Iron and Wine - Like a flavoursome bouquet, Downey appears to only get better with age...

Rating: 8/10 (9 May 2008)

These morally compromised times all but demand that a morally compromised anti-hero be allowed to stand at their centre, and there are moments when an audience member is left to reflect that the alter-ego Tony Stark could almost have been specifically created for Robert Downey, Jr. He brings the full weight of his experience to bear on a part that seems almost to become like a second skin for him, at times. Not to imply that the task of assuming a dual identity should be viewed as a burden. Far from it. RDJ is clearly having fun with the chance to put his quirky sensibilities to use in more mainstream fare again, now that he is older and wiser. There are many who would have doubtless echoed the sentiment that he is "not the superhero type" when news of his enlistment first broke, but here he proves beyond any doubt that he fits this particular bill perfectly.
Alloyed (geddit?!) to a couple of instances of fine casting, there is a story that surprisingly manages to successfully combine an almost fetishistic celebration of badass technology with the altogether simpler drama of human dilemma. We are given a mini robot war at the film's climax for example, that knocks the ENTIRETY of last year's "Transformers" squarely on its backside, and demonstrates deftly to Michael Bay the opportunity for emotional investment that he so obviously missed.
This is a serving of pre-summer fun with a fair bit of heart behind the machinery. If you're after a blockbuster that boasts a respectable quota of acting talent to its name, then I think you'll find this is one confection knocked together that actually polishes up rather well! Like Iron Man itself, then.