Great Acting and Sharp Directing make this a Must-See...

Rating: 8/10 (9 May 2008)

All to often, superheros turn into geeky, rather dull characters when they get out from behind their various costumes. 'Iron Man', on the other hand, in a stroke of brilliance, makes it possible to love the man behind the metal mask even more than the hero itself. For the first time, we're not dealing with a dual personality here- Iron Man and Tony Stark (his true identity) are one fully realized character.
Mr. Stark is the rich young owner of a huge weapons dealing company. While displaying his newest creation for the army, he is captured by terrorists who order him to build them a bomb of their own. It is in this place that he has a revelation and escapes with one purpose in mind: He must retrieve the weapons that he himself distributed.
Robert Downey Jr. is spot-on perfect in the lead role. He somehow blends sarcasm and real caring into nearly every line. The result is someone we can laugh with, yet also genuinely care for. As Pepper Potts, Tony's longtime secretary/caretaker/love interest, Gwyneth Paltrow delivers the goods once again, playing both hard-to-get intelligent and still very girly. The relationship between the two leads plays wonderfully, never going into schmaltz or typical lovey-dovey-ness. Instead, their interest in each other is not hardly addressed up front, yet through great performances is made clear. Jeff Bridges adds his own flavor as Tony's business partner.
Director Jon Favreau keeps the pace quick and the editing sharp, bringing the excitement to near boiling point at times. Yet he also shows an intelligent and graceful hand with the more plot-centered scenes, in particular the ones between Tony and Pepper. All in all, a fun and exciting way to start off the summer. Check this one out on the big screen while you can!
Jay Addison