the way action movies should be done

Rating: 8/10 (19 January 2009)

Tony Stark is a proud product of the military/industrial complex, a technological boy wonder who has risen to become CEO of the world's premier weapons-manufacturing firm, Stark Industries (started by his dad, who met an untimely end at an early age). A world-renowned bon vivant and jet-setting playboy, Stark comes replete with a jumbo-sized ego and a cynical quip for every occasion. He is also utterly indifferent to the fate of all those innocent civilians around the world who have fallen victim to his weapons (he doesn't mind being referred to as a "merchant of death," but he balks at being called "the Da Vinci of our time"). Yet, after he's kidnapped by a band of terrorist rebels in Afghanistan, Stark finally gets the chance to experience life at the other end of his death-dealing product. After a hairsbreadth escape from his captors, Stark returns to the States a radically changed man - not only newly cognizant of the harms he's caused over the years, but transformed into a superhero via an indestructible suit of armor he was able to design and manufacture while in captivity. Stark now plans on using his technological prowess for good rather than evil, protecting the innocent and vanquishing the wrongdoers.
"Iron Man" soars into the top echelon of superhero movies thanks to a witty screenplay (by no fewer than four writers), fast-paced direction by Jon Favreau and top-notch special effects by a veritable army of CGI wizards. But the real secret of the movie's success lies in the brilliant, multi-layered performance by the great Robert Downey, Jr., that, if there's any justice at all in Hollywood, will garner him a Best Actor nomination come Oscar time. He is the true heart-and-soul of this movie, and no amount of money lavished on the technical aspects of the production could have made "Iron Man" what it is without him. Gwyneth Paltrow has rarely been more appealing and less mannered than she is as Pepper Potts, Stark's loyal Girl Friday who becomes the better half of one of the sweetest romantic couples in recent memory. These two fine actors create a wonderful chemistry together that once again proves that less is definitely more when it comes to generating genuine romantic sparks on screen. James Bridges and Terrance Howard are also excellent in key supporting roles.
Unlike in so many multi-million dollar, effects-driven extravaganzas, the action scenes in "Iron Man" - as pulse-pounding and jaw dropping as they are - never come to dominate the movie. It is the characters and their interactions with one another that provide the real fun of the film. And that - as we keep saying over and over again, much to our hoarseness - is as it should be. It's nice to see that somebody finally got things right.