Iron Man: The 1st Summer Blockbuster

I have to admit, I've been looking forward to seeing this movie ever since I saw the trailer. It just looked like there was a lot of thought put into it, and most films recently can't make that claim. There's a lot of packaged material being fed to the masses without substance. By and large, they're hardly thoughtful or entertaining. Not Iron Man. This was a movie I thoroughly enjoyed with all the right elements in good measure.

I have never really been into comic books, but I'm sure this adaption made the creators proud. Spider-Man has set the bar high for those who hope to adapt these types of film, and others have fallen short. I'm also not a big fan of Robert Downey, Jr. Although I think he's a good actor, I don't think he's great. And I do think he's been overrated at times. But in this film, he does a spectacular job of mixing the complexity of Tony Stark, a hotshot arms dealer with that of his creation, Iron Man. The latter is created out of a crisis of conscience for Stark, and Downey delivers beautifully. Add in the surprisingly good Gwyneth Paltrow (not a fan of hers, either), Terence Howard, always watchable, and the consummate Jeff Bridges, and you've got a great cast for this particular type of film. It may not have worked with heavy drama, but with a fantasy action film, it's perfect.

The effects are spectacular in this film. CGI is always tricky, buy the detail that went into this film is really something. All aspects of the journey of Iron Man are well-executed; the flying sequences, the battles, and the war sequences all looked spectacular on the big screen. This is another point I always need to stress: Films like this are meant to be viewed in a theater. When some films come out, I immediately know whether I'll go see them or wait for the DVD. I don't like wasting time, money and energy on a film I could just as well watch at home without losing the effect. Iron Man is a big-screen film.