Iron Man is a Solid Movie

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2009)

Tony Stark is a playboy who also happens to be an engineering genius. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a new missile he has developed he's captured and wounded. The captors want him to assemble a missile for them but instead he creates a suit of super armor along with a device to prevent his own death from some shrapnel that was left in his chest by the attack and not removed by the hostage takers. He uses the 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 very people that had arranged his capture to begin with. Stark then uses his new suit to return to Afghanistan to destroy the arms and then to stop Stane from misusing his research. What prevails is a new superhero Iron Man.
Jon Favreau, who directs the film, was the perfect choice for Iron Man as he is a lifelong fan of the comic book hero. He even makes a cameo in the movie. The gadgetry is amazing and well done along with the computer wizardry that combined with the humor of the whole thing gives a relaxed feeling to the movie. Robert Downey, Iron Man himself, utilizes his bad boy persona in his acting characterization of Tony Stark. His performance is right on the money and very enjoyable. The weakest link here is Jeff Bridges who plays Stane, Stark's nemesis in the film. This movie is an above average film to capture a superhero in a first movie. ***/****.