Decent; overrated

Rating: 5/10 (19 October 2008)

I knew this movie had gotten very good reviews, so I was excited to see it. I grew up reading comic books in the '70s and '80s, but I've been mostly disappointed with movie versions. They seem to target the same demographic, 10-16 year old boys. If I was still that age, I think I would have enjoyed Iron Man. Now, as a cynical, doddering 40-year old, they just strike me as the new vehicle for Rambo-style loud dumbness. There are exceptions; the previous Batman was quite good (haven't seen the new one). But Iron Man strikes a lot of the same notes. Believability is tossed out the window almost immediately when a man, even a "genius" like obnoxious playboy Tony Stark, could build anything in a cave in Afghanistan, much less an advanced missile system or completely unheard-of military suit of armor. Given that the events are supposed to take place now-ish, it's also silly that Tony basically has solved the AI problem, with his computer assistant (Kitt?). These are just a few of the bigger things that made me shake my head. They should've canned some of the more outrageous things and established in a prelude some believable steps to the suit technology in an R&D lab.
Yes, Downey had a pretty good performance, though the character really grated. I understand it's not your typical hero, but I really have a hard time cheering for a cocky, rich jerk. In real life, I'd shake my head and walk away from such a person, if not slug them. I don't care for Paltrow much, though her character was okay. The rest were pretty dull caricatures.
Bottom line: If you can check enough of your brain at the door or still enjoy reading comic books, you'll probably like this film. I think I've grown up too much.