Nearly 45 years after his creation, Iron Man has come to the silver screen. I went to the early screening at Grand Cinema last night in eager anticipation for the first blockbuster movie of the season and thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. The story begins as all good first superhero movies do, with the origins. Tony Stark (one of the richest men in America), leads his father’s company Star Industries, a huge weapons manufacturing company the success of which is largely dependent on Tony’s - an MIT graduate - genius inventions. Upon showcasing his latest creation, the Jericho Missle, in Afghanistan, he is ambushed, kidnapped and imprisoned in a cave with a Dr. Yinsen, who saves his life by removing the shrapnel from his body. Stark is forced to build the missile for the terrorists, but starts first by creating an arc reactor, a fictional power source that he embeds in his chest to keep the remaining shrapnel out of his heart. With that in place he creates the first Iron Man suit and fights his way out before returning home to create something even better, while changing the direction of his company.

I was unsure about the combination of having Robert Downey Jr. play the role or even Jon Favreau direct the film (also appearing briefly as Stark’s driver), but I was really impressed by what they were able to accomplish with the huge budget. If the devil is in the details then this movie is full of them, and it may be an ultimate guy flick. The coolest gadgets, cars and fight sequences come together and surround a character who is spontaneous, quick on his feet, and funny. After a very long career with some great films under his belt, this, ironically, may be the film he’ll best be remembered for.

The animations and special effects had an incredible real and natural feel to them, making it a bit more realistic than other films that are based more on supernatural abilities as opposed to plain old ingenuity and advanced technology. Before any of the climactic scenes, most people will be astonished by the little things in Stark’s life, like his home, his cars, his workshop, and all the little things that surround his life. Moreover, by allowing actors to create much of their own dialog, Favreau generated a more believable script, which is odd for such a big budget superhero movie where every line feels rehearsed to death.

All in all, Iron Man is a pretty great popcorn movie that kicks the blockbuster season off in a great way. Iron Man 2 is already scheduled for a 2010 release but you’ll see Downey make a cameo appearance in this summer’s The Incredible Hulk, as Tony Stark.

4/5