Iron Man

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

Directed by: Jon Favreau

The Skinny: Iron Man, based on the Marvel comic book, is about billionaire weapons manufacturer and jet-setting playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who has to do a serious gut check when he's kidnapped by Afghani terrorists and forced to build a missile. Instead, he creates a suit of armor that, with some refining, turns him into a superpowered hero known as Iron Man.

The Good: It doesn't reinvent the genre, but Iron Man is nearly note-perfect. It's genuinely funny, the special effects are bulletproof, the dialogue better than your average superhero movie, and the cast is flawless—especially Downey, who, in retrospect, seems as no-brainer a casting call as Patrick Stewart in X-Men. He's a comic book movie rarity—an adult hero who actually has his shit together, and whose call to action isn't rooted in childhood emotional trauma.

The Bad: There's actually not that much action, but oddly the movie doesn't suffer for it. Maybe that's because, unlike the similarly action-deprived Ghost Rider, the characters are more entertaining than the superheroics. So it's kind of a knock against the movie, but also kind of a positive. The climactic battle contains a few head-scratching moments (how can she…? And why doesn't he…? Argh, damn spoilers), but it's all forgivable.

What? Not to give it away, but the movie ends on an unexpected (and funny) cliff-hanger that leaves you wanting more, in the best way possible.

Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? Go see it this opening weekend. You'll have a blast.

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