Iron Man is everything a summer movie should be, and more.

Rating: Null/10 (28 April 2008)

This first big popcorn movie of the year is also the best summer movie since Spider-Man 2.
What I liked is that there's a serious subtext to the story and it leaps out of the very first moments of the film. The playboy, hard-drinking, fast-talking arms merchant goes to Afghanistan to show the military Stark Industries' cool new toy. Events unfold and he sees, first hand, what his ordnance and his creations do to real people.
The movie gets just about everything right but maybe its number one strength is the casting. Downey brings not only his real life baggage and winning personality to play as Stark; he finds his pathos, too. Jeff Bridges certainly has the acting chops to hang with Downey and is the perfect foil and perfect villain because this is no mustache twirling, one dimensional character. Terrence Howard is perfect as the military man and old college buddy. Gwyneth Paltrow's character adds to the casting perfection. She's every bit the wise yet sexy assistant whose a match for her womanizing boss. The interaction and the relationships all work well and is even one one the highlights of the entire movie itself.
Most Superhero comic book movies seem to share a problem in tone. Most films try to cope with wild concepts by emphasizing darkness, even over-emphasizing it. Troubled, brooding characters, black leather and anger rule the day. Here, Iron Man's creators mix everything so well. It leans away from dark but touches on it just enough. Maybe it's the character or maybe it's because they had Downey's talents to play with but Downey's performance leads to more clever banter and genuinely real dialogue than most comic-book movies have ever delivered. So much of the humor works because of this and all the dramatic beats really click. Downey's Stark is glib and even obnoxious at times but he never loses his likability and grows in to something more. That's true character establishment and development in a comic book film, people. Even the flirtation between Stark and his assistant has the undertow of lonely romantic longing and implications. What's also rare for any popcorn movie is that every death carries real emotional weight. This is what you get when you mix great acting talent with outstanding material. They make it shine and give you a remarkable summer movie. Oh yeah, did I mention that Iron Man kicks butt and is loads of fun too? That you could tell from the flood of action clips seen leading up to the movie. The CG is perfect and the action is intense and very well done. That's no shocker. What was a pleasant surprise was that Iron Man is a complete movie.
(PS- It also includes the funniest Stan Lee cameo he's ever done)