Great action-adventure film

Rating: 9/10 (2 February 2010)

This is one of the best action-adventure movies I have seen. It delivers the goods - entertainment and fun, clean language (very important since I like to watch movies with my kids). There is all a film like this needs: dramatic, anxious, and passionate protagonist; subtle, implied romance (without the grossing out sex so common in other films), conversion of the hero from his former line of work, since he's seen things from a different angle (the moral growth); punishing the bad guys; well developed pace and sequence of scenes - good story-telling.
Generally I don't like movies to tell me their directors' and/or writers' political or troubled philosophical views. Movies are generally for good fun-they have to be enjoyed by the viewer. The writing and the lines of the movie are crisp and intelligent. There is enough good humor, yet there is what to think about as well. The acting is also at the appropriate level: Robert Downy Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges deliver - they make us understand their characters and motivations. Good film for the whole family, with the exception of some of the violence and more intense scenes even for the younger. Hopefully the sequel will not take the usual turn to the darker side of movie-making.
UPDATE ON IRON MAN II: Regarding the last sentence above -- unfortunately my hopes were in vain. Iron Man II is NOT a GOOD sequel. It did take the usual wrong turn to the darker side.