Not quite as perfect as it is made out to be, but "Iron Man" is a complete and utter blast, and Robert Downey Jr. proves himself again! Great fun!

Rating: 9/10 (4 March 2012)

Jon Favreau's 2008 release "Iron Man" is the first entry in "The Avengers" cinematic universe. (thus far comprised of "Iron Man", "Iron Man 2", "The Incredible Hulk", "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger", with a full-fledged crossover feature coming out this Summer.) And as an introductory films to the saga, it functions quite well as an origin story for one of the main characters- Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man. It is a lot of fun to watch, and has a lot of awe-inspiring action and great humor, with memorable characters, that suffers from a few minor drawbacks that prevent me from giving it a perfect 10.
Robert Downey Jr. plays billionaire genius and playboy Tony Stark, owner of Stark Industries, a military contracting company that also dabbles in different fields. When Stark visits Afghanastan to show off the newly developed "Jericho" super-missile, he is captured by a terrorist group called the "Ten Rings", whom want him to build them their own version of the missile for their activities. Stark is gravely injured, and shrapnel from one of his own missiles is wedged in his chest, where it slowly creeps closer and closer to his heart- which will eventually kill him. With the aid of Yinsin, a fellow captive, Stark builds a miniature "Arc Reactor" (a powerful source of energy) that he implants into his chest, attached to an electromagnet, to keep the shrapnel out of his heart. Secretly, while he allegedly works on the missile, he actually builds a suit of armor which he uses to escape in an incredible and explosive escape sequence. Upon getting home, he realizes the error of his ways, and against the wishes of Obediah Stane (Jeff Bridges, his mentor and father figure), he closes down Stark's weapon development devision and secretly builds a newer, faster and more powerful version of the suit that he dons in order to protect innocent lives from evil. He becomes "Iron Man", and must defend the world when he realizes that weapons from Stark Industries, including the dreaded Jericho missile, are being sold under-the-table to groups including the Ten Rings.
The film is very much a light-hearted, fun and wild ride. It is full of some outstanding action and very decent effects (though I was never 100% impressed by the CGI used on the Iron Man suit until the sequel, which improved the effects), and has a lot of great characters and plenty of good humor.
Downey is a revelation as Stark. He plays the role right on the edge between likable jerk and unlikable playboy. And he balances it perfectly, changing just enough by the end of the film to redeem his earlier, loathsome activities. When we first meet him, he's full of himself, and very much a bragger who sleeps with women nonchalantly and doesn't have respect for anyone else- whereas after his escape, though he's still a bragger and a playboy, he seems to have more respect for his life and that of others, and while remaining the same playful fool in spirit, becomes more responsible.
Gwenyth Paltrow plays a good but slightly undeveloped role as Stark's secretary and kind-of, sort-of love interest Pepper Potts. Bridges is fun and intimidating as Stane. Also noticeable is Clark Gregg as Agent Agent Coulson, from SHIELD, an organization which is first hinted at in this film and becomes more prominent in later films. (Don't worry, that's not spoiling anything)
The real star of the film is Downey, though, and the incredible suit he builds. A lot of the film is devoted to his development of the suit, and his early missions. And these are the most fun parts of the film. This is where the main problem sets in- the script (written by a team of screenwriters) is far too basic when the plot begins. You will be able to guess every twist and turn, and it moves just like every other Superhero origin movie (like "Spider-Man" and "Batman")- it's all too predictable and familiar.
That being said, this is still a solid, fun films. It's got a lot of heart and a lot of incredible action, and it's a blast to watch. I give it a great 9 out of 10!