Rock 'n' Roll...

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2008)

Up until now, my all-time favourite superhero movie was the superb Batman Begins - but Iron Man trumps it. Other critics have mentioned that it doesn't have enough action scenes. Well, it didn't seem like that to me. In fact, it's a long time since I spent such an enjoyable 2 hours in a cinema. What carries this film along between the action scenes (spectacular and funny when they come) are the smart, snappy script - full of brilliant, laugh-out-loud one-liners - and the excellent performances. I even found Gwyneth Paltrow watchable, which is a bit of a first. Jeff Bridges, too, turns in his usual goods. But the star of the show is, of course, Robert Downey Jr. At first, I couldn't imagine him in the role of a superhero - but he carries it off brilliantly. I was reminded many times of his character in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. He plays it with that same blend of quirkiness and sass. After this, other superhero movies (Batman Begins aside) fade into the background. None of the bum-aching tedium of the Spiderman or X-Men franchises. And not a whiff of taking itself too seriously, either. Excellent soundtrack, too. A superbly entertaining movie.