Iron Man

With sharp writing, witty humor, a touch of social commentary and a tour de force acting performance from Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man hits all the right notes to create a pitch perfect superhero movie, a thoroughly entertaining romp that kick-starts the summer blockbuster season with style.

Downey plays industrialist/genius/playboy Tony Stark, who spends most of his time drinking, chasing models and delivering snappy one-liners when he’s not designing high-tech weapons of mayhem. That all changes when Middle Eastern terrorists—who are using the very weapons he designed for America—capture him. Forced to build the terrorists a high-tech missile, Stark instead uses the parts to create a super-powered suit of armor and escapes, bringing a newfound sense of responsibility back home.

Downey carries Iron Man with a marvelous performance, delivering clever quips and dramatic moments equally well. This may well be a breakout performance for the respected actor, who has always been a critics’ darling but has never found the mainstream appeal many expected of him. As Stark, he carries the movie with a charisma that would make George Clooney jealous.

Stark’s not alone, either. The rest of Iron Man’s cast fills its supporting roles well. Gwyneth Paltrow glows as Stark’s competent and beautiful assistant, “Pepper” Potts (don’t you love comic book names?). Paltrow quickly establishes her character as the only woman who really cares about Stark, and vice versa. Their dynamic, but chaste, relationship provides the perfect contrast to the one-night stands common in his life.

Terrence Howard also proves effective as Stark’s friend and army contact Jim Rhodes, and Paul Bettany delivers a delightful (and unaccredited) bit part as Jarvis, the butler-y voice of Stark’s home computer. The only weak spot in the cast is Jeff Bridges, whose usual casual attitude just doesn’t bring enough impact to his role as businessman Obadiah Stane.

The cast brings to life a fun and subtly smart movie. Iron Man succeeds where other comic book movies have failed by balancing the right amounts of amusement and intelligence. It develops real themes about war, national defense and personal responsibility, yet the slight social commentary never gets in the way of the simple joy of watching a guy in a red-and-gold supersuit learn to fly and take out terrorists. Credit director Jon Favreau for this crisp balance.

It’s not a perfect film, however. After the opening sequence, there’s not all that much to the story. The plot seems content to watch Stark tinker with his gadgets all day, although it never feels slow because Downey manages to keep the fun going, even if he’s just cracking wise with his robot assistants. The final fight scene and the villain reveal are both a bit anticlimactic, but they really don’t drag the film down too much.

The personal responsibility theme gives Iron Man a solid message. Seeing Stark realize the emptiness of his playboy lifestyle and the responsibility his gifts give him provides a great parallel to the materialism of the U.S. and the responsibility American Christians have to a world in need.

Overall, Iron Man ranks near the top on the list of best superhero movies of all time. It doesn’t have the impact of something like Batman Begins, Spider-Man 2 or the original Superman, but it also doesn’t try to match those iconic movies. It’s a little smaller, a little simpler, and just as much fun.