"Iron Man" Film Review

Tony Stark is a genius who designs and creates advanced weaponry for the military. He is a multi-billionaire and has an ego he size of Russia. While on a Weapons Demonstration trip to Afghanistan, his protection detail is ambushed. Terrorists kidnap Tony and try to force him to build his most recent weapon called The Jericho, capable of devastating destruction. He instead builds a suit which helps him escape, leading him on a path to becoming Iron Man.

The acting is splendid. Robert Downey Jr. resurrects his film career portraying on of the most iconic heroes in the Marvel universe. Even Stan Lee, co-creator of the Marvel universe, commented that RDJ was born to play Tony Stark. Jeff Bridges was also excellent in this film as Obadiah Stane, the villain of the story. Jeff made us all believe he was Tony's friend and in a twist, he reveals he was the one trying to have Tony assassinated.

The storyline was well-written and well-thought out with some added humor and a spark of romance. The directing, however, is what truly kept the film moving. The flow and rhythm of each scene matched the last perfectly and kept me entertained until the very end.

The visual effects were top-notch. The mobility and abilities the Iron Man suit has was performed masterfully. The final battle, however nowhere near the city-leveling destruction that was Man of Steel, was personal and executed perfectly. There was no need for anything over-the-top and nothing over-the-top was added. I praise Jon Favreau for his excellent work on the film.

In conclusion, Iron Man shows us that some of the best heroes start as imperfect people. Tony was a gambler, a whoremonger, an ironmonger, and an egotistical, arrogant brat. But he experienced a life-changing event which opened his eyes. He decided to take action and become a protector rather than a destroyer. I only wish more people in today's society would follow Tony's footsteps and choose to do right rather than continue adding to the destruction already poisoning our world.