Not a bad way to start off the summer...

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2008)

Other reviews I've read have been mixed, so I was worried that my eager anticipation of this movie was unwarranted. Thankfully, Iron Man turned out to be a rather enjoyable experience for me.
Robert Downey Jr. is excellent as the movie's protagonist: genius inventor and weapon's tycoon Tony Stark. He starts off as snarky and arrogant, but he undergoes a change of heart (both figuratively and literally) after he's captured by terrorists who use weapons he's manufactured to do their dastardly deeds. He escapes, thanks to a suit of armor he built on the fly, and vows to use his technology for the betterment of mankind rather than it's destruction. He returns to America, retires to his fancy seaside condo, and begins work on a second prototype of that same suit of armor.
As I mentioned before, Downey's performance was fantastic. The supporting cast was pretty good overall as well, particularly Gwyneth Paltrow as Stark's perky assistant Pepper Potts (alliterative names are so fun, aren't they?). The only chink in the armor, as far as the cast is concerned, is Terrance Howard. He seems like he's going through the motions, like a high school freshman who doesn't want to be in the play, but his parents forced him to audition for it. His role isn't that big, thankfully, so his lackluster performance is tolerable.
My one and only gripe, and one I'll probably get flack for, is that there's not enough action. I like superhero movies with an engaging story and dynamic characters, and Iron Man's characters and plot are well rounded. But more emphasis is put on plot development than blowing stuff up, rather than finding a balance between the two. "Spider-Man" and "Batman Begins" are movies that have successfully found this balance, which is what made them so great.
That doesn't mean Iron Man is terrible. In fact, it's far from it. The action that IS there is beautifully orchestrated, the special effects are top notch, and the script is well-written. Throw in the best cameo by Stan Lee since "Mallrats", and you have yourself a great superhero movie.
Not a bad way to start the summer...