This was one of the more anticipated movies for the first half of 2008. But as with all big-name-big-buck movies, there were huge expectations, and usually the movie bombs. But with the first installment of Iron Man, it definitely exceeded my expectations. Unbelievably high-tech yet slapstick at the same time, the movie hinged on a very consistent light comedic dialogue between all the characters. The cast was very well picked out as all three main characters did superbly well in their respective roles. The story line was also pretty good and consistent with the dilemma Tony Stark really had in the original comics. But the most impressive part in the movie was definitely the armor! The guys who did the rendering of Iron Man’s armor did an amazing job, and when you see it in the movie, you will be in awe, as I was

Iron Man is a story about a wealthy philanthropist named Tony Stark, who is a filthy rich carefree billionaire industrialist and inventor. The movie starts off with Stark showing off his latest creation in weapons technology and then gets kidnapped by some Afghan rebels. As it turns out, most of Stark’s weapons were being bought out by this same group and was being used to destroy innocent neighboring countries. He wakes up in a cave with a huge metal plate in his chest powered by a car battery. Apparently, the shrapnel from his own weapon had pierced his heart and the mechanism in his chest was the only thing keeping him alive.

Stark is then forced to build a diabolical weapon, but instead uses his ingenuity to create an indestructible suit of armor to escape his captors. He then discovers that he knew very little of where his weapons were going and vowed to rid the world of the same weapons he had created. With his new found conscience and zest for life, he creates a brand new suit of armor to help him in his mission. And from here, you will see the process of the creation of his armor as well as the character roles being developed very well.

Robert Downey Jr, may just be the perfect actor to have portrayed Iron Man, and may be the best fit to a superhero since Hugh Jackman for Wolverine. If you are familiar with the cartoon series long ago, he looks very much like Tony Stark. And Downey Jr. played his role to a tee mixing arrogance with comedic aptitude that was a pure joy to watch on-screen. Gwyneth Paltrow co-stars as his secretary, “Pepper” Potts, the shy-yet-feisty sidekick who’s not so secretly in love with her boss. I never liked her, but she looked quite amazing in this movie. And playing the wily Obadiah Stane is Jeff Bridges, in probably the best role I’ve seen him play. He seems revitalized and was also perfect for the role in his shaved head and beard. Bridges challenges Stark’s new found idealism at every turn and was also a great joy to watch.

All in all, the movie was very entertaining and fun to watch. I would most definitely watch it again, and I’m going to buy the DVD when it comes out. If you haven’t seen it yet, please do yourself a favor and make sure you do on the big screen. There is nothing more amazing than seeing this movie in all its glory in the theaters. The way the technology of the armor was shown while it was being built, as well as when Tony Stark dons the final version was awe-inspiring. There was never a time in the movie that I got bored, and it was entertaining from start to finish. Oh, it was also great hearing Terrence Howard say “maybe next time” after seeing another armor set in Tony Stark’s tech room. It means we will definitely see a second installment of this movie and I can’t wait for that one!

Personal Rating (out of 10): 9.0/10
IMDb User Rating (out of 10): 8.3/10
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard
Genre: Sci-Fi / Thriller / Action
Size: 52 Files (Use HJSplit to Join), 693.06 MB
Duration: 126 minutes
Torrent: NewTorrents (click for expanded links, not DVD quality yet)
Links: Scoop: Iron Man 2 Plot and Villain Details