Well Done!

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2011)

The storyline centers on the billionaire CEO of Stark Industries, a major manufacturer of military weapons. Iron Man begins with the main character Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., being ambushed and captured by war criminals abroad. Forced by his captors to build one of the most destructive missiles, Tony uses his ingenious engineering skills to build a protective bodysuit instead, based on the strong properties of iron. Using his intellect and this newly created iron suit, Stark manages to escape his kidnappers, eventually returning to the United States. Upon his return home, Tony continues to make improvements and additions to the iron suit, while at the same time trying to keep this piece of advanced technology out of the wrong hands.
The overall theme of the movie is the traditional idea of a human superhero, making use of their intelligence, resources, and determination in an effort to fight evil in the world. Before Iron Man made its appearance in theaters, Batman Begins, released in 2005, emphasized a similar superhero theme. The main character Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale, must use his wealth, skill, and intellect in the absence of any superhuman powers to fight crime in Gotham city. Both films take a single character capable of great good, and explore their abilities to better the world, all the while maintaining two identities – the masked superhero and company CEO.
Iron Man takes advantage of unique camera angles and the historic motif. Many intense scenes in the film take place off the ground, allowing the cinematographer to bring an in-flight feeling to the audience in an attempt to keep everyone on the edge of their seat. Such camera angles support the theme by highlighting the ingenuity of the human spirit, but never going as far to say the main character had superhuman powers. The camera work does an excellent job demonstrating how Stark uses technology as an extension of his own desires and as a way to compensate for the physical limitations of the human body. The film also honors its roots by keeping the red and gold colors of the famous iron man suit. The designs in the movie align with previous images of the suit created by the film's predecessors.
Robert Downey Jr.'s acting brings the quick-witted, humorous side of Tony Stark to life on the big screen. His return to film brought about a stunning performance and a box office hit. His talents along with an impressive lineup of co-stars and action sequences made Iron Man's movie debut a huge success. It was quite fitting that the leading role in Iron Man is played by someone who recently overcame personal battles and grew into his potential, much like the human superhero theme portrayed in the film.