Film: Iron Man
Studio: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios
Director: Jon Favreau
Principal Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard
Release: May 2, 2008
Film length: 126 minutes
Rating: PG-13 

5 Stars

Reviewed By: Ashley Hunking (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada) 

It is not often I say a movie is flawless however the new action-thiller and Marvel comic book adaptation Iron Man is an exception. This is a movie-supreme-sundae with a taste that will satisfy all palettes. Based on the Marvel comic book Iron Man, director Jon Favreau achieves a perfect balance of hi-paced action, superb special affects (as good, if not better then Transformers), and a brilliant cast, cheeky ‘humour and wit' adult audiences appreciate. The writers achieve a perfectly balanced screenplay and a storyline dealing with current issues that face our post-modern world. Jon Favreau, also known for his performances in Swingers and Very Bad Things reveals his true colours as a director. Favreau is a jack-of-all-trades having directed, produced and acted in many productions. His resume is a long list of hit shows and movies. Keep an eye out for his cameo in the beginning scenes of Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr. is perfectly cast as Jon Stark, a genius technician and specialist who builds arms and weapons for the U.S. military. Jon Stark is a self-centered womanizing businessman who works for Stark industry, a conglomerate specializing in the advancement of military combat weaponry. On an overseas trip, militants kidnap Stark forcing him to build the Jericho missile, the most advanced missile with the power to devastate a nation. With his life at stake, Stark builds a missile within confounds of a cave, under the heavy surveillance of the terrorist goons. In the cave, Stark befriends a scientist who assists Stark's invention. They pretend to build the Jericho missile but in fact construct the Iron Man, a state of the art suit fully loaded to destroy militant goons. Jon escapes in the suit by activating a high-powered nitro function that sends him soaring awkwardly through the sky into the dessert. The U.S. military rescues him. Along for the ride is Stark's best friend and most trusted alley, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes, a military general played by Terrence Howard, also known for his roles in Hustle and Flow and Crash.

Completely in sync with present day U.S. geo-politics, Iron Man puts out the question "under what ethics do government institutions such as U.S. Congress make sales of arms and weaponry technology?" This is a complex question that Iron Man subtly pokes at with out becoming politically saturated.  

Stark returns to his waterfront Mansion to perfect his suit; Iron Man has strong remnants of the Batman movies. Like all great epics, the hero returns home for preparation before battle. There are hilarious scenes of Robert Downey Jr. struggling to smooth out the glitches in the suit.

Iron man can also be a great movie for a date. It has a perfect touch of romantic interest between the sweet and savvy Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) who is Jon Stark's assistant, and Stark himself. Their relationship resembles what you might imagine a first lady holds with the president. Gwyneth plays the right hand woman offering Robert Downey Jr. time to evolve from his shallow disposition into the great man he becomes; the Iron Man. Finally, playing the ultimate villain is Jeff Bridges. Jeff Bridges delivers a great performance in what resembles the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader relationship in Star wars. Bridges plays Obadiah Stane, the man who raised Stark after his parents were killed. Greed and power corrupt Stane and he turns to the dark side. We are reminded of the wisdom of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility" and only Stark has the ability to set things right.      

Some of the film content may be questionable for a few parents thinking about taking their children; in the beginning, Jon Stark is portrayed as a womanizing heavy drinker. There is a scene where he beds a beautiful reporter for a night of sex, however the scene cuts quickly to the next day when Stark makes sure the reporter is quick to leave his residence before he sees her (we secretly know he is saving "true love" for Gwyneth Paltrow's character Pepper). There is no nudity but some parents may not feel this content is suitable. This blockbuster hit is on a rampage to do all things in order to attract all audiences. Parents: if it makes a difference, the argument can be made that Jon Stark undergoes a transformation, which teaches a lesson in how a man can rise above his shallow desires of the "flesh" and achieve greatness. Regardless of any small criticism, Iron Man received an enthusiastic applause as the curtain closed. Go to the website to find out interesting facts about the movie. http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/