Iron Man

A life-threatening injury inspires a wealthy industrialist (Robert Downey Jr.) to build a hi-tech suit of armor, which he uses to fight evil.

Iron Man is possibly the best comic-book adaptation made to date. Highlighted by a tour-de-force performance from Robert Downey Jr., the film works from the opening frames and, a few missteps aside, is nearly perfect.

Downey Jr. makes the movie. As Tony Stark, he manages to nail the character’s egotistical, self-destructive behaviors while simultaneously providing an undeniably charismatic protagonist the audience can root for. Not an easy task, but Downey Jr. makes it look easy, and in doing so pretty much carries the film.

Supporting Downey Jr. is a solid cast, though most fail to register opposite his showy performance. Terrence Howard plays a military liaison whose best moment comes as a nod to fans of the original comic books, and Jeff Bridges plays something of a one-dimensional but nonetheless charismatic villain. Best of all is Gwyneth Paltrow, who imbues a genuine charm to her role as Stark’s secretary.

The script wisely avoids some of the more fantastic elements of the Iron Man mythos (though there are nods, such as naming a terrorist cell “The Ten Rings”) and, instead grounds itself in a more plausible reality than most of its comic book adaptation contemporaries, while simultaneously retaining the style and fun of the source material. It’s a tricky balance, but one that Iron Man’s four screenwriters manage to pull off.

Granted, the film does have its slips. There are a few continuity issues regarding Downey Jr.’s appearance that are too obvious not to notice, which is surprising given the rest of the film’s polish. These aren’t deal breakers, but enough to distract you slightly from what is otherwise a great film.