Iron Man
Iron Man should serve as an example for any science fiction, superhero, or action movie. Put the story and characters first; cast for acting over popularity and the rest will fall into place. Iron Man finally does right what virtually every other recent super-hero movie has done wrong, it keeps it simple.
Let me first say that I know virtually nothing about the Iron Man story and have never followed the cartoons or comic books. While watching the movie I was surprised that this story is in many ways more science fiction than it is superhero. Like Batman's Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark is a normal person who uses his brain and other skills to overcome adversaries. This has always appealed to me more than the purely fantastic superheroes like Spiderman or Superman. This grounding in an alternate reality makes all the scenes showing the creation and modification of the suit that much more compelling. I also appreciated the understated special effects. They are incorporated into the film's flow instead of acting as a separate showpiece unto themselves.
The acting in this movie is fantastic. Robert Downey Jr. was born to play this role. His naturally smooth, fast-talking style matches perfectly with the character of Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow is surprisingly not annoying as his assistant and together they have a lot of fun with their interpersonal banter. Jeff Bridges is the perfect counter to Downey and is especially effective as his character takes a dark turn as the movie progresses.
Iron Man joins Batman Begins and X-Men 2 as one of my favorite superhero movies. 4.5/5
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