When Iron Man took flight, so did our hearts

Rating: 9/10 (7 October 2018)

It's wild to think that a whole decade has already passed since Iron Man was released. I still remember sitting in the theatre and looking over at my dad and smiling when the opening notes of AC/DC's Back In Black introduced us to the cocky but loveable industrialist Tony Stark, portrayed to perfection by Robert Downey, Jr. Few actors have ever felt as born to play a particular role as this one. The only other that comes to mind is Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.
This is one of those rare films that doesn't feel dated and I feel that much of that can be accredited to how it was shot and the casting. Virtually all of the cast fill their roles in this movie exceptionally well, with only really Terrence Howard's Rhodey coming off as slightly weaker in areas. Jeff Bridges was an inspired choice for Obadiah Stane who later becomes our main villain, Iron Monger. He steals almost every scene he's in and portrays Stane with a measured level of sinister discretion and outright despicable action. It's sad he doesn't make it out of this one as no Iron Man villain since has had his level of intrigue. That being said, his best moments are definitely when out of the suit. When he actually becomes the Iron Monger, oddly enough, the film feels like it actually loses a bit of grit.
Back on the topic of Downey, Jr. and individuals who steal scenes, even ten years down the road, every nuance and line of dialogue he delivers -- either earnestly or sarcastically -- is a thing of beauty. He nails the dual aspects of Stark's egotism and Iron Man's heroism. This is a top-tier film from beginning to end, and although not as nuanced as its other competitor of that year, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Iron Man is a film that embraces its own sense of fun and seriousness with complete conviction.