Excellent adaptation of the comic book hero!!! Thumbs up!!!!

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2008)

Wow. Wow. Wow. Talk about a great film forget about the people who say this movie fails. Iron Man the movie is not only a great adaptation of the comic hero but is a great movie in general. It has it all: Special effects, great acting, interesting, realistic characters and a very modern story. Of course this is also attributed to the fact that comic book itself has all these qualities as well. For anyone who wants more of Iron Man after watching the movie, I would highly suggest getting in the comic you won't be disappointed!!! (Spoilers) The comic of course was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, and Don Heck.
The film follows the comic book very well (with a couple of alterations such as it taking place in the West Coast instead of the East Coast for example).
Backstory: Iron Man or should I say Tony Stark (who in my opinion is one of the most underrated comic book heroes who doesn't quite the same publicity as Bob Kane's Batman) is a wealthy socialite who makes his life building and selling weapons. In a way just like Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark is a business superhero. Also, unlike Spider-Man, The Hulk and other comic book heroes there isn't a mutant or radioactive, gamma force that gives the hero his power, the power lies in the man's own ability to use his intellect, wits, bravery and judgment to combat the villains and problems he encounters.
Tony Stark, Iron Man fights against a corporation/terrorist group known as Ten Rings in Afghanistan. In the comic book, Iron Man has many adventures fighting groups that have profited and used his own weapon systems from Stark Industries.
Stark is forced to create a replica of one of his Jericho missiles for the group or face death. Worse yet, Stark having felt a blast that has left shrapnel near his heart MUST wear a chest plate to protect his heart. Yinsen (another prisoner) is the man who has kept Stark alive and helps create the prototype of Iron Man with him. Yinsen helps Tony get the necessary time to get Iron Man up and running. This leads to an impressive special effects action sequence that led to a lot of clapping and cheering with the audience I saw it with.
After this recovery from death and from the words of Yinsen who tells him not to waste his life, Stark has a major epiphany. He no longer wants to make weapons of destruction, he wants to save lives. His business partner Obadiah Stone does not share Stark's new vision and this leads to several dramatic scenes and more superb special effects with Iron Man. I will not spoil what else happens except that it's excellent.
Before watching the movie, I saw an interview with Jon Favreau who said he was going to make a movie that would make lovers of the comic book happy but also make a movie simple enough that you didn't have to be an expert in it. What a smart guy he is. Jon is a good director but this was by far his biggest project. I mean Marvel wants to make a franchise of Iron Man just like they did with Spider-Man so a lot was riding on the line and Favreau delivered a home run!!! Speaking of home runs, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man was unbelievable I cannot think now in retrospect a better pick for the role. Jeff Bridges was great and Gwyneth Paltrow were also very good. I'am glad they went with this cast and didn't go for the younger cast which would not have achieved the same results of this very adult oriented comic book hero's life.
Again going back to why this movie is so successful: It's not dumb down, we got a moral dilemma with a guy coming to grips over the destruction that comes from his business but is starting to correct it, we got several shots at the corporate culture putting profit ahead of lives, we get a nice romantic storyline here, we have multidimensional characters, and lastly we got great special effects. On top of all this we have a good attempt to follow the comic book hero.
I don't know what else to say if what I say hasn't convinced you that Iron Man is not just a great comic book movie but a great movie in general then there's nothing I can do. However, you will be missing out on one heck of a great movie. Thumbs way up!!!!!!!!!!!