Rated: PG-13

Tony Stark (Downey, Jr.), billionaire arms industrialist and genius inventor, puts on a demonstration of his newest war weapon to U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Upon his return to his airplane following the demonstration, local rebels hit his convoy. Held captive, and near death from the shrapnel, Tony is ordered to build the weapon for Raza (Tahir), the mysterious leader of the insurgents.

Making believe that he is following the order, Tony builds a special suit of armor that allows him to escape. However, when he returns to the USA he makes an unpopular speech that indicates his company will not be making war weapons anymore. His partner Obadiah Stane (Bridges) is caught off guard and pictures millions of dollars being lost for their business. When Obadiah tries to prevent Tony from completing his task of disassembling that part of the business, Tony decides to create an invention that will counteract the attempt.

Downey, Jr. does an outstanding job of bringing Iron Man to life on screen. His amazing combination of wit and levity makes this superhero a great character to watch. I love the way he initially depicts Stark, an eager businessman at the top of his game, yet a genius that is more interested in how his bombs are made and the destruction they cause rather than how much money his company gets from the sale. When things change for him during his captivity, a more human glow is brought out for Iron Man by Downey, Jr.

The choice of Jeff Bridges as Stane is brilliant. I was completely blown away by his performance as the war rich billionaire who probably invented the word greed. Bridges has climbed at least three notches on my all-time favorite actors list. Although I liked the performance by Paltrow, she may have not been my first choice for the role. As Pepper Pot, Stark’s assistant Paltrow gives an oftentimes overly sweet performance; instead of the cunningly brilliant protector she needed to depict. Her character should have fit like an "Alfred to Bruce Wayne" with equal parts love, strength and loyalty.

Rounding out the supporting cast is Terrance Howard as Rhodey, Stark’s best friend and trusted military liaison. Howard is perfect for the role as the intimidated, yet strong confidant that comes to the aid of Iron Man.

As for Marvel Entertainment, I believe with Iron Man they have an all-new super hero series ready for sequels that we’ll probably see for years to come. I can see a pairing with War Machine in the near future, or why not even Spider-Man. Remember you heard it here first.

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Leslie Bibb, and Gwyneth Paltrow

This Reviewer's Rating: 5 / 5

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No. 2 :

I just saw the movie tonight. Downey is great and the script justifies his character's psychological change. Stay all the way past the closing credits for a surprise worth waiting for!

Submitted by Webber • 2008-05-10 00:06:11

No. 1 :

I LVOEVED THIS MOVIE!!!! All of my friends and I have been singing the theme song since the weekend! LOL

Submitted by jansh • 2008-05-06 10:15:30

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