Iron Man

"Iron Man" is a solid superhero flick with great special effects and stellar performances. It only gets better when you see it a second (or third time around) As a special bonus, it’s got two sequels, meaning you have plenty of reasons/excuses to watch it again and again.

It's the story of Tony Stark, the boozing, womanizing, irresponsible playboy inventor played by Robert Downey Jr. (who absolutely shines in the role) Caught in an explosion while demonstrating his latest weapons in Afghanistan, he is captured by a terrorist group and forced to build weapons for them. When Tony builds himself a suit of armor and escapes from his captors, he decides to make up for his errors by becoming Iron Man, unaware that this new identity is making him a target.

Seeing this film comes at a price: after the credits have finished rolling, you’ll never be able to think of Iron Man without picturing Robert Downey Jr. ever again. He’s so good in the role you’d swear they made the character up just to have him. At first, you only kind of like the guy in the same way you like James Bond. He's not really a nice guy but you envy him because he's got so much charisma and you sense that if you could manage to squeeze your way into your heart he would be a great friend. Then his life changes and you see a whole new facet to the character. He evolves in a way that feels perfectly natural. The character is written as a real person, keeping some flaws but also managing to redeem himself. In the end, he's still irresponsible but his heart is in the right place and he's on his way to becoming a better man, someone that will really make a difference in a world that needs a hero.

There’s more to the film than just the leading man. The supporting actors are great, the action gets your blood pumping, the villains are compelling and you even get some moments of genuine heart. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, the often frustrated but mostly level-headed assistant to Stark, is a great straight woman to the comic moments that are thrown at her. She isn't a love interest waiting to happen, she's a competent, intelligent woman that didn't get to her position by getting dazzled by her boss' charms. Also noteworthy is Jeff Bridges, who plays Obadiah Stane, the opposite to Stark's reckless business and inventive side. You can feel how frustrated the man is seeing this genius that's several years his junior throwing his talent away and yet still manages to pull technological miracles out of thin air. There’s a lot going on between these players. Even when there's no red and gold armor on the screen you feel tense and excited thanks to characters that are three-dimensional.

There are a lot of funny moments throughout the movie, playing to Downey Jr.'s strength as a comedic actor and balancing out some of the genuinely thrilling (and sometimes even frightening) moments. Little touches in Stark's workshop, like a little arm robot that's constantly misinterpreting orders or the house computer equipped with sarcasm add a lot of life to the story. The movie creates this convincing universe by having a full spectrum of emotions throughout. You sense that just because someone isn't on screen it doesn't mean they don't exist. Everyone is a real person. Maybe that's why we like Tony Stark so much, he feels human just like us. He's got his fears, his insecurities but he's got that potential inside him and with his Iron Man suit, you sense that he's always just moments away from a new technological breakthrough or an action sequence where he'll stand up for the little guy. As the hero gets fed up with standing on the sidelines, he goes out and delivers some sweet justice. Those moments are the cherries on the sundae.

With genius level characters on-screen, it's a good thing the plot is so smartly written. It's as if the writers (Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway) took notes during every superhero film they had seen and worked endless nights working out the problems they thought might arise in their own film in order to address them. There's no cartoonish villain out to take over the world and no strong female characters that turn into useless damsels in distress at the first sign of danger. It's a thrill to watch and as you see the characters return in the sequels, it becomes a rewarding experience to take note of what’s happening in the background or study everyone’s reactions. With the introduction of Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the groundwork for the “Avengers” film set up here, “Iron Man” works as a single film and as the first chapter in an exciting series.

As is, Iron Man is one of the best superhero films out there and it only gets better when you take it as the first part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The characters are fun. The writing is sharp. The action is satisfying. You've got first-rate special effects and plenty of the dialogue featured will have you roaring with laughter. Right to the very end, there's something in “Iron Man” for everyone. (On Dvd, June 19, 2013)