Not very super, but quite heroic!

Rating: 8/10 (5 July 2014)

'Iron Man' is the surprise superhero hit from Marvel Studios which charts the tale of billionaire weapons manufacturer, Tony Stark, to the flying metal superhero 'Iron Man.' It seemed that, despite its impressive budget, no one quite imagined this lesser (when compared with the more famous – and bankable – superheroes such as Spiderman, Batman and Superman) hero to become quite as bigger box office draw as it turned out. And it definitely isn't 'wall-to-wall action' which drew the crowds in.
To be honest, there isn't an awful lot of 'Iron Man' in Iron Man the movie. Our hero, Tony Stark (expertly played by Robert Downey Jr) only gets inside his costume about three times in a two hour movie. Therefore, don't expect a load of 'Michael Bay-style' explosions every few minutes.
You have to get the 'origins' side of Iron Man out of the way here, showing how he transgresses from playboy billionaire to concerned citizen, prepared to put his life on the limb to save the world. So a lot of the story is taken up with HOW he becomes the titular character.
However, don't let any lack of action fool you into thinking this isn't going to be one hell of a ride. Somehow, everything just works and the two hours fly by faster than Iron Man outrunning some jet fighters.
You don't have to love comic books or superheroes to appreciate that this is a really fun film. It's nowhere near as dark as Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and sticks to its upbeat and colourful comic book roots. It's a great popcorn film for all the family and even having Gwyneth Paltrow in it doesn't detract from the fun element *miaow!
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