Iron Man

As a movie buff (buff rhymes with muff) and a comic book reader (though I don't really know anything about the Marvel side of things) I can honestly say that Iron Man is the best comic book movie I've seen pretty much ever (except for Batman Begins). It was just great all around, for the most part at least.

Robert Downey, Jr. stars as billionaire weapons designer, Tony Stark. He's an arrogant chauvinist capitalist who witnesses his weapons in the hands of terrorists killing American soldiers. After being kidnapped by said terrorists and nearly killed but a piece of shrapnel in his heart, he is forced to build them a supermega rocket. But he doesn't. In stead, he makes a suit. A suit made of awesomeness and scrap metal which he uses to kick ass and bust up out of the cave of his imprisonment.

So, he gets back to America and turns his life around. But not really. He's still arrogant (what billionaire wouldn't be?) What he does attempt to do though is stop making weapons. Then blahdy blah blah... he becomes a super hero. But let's get to what I loved about it.

The action is exciting and very cool-looking and the humor is clever and funny but not distracting. John Favreau really did a great job writing and directing here.

The acting was awesome. Downey is great, and from what I hear, pretty dead on as Tony Stark. Everyone else does a good job as well, especially Jeff Bridges who I didn't even recognise the first time he was on screen. Samuel L. Jackson has a cameo after the credits where he plays himself, I mean Nick Furry, one-eyed Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and procedes to give Marvel fanboys boners.

Iron Man went way above and beyond my expectations and left me anticipating the sequel and the forthcoming Avengers movie. And the best part is that it was just the beginning of what looks to be an awesome summer movie season. The Dark Knight, I'm looking at you!

9/10