Iron Man

UK Release Date: 2nd May 2008

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, an engineer creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil (www.imdb.com).

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Robert Downey  Jr., Kevin Bridges, Terence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow

Robert Downey Jr. is more than fitting as the rich, intelligent, swagger-man Tony Stark. Iron Man is just a suit, so Tony is just a person. He's not a superhero, he's a man thriving in decadence, an entrepreneur with personal gain. His business, Stark Industries, manufactures and sells weapons for war. It takes his kidnapping and subsequent three month imprisonment to realise the wrongs in his life. The suits helps him right his wrongs. Obadiah Stane, work partner and friend of Tony's Father, is against Tony's decisions. With his shiny, bald head, Bridges is a brooding, intimidating figure, taking some of that huge burden laid upon Downey to do so well. 

The finest aspect for me (and some may disagree) is director Jon Favreau's spends more time with the man than the suit. It's about the characters, and it pays to see some real heart in a Hollywood blockbuster.

4/5