Iron Man: Best Superhero Film To Date?

The summer movie season is now upon us and the first sign of life comes from some scraps of iron (or actually gold-titanium alloy.) The main difference between Iron Man and other action films is that it actually has a mind. Even while you aren’t submerged in Iron Man’s glitz and glamour there is still a sense of self-fulfillment. Between the brilliantly choreographed action sequences and Robert Downey Jr.’s wit, you’ll find that no matter what’s on screen at any given moment you’ll still be satisfied

The beginning of what will be known as the Iron Man series starts like your typical comic book adaptation. First you need to know how that superhero came into the making. In Iron Man’s case he is much like Bruce Wayne. He’s rich, successful, and smart. Unlike his dark superhero counterpart, Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) isn’t quite so torn by the death of his parents and doesn’t feed off his anger. Instead, his desire to do good stems from Stark Enterprises which manufactures WMD’s (weapons of mass destruction). After he’s captured by a group of rag tag terrorists he finds out his company is doing more harm than good and after a risky escape he vows to correct his errors.

To say that Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect choice to play Tony Stark would be a vast understatement. Besides looking the part, he has the wit and charisma to back it up. I often find myself at a loss when comic book adaptations try and take a stab at comedy because the jokes usually fall flat on their face. In Iron Man’s case, the jokes and humor are genuinely funny. Robert Downey Jr. has a lot to do with it but the rest of the cast around him, especially Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Pots, is what really sells it. The chemistry between the two is undeniable and the timing is downright perfect. However, the biggest surprise when it came to the casting was Terrance Howard. I’ve never been a particular fan of his previous roles but he did a great job in a variety of different scenes, considering many of them required him to take a different perspective on the same person.

Besides the casting being very well thought out, Iron Man also comes up with a great story to boot. It’s set in the present day with problems every moviegoer will find some type of common ground with. In some cases it might seem a little too relevant to today’s issues but it does so in a respectable manner. It doesn’t actually reference the events from recent years, but rather, implies them. Something you’ll come to appreciate more and more as time goes on.

Prior to seeing Iron Man I had read that the main villain, I won’t mention his name since it could be considered a spoiler to some, didn’t live up to expectations. Most of the time they referenced how easily he was beaten and therefore wasn’t “cool” enough to be the main baddie. On one hand I can see how some could obtain this impression but I disagree because I believe this character adds a lot more than some fancy weapons ever could, and that’s personality. There were also less action sequences than I originally thought there would have been, but each is well executed and doesn’t come abruptly in the story arch.

In many ways Iron Man has actually become one of the best superhero movies to date. Jon Favreau has a way of making something as complicated as Iron Man’s suit seem relatively feasible. My only wish is for a sequel, ASAP.