Iron Man

Iron Man isn’t any dumb B-movie, but it lags a good couple of miles behind being a quality movie. The screenplay aren’t so awful, the genre, but the dialogs are simply terrible. I’m not expecting a second Shakespeare from this uncomplicated popcorn movie, but this is really too much. Some tongue in cheek could have saved it. But somehow they forgot about that option and all we get is a couple of family jokes, which just don’t do it. We get no proper action, effects don’t count (but aren’t bad, come to think of it) and so the whole thing rests on the wide shoulders of a “Rambo-like" Downey who operates more with his charisma than doing any acting (and basically he just plays himself anyhow). However, his charisma is so enormous that it manages to carry the whole movie from start to finish. As for Iron Man becoming a timeless classic like the Black Sabbath “version", or even a flagship of the genre, it’s unthinkable, although with a little imagination you can picture it happening. Someday. (05/04/2008)

Two years later, but yes, I've now seen Iron Man. There is no point in accusing the film of having a clichéd story - it won me over with the main character played by Downey. A sarcastic playboy, with a sense of dry humor and, in the second half of the film also a sense of justice, is great. Not as much as, say, Hellboy, but he is great. Perfect are the scenes between his Stark and Potts' Gwyneth Paltrow, when the screen sparkled, some might say too much. Add to that great effects and action scenes (the trip to Afghanistan and the return with the YF-22 Raptor lead the way) and a more or less standard (but decent for a villain) Jeff Bridges, who looks REALLY good... I'm giving it four pure stars. (07/20/2010)

Single use super hero. Downey and his charisma give the film far more than a cool effect while the story is a flight of fancy by an enthusiastic screenwriter with an American flag tattooed on his chest. A typical guilty pleasure product that doesn't bring much new to the table, but is so likeable and entertaining that you’ll always find your way to it in the end. And where neither a flimsy script nor spectacular action is enough, everything is supported by the demonic Jeff Bridges together with Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow, who is increasingly sexy as the years go by... The potential was a bit higher, as the excellent third movie shows :-) 80% (11/01/2013)

Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man. Without him, this film would really be just routine scrap metal, but thanks to Downey, Gwynneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges, it's a surprisingly catchy and likeable film. Of course, it's hard not to see Favreau et al. behind Downey with all those action scenes that lack decent ideas. Nevertheless, except for the ending, I had more fun with this stupid thing than I have had for a long time. Marvel should perhaps find better directors and better screenplays, but even the first X-Men feels a bit cumbersome... I’m happy to wait for Stark's next arrival. (05/04/2008)

Iron Man is silly but fun flick that won’t rivet you to your seat with the dynamics and spectacle of X-Men or Spider-Man, but it will amuse you with Robert Downey’s showing-off (the whole film rises and falls with him) and surprise you with its interesting cast. It’s not often that you see Jeff Bridges as a bald villain and Gwyneth Paltrow as a superhero’s assistant. Otherwise, however, Iron Man is super harmless and family-friendly, bordering on childish. It could have used more cynicism and an ironic adult perspective. (05/02/2008)