The biggest mistake you can make going into iBoy is expecting something from the Marvel catalog.
Cause that is simply not going to happen.
Instead what you get is a solid Brit "estate gang" story (like Harry Brown 2009 or a dozen others you could probably recite from memory) with some Marvel/Spiderman superhero stuff cleverly thrown in.
And that is a mouthful because I have watched and reviewed a lot of films (check out my list, about 1300) and have never seen anything quite like this before.
Does it work? For the most part, YES. There are some pacing issues here and there, and it takes a while for the young lead to develop a character arc that the audience is comfortable with, but the suspense/payoff is rock-solid and nail-biting; and the close is edgy but respectful and optimistic.
The two best performances come from supporting actors -- another oddity.
Maisie Williams steals every scene not otherwise nailed down and does so with a sweetness of character that makes you wish you knew someone like her when you were in school.
And Rory Kinnear as the arch-villain almost but not quite moves into the rarefied air of a Bond film -- you keep waiting for him to say "WHAT DO I WANT IBOY, I WANT YOU TO DIE" -- but shows enough restraint to keep from falling over the edge.
In short, given the brilliant idea, the solid execution and its ability to keep the viewer both offguard and entertained at the same time, this a fun flick deserving of a higher IMDb score than I am seeing.
Recommended!
