So, this weekend, I helped propel Iron Man to the number one status in America.  Thankfully, that was not something to be embarrassed about.  It’s a solid action movie with humor and heart.

I am not a die hard Iron Man fan.  I mean, I like the character in general, but I don’t really read any of his comics.  But I understand the character.  It’s a tried and true formula.  (Spoilers Ensue)

Tony Stark is a brilliant head of his own company that specializes in weapons manufacturing.  He cocky, popular with the ladies and self absorbed.  But that all changes when his life is nearly taken-by his own weapons.   He is kept alive by a mechanical device that propels shrapnel away from his heart.  In the original comic, it was more of a pace maker and occurred (if I recall correctly) in Viet Nam.

The film updates the setting to Afghanistan and Tony is captured by terrorists.  This could have gone well or ill.  Thankfully, it works in the context of the film.  It helps that one of the people to open Tony’s eyes is his fellow prisoner and Afghani citizen Yinsen.  Yinsen is a scientist himself, and he creates the initial device that keeps Stark alive.  Yinsen is a family man who challenges Tony’s perception of what is important.  When Stark discovers that the terrorists are using a slew of his own weapons, he starts to question everything he has stood for.

The terrorists, led by by a pretty nasty piece of work named Raza, demand Stark build a specialized missile for them.  Stark and Yinsen pretend to do this, but what they really do is build the prototype Iron Man suit.  Tony is determined to get Yinsen out with him and back with his family, but that is not meant to be.  Yinsen implores Tony to not squander his second shot at life.

And so he works to improve the Iron Man suit in his lab.  This is where the humor really comes into play.  Watching Stark perfect the suit is quite entertaining.  And yet, when you first see him use the suit in a combat situation?  Let’s just say it is thrilling.

The film is also successful in it’s primary villain.  Obadiah Stane (cool bad guy name) is someone  who seems like a kindly friend to Stark, but as the film progresses, it is clear that his greed outweighs his friendship to Tony.  Thankfully, Tony has the smart and capable Personal Assistant Pepper Potts and dedicated and skilled pilot Jim Rhodes on his side.   They are the people that fight to try and ground him at the beginning, and support him when it is clear he is changing into something new.

Stark and Potts have chemistry, but Potts is not some swooning girl with a crush.  She is clever and able to match wits with Tony.  She cares about him, but it feels like it could believably go either way.  Rhodes is Tony’s friend, but initially feels betrayed by Tony’s change of heart.  It’s understandable-he is military, Stark was providing Military hardware that could help Rhodes and his men.  Rhodes is the noble military man who embodies the best ideals of a soldier, and the only shame is a lack of screen time later in the film.  But in a nice little moment, he glances at an empty Iron Man suit and sighs, “Maybe next time…”

Overall, Iron Man works because it has a stellar cast.  To think, there were doubters that Robert Downey, Jr. could pull this off.  He makes you believe in Stark.  Gwyneth Paltrow imbues Pepper Potts with smarts and heart.  Terence Howard makes Jim Rhodes a guy you want to have your back.  And…well, I did not remember I was watching Jeff Bridges throughout the film, he so sunk into that character of Stane.

And I cannot ignore John Favreau.  It was clear he treated the material as a story worth telling.  He doesn’t make it quick and easy.  He makes use of the talented actors, the effects and the story to make a very entertaining film.

Much has been made of the fact that Stark is an adult who becomes a hero-instead of a young kid.  This makes it into a redemption story, which works very well.  It’s well told, well acted and well made.  Iron Man is easily one of the strongest of the modern Super-hero films.  It also passed another test.  My dad.  I use my dad as a gage for how effectively a film works for someone with no previous knowledge of the character.  Does the story still make sense to someone who never knew who Iron Man was?  According to my dad?  Yup.  He didn’t need to ask why something happened, I didn’t have to explain “well, in the comic book…”  It made sense without explanations.  So I must say, good job, Favreau and company…good job.  Bravo!

It’s not without flaws, but nothing stood out enough that it hurt my enjoyment of the film.  I give it an A- to B+.  I can’t wait for the sequel…and the Blu-Ray.