's hair. "You're welcome, buddy."
The boy nodded, still clutching his new toy. Today was something that he would never forget. He cherished this moment forever, because a week later, his dad died in a car accident because of a teenager who drove a car under the influence.