It's the big Robert Downey Jr show - and I like it!

Rating: 8/10 (16 April 2008)

From the first moment Robert Downey Jr comes on screen as Tony Stark, you know that this movie can't go wrong. We are in some desert in Afghanistan and wisecracking Stark tells something about his playboy life to some soldiers. Yes, this ain't no nerdy Peter Parker or tortured Wolverine. Our hero is a person who generally enjoys life (and women) and has no second thoughts on how he lives it. Without any doubt, of all the superheroes that exist, Tony Stark is the coolest person there is!
But of course his bubble bursts when Stark is kidnapped by terrorists and forced to reproduce his killing missile, the Jericho. The sacrifice of a fellow scientist makes him humble and after his spectacular escape Stark decides to better his life. No more manufacturing of weapons for Stark Industries. From now on Stark wants to help his fellow men. Although this decision impresses some (like Stark's secretary Paltrow) it also infuriates others (like Stark's partner Jeff Bridges). This all leads to a action-packed finale in which Iron Man must face a deadly enemy...
Iron Man is the big Robert Downey Jr. show. Downey not only brings humor and flamboyance to his role, he also manages to make you believe that an egocentric person can indeed change into a real humanitarian. The scene in which he realizes that someone is willing to make a sacrifice in order for him to escape is even a moving one. Well done. Downey is really a great actor with great charisma.
But there is a lot more to Iron Man. There are four or five big action scenes. The first four are so great (the escape from the cave and a sequence involving an Afghan village) that the last one - the big finale - disappoints a little bit. But that's okay. There are also a lot of smaller scenes to be enjoyed, focusing on the relationship between Downey and Paltrow and the development of the Iron Man armour. Jeff Bridges is always great to look at, although his role could have been played by several other actors. Maybe his storyline is the weakest of the film. His betrayal is no surprise, but his early involvement in this is hard to believe.
Iron Man is a spectacular and funny popcorn ride that not only has great action scenes, but also some great actors. Hopefully it will do very well at the box office, because I can't wait to see Iron Man 2. Enjoy!
PS: no Samuel Jackson in this version either!
8,5 out of 10