IRON MAN

"I'm not the hero type"

Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is the genius behind Stark Industries, the main weapons supplier for the US Army but when he visits Afghanistan to demonstrate his latest missile to strike fear into the enemies of America, the Jericho, his military escort is ambushed and he kidnapped by the very people his weapons are meant to destroy. Forced to build the Jericho missile for his captors, the ingenious Stark decides to make something completely different, a suit of iron that will allow him to escape but in doing so he realises that he has to protect the people he has put in harms way by perfecting his new armour and becoming a weapon himself.

Marvel Studios blasts off with one of their most beloved comic book characters but can another billionaire fighting for justice mean box office gold?

When Marvel decided to finance their own movies instead of selling the franchises to the major studios the decision was greeted with great enthusiasm by the fans. Finally the people that actually wrote the stories would have control over their own products on the big screen. This means that fans should finally get to see the superhero adaptation that these classic characters deserve and the great news is that Marvel has got of to a flyer with 'Iron Man'.

Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby back in 1963, 'Iron Man' is seen as Marvel's answer to Batman. Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne have a lot in common. They are struggling to come to terms with the past, with Bruce out to fight injustice for his murdered parents and Tony fighting for the people he has put in harms way, they both use technology to aid their fight, Batman with his many toys and Tony's toy packed suits and they both have billions of dollars to fund their fight. But while Bruce Wayne/Batman is more of a tortured soul but Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy who really enjoys what he has become, making them very different superheroes indeed.

When it comes to finding someone to play a billionaire playboy genius that loves the finer things in life, the fast cars, gambling, drink and women, you couldn't have thought of a better person than Robert Downey Jr. The man with the extremely chequered past, who has struggled with his own demons and addictions is the ideal candidate to play Tony Stack, in fact he is the only man who could play the part and he does it extremely well. He has always been an extremely talented actor with a real gift for filling any scene he graces with energy and humour and as Tony Stark he throws all of his past experiences to create a character that will become a classic of the comic book movie genre. Director Jon Favreau has surrounded his star with an abundance of talent. Terrence Howard becomes Tony's best friend and future fellow crime fighter 'War Machine', Gwyneth Paltrow is Tony's ever-faithful personal assistant Pepper Potts and transforming himself into one psychotic dude, Jeff Bridges is Obadiah Stane.

ILM pushed photo realistic character creation to a new level in 'Transformers' but with 'Iron Man' they continue to push this even further. A mix of practical effects, with the suits created by the best in the business, Stan Winston Studios and computer generated action, the film takes you on a roller coaster ride of thrills.

While this is origin story, which means you don't get to see Tony Stark as Iron Man until the final third of the film, the good news is that the journey there is one that will keep you riveted. Here we see how Tony's eyes were opened to what is weapons were doing in the world, how he developed the Mark 1, 2 and 3 versions of the suit and his first steps into superherodom. This of course then introduces the character for the franchise that is definitely to come. Speaking of which, there is a key scene at the end of the credits that will set up much more than just a sequel. Do not miss it! The finale isn't as action packed as it could have been and is over all too soon but you know that the action is only going to get bigger in the sequel.

'Iron Man' is another excellent example of how a comic book movie should be made. If this is how Marvel Studios are going to produce their own films, comic book movie fans have a lot to look forward to.

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Batman Begins

Spider-Man

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2008