More than forty years after Marvel Comics released “Iron Man,” the 2008 silver-screen adapted version of the story has the background of $180 million and the premise that Hollywood craves for more comic-book superhero movies. Marvel Studios, releasing through Paramount, acknowledged that a reel-off superhero plot would not be able to do the trick, therefore they focused on the strengths of the original story and brought to them additional ones.

Audiences were accustomed to see younger and younger actors play the superhero roles; the distribution in “Iron Man” is surprising. Enough with the Tobey Maguire, Brandon Routh or Christian Bale-like cast members, this production’s protagonist is played by a 43-year old, never-been-so-good-looking Robert Downey Jr. Secondly, moviegoers are fed up of heroes that become heroes by chance; spider bites and genetic transformations are so out of the season, self-determination is more of the latest trend and Iron Man is a self-made hero!

To these we add a director with no action background (however, this is a trait that ensures that the movie won’t provide any deja-vu sensations), Jon Favreau, but who has enough talent to make the movie a hit; and a team of screenwriters: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway that develop the original Iron Man adventures written by the Marvel comic-book crew: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby.

The initial main character was a wealthy Vietnam veteran and arms manufacturer who creates an armor to fight against Ho Chi Minh. Instead of that the movie’s protagonist is Tony Stark, owner of a high-tech weapons empire who becomes a hero under different circumstances. Gone in Afghanistan for some field tests, Stark is made a captive by a Taliban-like band (information upon the religion of the terrorists is omitted). He is taken to a cave and has to create a supermissile that would be used against the US army.

Only that Stark is a genius and he produces a jaw-dropping powerful flying suit of armor that can help him escape the cave. Even though Stark returns unharmed to his home, the bloody experience teaches him that he could re-direction his new developed technology for the good of the world. While his business partner, bald-headed Obadiah Stane (played impeccably by Jeff Bridges) takes control of the company, Stark completes the red-and-golden suit of armor.

Just like the ancient heroes, Iron Man has a weakness, his Achilles’ heel being his heart. Also being a human after all, he is also fond of a woman, his love interest being his loyal assistant Pepper Potts. Gwyneth Paltrow charmingly plays the role of the witty gal, bringing sweetness to Pepper. The romantic relationship is the perfect means of taking advantage of Downey’s rapid talking, therefore whenever Stark and Potts meet among the talking super-computers of his lab, audiences indulge in the rapid, funny but witty lines of dialogue between them.

The two-hour movie blends impeccably astonishing special effects, galloping action and extremely amusing moments, being entertaining equally for kids and grown-ups, for hi-tech fans and romantics alike.

Movie Type: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/ Fantasy and Adaptation
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.
Running Time:1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Leslie Bibb, and Gwyneth Paltrow
Released: May 2nd, 2008 (limited)