Tinned Goods

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2008)

Comic book movies are a strange bunch. You just can never be sure which are going to be good are which are not. Then too add to that it is not always the good one's which strike it rich at the box office. But hey good news here is a film that scores on both fronts. As per standard with a super hero movie the first film in the expected franchise we start with the origin movie, and for me not being an Iron Man fan boy this is where it begins to help. The story is now updated with billionaire playboy and mechanics genius Tony Stark (played fantastically here by Robert Downey Jnr) gets kidnapped in Afghanistan where his captors want him to build them a weapon. Stark builds his prototype Iron Man suit to esacpe. The film is fast paced and brings Iron man into the modern world fantastically. There are relevant questions asked about the morality of weapons trading and the role of corporations with Jeff Bridges particularly menacing in the role of the main villain, and man does he also have a big head. There are good nods to the comic for the fan boys out there and the support cast does well with limited roles. Mix in a nice dose of humor which does not feel out of place and we have the beginnings of a very successful franchise which will please almost everyone. Oh and stay for the end of the credits fans. Definitely one I will be viewing again and probably purchasing.