Iron Man

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) thinks he has it all as the head of weapons manufacturer Stark Industries: fame, fortune and plenty of women. Then he realises that his life is not as complete as he thought when he is captured and forced to make a bomb for the side that his weapons were meant to defeat. His only chance of escaping is to build a powerful metal suit powered by an arc reactor that he designed. From here he realises that he has more to offer the world than weapons and becomes who he was destined to be…Iron Man!

It is no overstatement to say that Iron Man has it all. From the hilarious robot side-kicks and Downey Jr.’s charming wit to the darker themes of double-dealing weapons and interesting character relationships, Iron Man has something for everyone. The action is fast-paced and the special effects give the film a sharp, gleaming edge. The viewer is kept engrossed in the film with clever fight sequences and well-designed Iron Man suits; from the rough design made in a cave to the elegant, hot-rod red number, they all look stunning. Once Stark is in the final suit the viewer witnesses several impressively coordinated flight scenes, including a spectacular chase involving Iron Man and two fighter jets.

The cast is perfect; Downey Jr. is witty, smart, charming and, above all, gorgeous! Paltrow is sweet and makes a delightful secretary and Bridges gives off an authoritative air as Stark’s business partner. The cast interact beautifully with each other; the scenes between Paltrow and Downey Jr. are particularly compelling. Let’s not forget the impressive AI characters; Stark’s robot assistants are brilliant and provide many laughs and Stark’s conversations with ‘Jarvis’, the software which runs his house, are side-splittingly funny.

Iron Man proves itself to be an entertaining film for a multitude of reasons; cool suits, amazing effects and great character development make it one of the highlights of 2008. This film is highly recommended for fans of the superhero movie genre and anyone in search of a fast-paced thrill ride!

Julia Huntenburg