A bit overrated as far as film enthusiasts rate it, but it's still a great summer blockbuster.

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2010)

(Credit IMDb) Tony Stark is the complete playboy who also happens to be an engineering genius. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a new missile, he's captured and wounded. His captors want him to assemble a missile for them but instead he creates an armored suit and a means to prevent his death from the shrapnel left in his chest by the attack. He uses the armored suit to escape. Back in the U.S. he announces his company will cease making weapons and he begins work on an updated armored suit only to find that Obadiah Stane, his second in command at Stark industries has been selling Stark weapons to the insurgents. He uses his new suit to return to Afghanistan to destroy the arms and then to stop Stane from misusing his research.
My problem with The Iron Man movies always consist of one sole thing, Tony Stark! His pompous attitude is hard to deal with, no matter how much charisma Downey has. Therefore this pegs the movie down a few notches for me. I also wasn't wowed like many other people were by the action scenes. I certainly enjoyed my time with the movie, I loved the cool attitude it had about itself, and it had many memorable characters, but I just didn't buy into all the hype. I know it sounds like I dislike this movie, but actually that is very much far from this case. I like Iron Man a lot, it's a great film for the genre, but I just don't think it was the second coming of Super Hero films like people claimed it was.
Performances. Robert Downey's charisma manages to make Stark bearable, but boy is it hard to bear down and accept him. His arrogance had me annoyed on many occasion, and unlike the 2nd film, it does a great job of balancing him out, and rescuing his likability. Terrance Howard is a hoot as Rhodey, and did a far better job then Cheadle did. Jeff Bridges is absolutely wonderful as Obadiah. His sheer presence along helps the movie, but he managed to make the character memorable. He is the perfect foe for Downey. Gwyneth Paltrow is classy and beautiful as the infamous Pepper Pots. She made a great love interest for Downey, and I enjoyed the chemistry they had with one-another. Clark Gregg is amusing in his role as The Agent.
Bottom line. Overrated a little bit, but I still enjoyed it very much. It has plenty of action, and funny situations to entertain us all. Don't go in expecting the greatest Marvel adaptation of all time, and you'll have a blast.
8/10