Iron Man (2008)

Director: Jon Favreau (Made, Elf)
Stars: Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder, The Shaggy Dog)
Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, Heaven's Gate)
YesNoSoso: 2

I thought this movie was solid and well done, but I don't understand the glorified hype surrounding it. Obviously, Downey Jr. was incredible (if you haven't seen Tropic Thunder, movie the Sex and the City movie down the queue and add it) and the ensemble cast including Bridges, Terrance Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow definitely held their own. However, I didn't at any point feel that it was anything other than a moderatley well made super hero movie. The only differentiating characteristic was less "crime-fighting" action. There really is only one scene in which Iron Man fights evil doers. This would be great as it is in the very good super hero movies (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, X-men 1 & @, Spiderman 1 & 2) but only when the lulls in action are used to add depth to the hero character. Downey's brilliant acting help in this regard, but the plot and overall writing do little to assist him.
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