Iron Man

Where do I even begin? “Iron Man” was, bar none, the best movie of ‘08, and it was a heck of a way to kick off the summer of that year. There has never before been a more believable superhero than the one portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man was never a very famous Marvel comics character, but this film made him one. The storyline in the film was also top-notch. And of course, the special effects were fabulous. “Iron Man” is undeniably the best superhero movie ever made, and it set a new standard for all others.

Most superheroes are nice, honorable people with humble beginnings who never sway from being heroic. Therefore, they are boringly predictable. They always come to stop a crime, and always do the right thing. But Robert’s character is not at all this conventional. Not only is he a multi-billionaire, but he is also a flawed and narcissistic man who only takes part in hero work when he feels like it. Furthermore, he has no superpowers, and only becomes amazing when in his suit. He is also the only superhero ever to not have a secret identity. This all makes him a very atypical and interesting character, and is quite refreshing when considering the many other disastrous comic book films that have come out in recent years.

What I think I like the most about the story in “Iron Man” is that it takes things easy. It spends ample time developing his origin story so that it makes sense, while injecting great Downey-style humor into it all. It doesn’t try to introduce every single character from the whole comic book series, but instead focuses on the few it did introduce with great character development. Jeff Bridges made a superb villain, and Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard were exceptional supporting characters. With so many things going right in this film, it seems impossible that any film could ever compete with it.

It would be a real shame if all this movie’s greatness was held back by unrealistic special effects. Thankfully, it’s not a problem. These state-of-the-art CG effects are completely believable, and the flying scenes are out of this world, even without the much-desired 3D involved. The best part, though, is that it isn’t just tons of special effects all movie long. They focus much more on story and character development, which in the end is what makes “Iron Man” so great as a superhero film. “Iron Man” is an instant classic, no doubt about it.

There has never been a superhero flick as perfect as “Iron Man.” It benefits from a great cast and a very unique kind of superhero, as well as a totally comprehensible and interesting plot. The special effects are top-notch, and the film great. It is worth seeing and even worth owning, and it earns 10 out of 10 stars.