I Am Iron Man

Rating: 8/10 (3 May 2008)

The film is about Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist who is captured by terrorists in Afghanistan. Ordered to build a missile for them, Stark uses his resources instead to build a powered exoskeleton to make his escape. Returning to the United States, Stark improves his armor and becomes the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man.
"Iron Man" officially kicks off the summer blockbuster event and it should, because the movie is really good and it really sets up the bar high, as if challenging the upcoming summer movies to be as good or better than this. It's better than some superhero movies that came out before and certainly better than most movies coming out these days. What makes "Iron Man" different than most superhero films is that it doesn't start the action right away. In fact, Iron Man doesn't appear until the last half hour of the film and that's a good thing.
Maybe some may be disappointed by the fact it doesn't have as much action as some action films but many will appreciate the characters more. Going into this movie, many people, including myself, are iffy about Robert Downey Jr. playing a superhero character, but once you see this movie, you'll know why he fits the character well. In fact, as far as I am concern, he's perfect for the role. His charisma just brings the movie out a bit more. Gwyneth Paltrow is also really good. Downey Jr. and Paltrow both have fun in their roles and even in scenes with them together are funner to watch.
The action scenes, when they appear, they are so much fun to see. The visuals are fantastic and the CGI clean and crisp. However, I do think that the reveal for the "villain" is pretty obvious and there are some plot holes in here, which I think are forgettable. Director Jon Favreau does a great job in the storytelling. It's no doubt that he is a great filmmaker. If you're not a fan of Iron Man, don't worry. This film is great for the whole family, fans, and non-fans. And stay through the credits. You'll get an extra scene in the end. This is the movie to see this summer.