Rock-solid beginning to Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2015)

"Please, no gang signs. Nah, I'm kidding. Throw it up." Thus begins Iron Man, the Batman Begins of the Marvel cinematic universe. Tony Stark is, in his own words, a "billionaire genius playboy philanthropist". While demonstrating his newest weapon, the Jericho Missile, to the U.S. Army in the Middle East, the group is attacked by terrorists and Tony is kidnapped. With the aid of a fellow captive who happens to be brilliant, he successfully builds an iron suit and escapes from the prison. When he gets back to the U.S., he decides to stop selling weapons, as they are being used by terrorists to... well, terrorize. This will cut back dramatically on profits, so his partner decides to take him out, and even goes so far as to join up with the terrorists. Choose your friends wisely, kids. But, on to the review.
In all reality, I was not too excited about seeing this movie. Let's face it. It's a movie about a billionaire playboy who just so happens to be a genius, gets captured by terrorists, builds currently impossible technology in a cave with a box of junk, makes a suit in a cave with a box of junk, attaches flamethrowers to said suit, and makes an epic escape. Ah, yes. I forgot. The suit also has jet packs in its feet, enabling him to fly. But hey, it's a superhero movie. If it weren't for such cheesy feats, the movie would have utterly failed. Thankfully, it did not. It succeeded. Amazingly. In ways it should not have.
The truth is that Iron Man is a brilliant piece of filmmaking. It goes without saying that Robert Downey Jr. nails the role of Iron Man incomprehensibly well. He was born for this role. The supporting characters do well in their roles as well, but it's obviously Iron Man who steals the show here. The music is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Ramin Djawadi has created the definitive interpretation of Iron Man. This is what an Iron Man soundtrack should sound like. The directing, editing, and cinematography were perfect.
The ultimate question is: why on earth does this movie work? I don't know, but it does. Maybe it's the fact we get to see Tony Stark journey from spoiled jerk to hero, or maybe it's the fact the movie's just... fun. Regardless, this movie was a brilliant start to the legendary Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, I would go so far as to say it still hasn't been surpassed in quality by any Marvel movie, except for possibly Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I'm giving it 4.5 out of 5 arc reactors. Also, shout-out to Tony Stark for inventing arc reactors. Now I know what I need to buy if I ever have heart trouble.