One of Marvel's Best to Date

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2008)

Iron man is a great start to this years movie season. It is just a sweet action packed adventure. The great colleague of trailers leading up to the movie was worth the eight bucks for a ticket as well. This is one of the best comic book films to date. I would go as far as saying this is Marvel's best film alongside X-men 2.
Robert Downey Jr. portrays the playboy and illustrious Tony Stark perfectly. His mannerisms and attitude are everything I could hope from the character. His casual and laid-back attitude mixed with a serious and devoted approach to his work is an excellent portrayal of the Stark character. Downey is phenomenal in what I would call his best performance and most memorable to date. His character may have a bit too much cockiness for my pleasing though. The rest of the cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges as the villain Obadiah Stone all deliver good performances Jeff Bridges character can seem relatively dull at times but his character definitely improves as the movie goes on. Noteworthy is Downey, Phenomenal acting on his part and he makes it appear as if he was born to play Tony Stark.
The conceptual designs of Iron man are outstanding. I love seeing the evolution of the armor going from an original grey giant to a perfectly designed red-blue suit. The effects are terrific and watching the evolution of the costume and Stark's designing of it is a great addition to the film. The Iron Monger is a great robotic villain for Iron man. I was just expecting him to use Tony's original costume but to see a new design made it much better. The special effects are terrific.
The story is outstanding. A couple of new concepts are added to the story and help make it interesting. It is easy to follow and easy to dive into. I am so glad that the biggest concept of the Stark character was handled so well in this film. The idea that Stark feels at fault for all the harm he has created with his weapons. This ultimately leads him to designing the suit and become a protector. And even better, we see the struggles and challenges he must overcome. The stress and hardships he feels after his incident overseas.
This is it! Indiana Jones, The Hulk, Hellboy, Wanted, and EVEN The Dark Knight have a lot to live up to. This is going to be one of the best films of the summer. I am not just saying that from the perspective of a fan boy, but also as a movie goer. This is one of the best comic adaptations to date that has helped modernize a character and help relate him to a modern day world. Fantastic film. Bravo Jon Favreau.
P.S. Watch the movie all the way through. Don't leave until after the credits. You do not want to miss the scene afterwards. I literally jumped over the seats and down into the aisle way once I saw it. I bruised up my arms and legs. NO JOKE! This extra scene is everything you could hope for.