Fun, unpretentious entertainer, second half weaker than first

Rating: Null/10 (25 January 2009)

This is a fast-paced comic book movie and a lot of fun. Robert Downey Jr is excellent as the maverick billionaire Tony Stark, who develops a robotic suit in response to current events in Afghanistan. The first hour moves really fast as Downey develops his Iron Man suit. The second hour is not as good with some tedious sermonizing about the suffering caused by American war weaponry. The climax is bit of a letdown (MINOR SPOILERS) with two CGI robots trying to smash each other to bits. Gwyneth Paltrow has a small but interesting role as Tony Stark's warm and caring secretary. Recommended as a fun entertainer with no pretensions to greatness.
Overall 7/10