Okay, this was the best superhero movie since Spider-Man.  It was filled with action and laughs.  Robert Downey, Jr. was the perfect person to cast as Tony Stark.  I can’t think of anyone who could have done a more convincing job playing the billionaire playboy.  The overall casting of the film was excellent as there were five Oscar Nominees/Winners who took their roles seriously.  The icing on the cake were the nods to the Marvel Universe such as Rhodey looking at the Mach II and saying, “Next time.”  The kidnappers being called the “10 Rings,” an obvious reference to the Mandarin (which wasn’t so obvious to me) and the annoying Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division Agent Coulson.  There were probably others that I missed or didn’t mention.(stick around for the after credits scene.)

The effects were flawless.  The Iron Man’s different versions of the armor were an amalgam of CGI and models, but you couldn’t tell the difference.  The fight between the Iron Monger and Iron Man was epic.  What I really liked about the movie was that the story was accessible to everyone.  The writers didn’t come out of left field with some far fetched abstract villain, or pit the hero up against a natural disaster.  Here was a story about a flawed man deciding to change his life and make a difference in the world and a man who wanted to make a profit at any cost.  That’s as real as Democrats vs. Republicans. 

Do yourself a favor and go see this movie….Now.