A thrill ride tour-de-force

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2008)

I was commenting about Spider-man 3 earlier, and this film is almost the antithesis of that. It's lean, slick, smart, and it only has one villain, and a really well-fleshed out one at that! This is what every Marvel film should be like.
Robert Downey Jr. puts so much heart and soul into this role that I believe it's one of his best roles since 'Chaplin'. He really nails the character well, and his comic timing is absolutely perfect in this one. He realizes that it's his time to shine, and he uses the opportunity immensely.
Gwyneth Paltrow takes one of the more shallow characters in the comic and makes it her own. The chemistry between Stark and Potts is undeniable. She's so much more than a damsel in distress in this one. She plays a pivotal role in the film and is just as important as every other character in it.
Jeff Bridges raised my eyebrows when I heard the casting, but he works perfectly within the context of the film. His change in look is drastic enough to easily make him the defacto villain in this film. Having said that, I didn't quite buy into his turn later in the film, but that's just a minor quibble.
Terrence Howard knows full well that he will get his opportunity to shine in the sequel, but that's not to say that he phoned in his performance as Jim Rhodes. His concern about Tony will start to become more and more a center point in the story as time goes on, and it seems that Terrence knows he has a role with meat on it to keep him interested for the long haul.
The special effects of this film are absolutely amazing, and I didn't feel this way about a man flying since the first Superman way back in 1978. We are taken on a ride with Iron Man, and I must say it's quite exhilarating.
I believe that this will be one of the huge Marvel hits of the summer, with the Incredible Hulk showing great promise as well. Marvel Studios is very deserving of each and every dollar spent to see this film, and I believe that the future looks bright for future cross-overs/appearances of other Marvel superheroes in other films. Make Mine Marvel!