Iron Man review

Iron Man
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrance Howard, and Jeff Bridges
Directed by Jon Favreau
Rated PG-13 (contains lots of sci-fi action/violence, a brief suggestive scene, alcohol use, and some disturbing images)
Score: *****

The summer movie season is officially here, and it starts off with a huge, successful bang. Successful to the tune of a $104 million opening weekend box office gross. And Iron Man is one movie that fully deserves it.

Tony Stark is a billionaire weapons designer/manufacturer and CEO of Stark Industries. His brilliant mind is behind some of the most successful technological breakthroughs in recent history, and he is changing the face of modern warfare. Unfortunately, during a demonstration is Afghanistan, he is kidnapped by terrorists and forced to build a missle for them. He realises that his weapons manufacturing is doing more harm than good and vows to protect the people he once put in danger.

This makes for a wonderfully different superhero film. No teenage angst. No murdered family to avenge. No freak acdident. Little opression from outside forces. Just a man who sees the consequences of his actions and feels in his heart what the correct course of action is. It's a breath of fresh air in the nearly stale crop of comic book movies.

The film has some violent moments, but it is never "dark" in the Sin City, Hellboy, Punisher, or Batman Begins type of feel. It's much more lighthearted, but it isn't cheesy or cutesy like Fantastic Four or Spider Man. The closest superhero movie I can compare this to is The Incredibles, and the two films may be the best superhero movies ever made. This movie is THAT good.

The dialogue and characters drive this movie, believe it or not. And the movie is over two hours long. But it is never boring. It movies lightening quick, but it doesn't rush it. The pace is perfect. The interactions between the main characters are splendid. The dialogue is almost always hilarious.

A point has to be made about the amazing casting choice of Robert Downey, Jr. He IS Tony Stark/ Iron Man. This performance will go on to be one of his defining performances. His personality matches so well with the personality of Stark.

The film knows how to please the fans, too. This is a rare breed of superhero movie. It has excellent action scenes surprisingly lacking in shaky cam. It has great performances, a fabulous story. I mean, there is nothing wrong with this film unless you want to get nitpicky. It has set the bar extremely high for the rest of the summer movie seano. Speed Racer, Narnia, Indiana Jones, Hulk, Hellboy, Batman- you all have a lot to live up to. Iron Man may end up being the best summer movie, and one of the best movies period, of 2008.