Genre
The fantasy/sci fi genre has a very specific audience that some people may call 'nerds'. This is because of the fact that the films are adapted from science fiction books or comics. Because of this, Iron Man would attract people who have read the comics and are fans of Marvel. However, it also has a large element of thriller with things like weapons and fighting. Therefore, this may attract younger men who enjoy films like 'Die Hard', for example. This combination of genres widens the audience and, therefore, means that more people will enjoy it. The target audience of this film would probably be 12-18 year old boys but would appeal to a much wider audience.
Narrative
This opening scene follows a linear narrative structure. We see everything in chronological order; the vehicle blows up, the soldiers protecting 'Stark' are killed, he is injured, and finally taken by the enemy. This structure makes it easier for the audience to follow as there isn't really any context to what is happening in the scene.
Content
The scene starts off quite light-hearted as the soldier asks for a photo but it is still slightly tense because they are in an army vehicle with weapons so there must be an element of danger. This is proven once the vehicle in front of them is blown up. Weapons like these are often used in thriller films as they usually involve soldiers, agents, spies, etc. who are there to fight. These weapons create excitement and adrenaline, and therefore reflect the thriller element of the genre.
In this scene we only learn the surnames of some characters but it is so fast paced that the names aren't really taken in. The fact that 'Stark' (Iron Man) is surrounded by soldiers shows the audience that he is an important person in the film from the viewer's perspective and the character's perspective.
When he is in the Afghan cave, the audience can tell that he as been taken by an Islamic force as the people around him are recognisable because of recent events/news stories. They have a lot of weapons which also shows the audience that they are powerful, and he is not because he is tied up.
Reception study
Reception theory provides a means of understanding media texts by understanding how these texts are read by audiences. Theorists who analyze media through reception studies are concerned with the experience of cinema and television viewing for spectators, and how meaning is created through that experience. An important concept of reception theory is that the media text—the individual movie or television program—has no inherent meaning in and of itself. Instead, meaning is created in the interaction between spectator and text; in other words, meaning is created as the viewer watches and processes the film. Reception theory argues that contextual factors, more than textual ones, influence the way the spectator views the film or television program.
Fan study
Fan studies is a field of scholarly research focused on media fans and fan cultures. Fans might be broadly defined as individuals who maintain a passionate connection to popular media, assert their identity through their engagement with and mastery over its contents, and experience social affiliation around shared tastes and preferences. Fan cultures are the social and cultural infrastructures that support fan activities and interests. In a narrower sense, fandom sometimes refers to a shared cultural space that emerged from science fiction fandom in the early 20th century, which was reshaped by Star Trek fans in the 1960s and which has since expanded to incorporate forms of cultural production mostly by women around genre entertainment.
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