Movie review: Iron Man

I am a late bloomer when it comes to comic books. As in, I started at age 38. I've now got a Buffy subscription, and am systematically working my way through Fables and Y: The Last Man, and recently purchased the Watchmen omnibus. I know nothing about Iron Man - never even heard of the guy until Ain't It Cool News started salivating over the potential movie a while back. That being said, I do like superhero movies and, after doing enough online research to learn that Robert Downey Jr. was playing the lead and Jon Favreau was directing, I thought I should go see the flick, Iron Man source material ignorance notwithstanding. Oh, I am so glad I did. This movie is fan-fuckin'-tastic. Of all the superhero movies I've seen, I would place Iron Man in the top two - the other one being the original Superman.

First of all, Marvel Comics is the producing company and if anyone is going to know how to stay true to the source material, they are. Secondly, they hired actors who can act: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges - people who can actually bring some emotion and believability to the onscreen antics (ahem, Daredevil/Ben Affleck, I'm looking at you). Third, the special effects were great; it's impossible to tell what's a practical effect and what's CGI. Fourth, it's superfun - Batman Begins was a pretty good superhero movie too, but Iron Man is just more fun: whereas Bruce Wayne is a dark and tormented gajillionaire who likes gadgets, Tony Stark is a hard drinking, womanizing, carousing gajillionaire who likes gadgets. Who's going to have the better parties, really? And finally, Robert Downey Jr. is lookin' FINE in this movie. Homeboy is smokin' hot. Mmmm-hmm. Damn.

I saw this at a matinee with six other people, with a big goofy grin on my face for at least half of the movie (especially when Stark is figuring out how to fly in his Iron Man suit - the glee on RDJ's face is infectious) ... if I liked it that much in a nearly empty theater, imagine what a blast it will be to see it with a theater full of fans. Go see this movie! If you're a comics fan, go see it! If you're an action fan, go see it! If you're a Robert Downey Jr. or a Jon Favreau fan, go see it! Hell, just go see it!