My review of the film Iron Man

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Acting: *****
Plot: ****
Story: *****
Dialog: ****
Direction: *****

When Iron Man was released, people swarmed into the theaters to see it. It was called the blockbuster of the summer before summer had really even begun. And it is a great film.

Robert Downey Jr. played the protagonist and ladies' man Tony Stark. Reviewers have remarked that he was the perfect fit for the role because Downey is a bit of a playboy in real life. This matters not, given the result. He played the part perfectly.

With any adaptation of a comic book series, there is always the risk of making any of an array of common mistakes: Excessive special effects, excessive muscles, cardboard characters, corny dumbed-down lines et cetera.

Luckily, as has been the case with Marvel Comics adaptations as of late, Iron Man was done tastefully:

Special effects for this film were not excessive, nor were the muscles.
The dialog, while a bit too witty and clicheic, seemed true to the comic book and Starks lines were not unlike the quotes one reads of Internet-bubble millionaires and other rich egotists.
Both Downey and Jeff Bridges (playing his nemesis Obadiah) are character actors. They are accustomed to acting with some depth. If there was a risk of cardboard characters, the actors solved that problem.

Note, if you've never encountered the Iron Man comics, you're not missing anything with the movie. The film stands on its own. It is a must-see.

Alternative plot: Cabinetry Man

Scene:
Exterior, Afghanistan

Famed cabinet-maker Tonno Downey is returning from a meeting with desert herdsmen who had discovered an ancient Manichean three-drawer dresser perfectly preserved in a desert cave. Having traded 400 cans of tuna for the dresser, Tonno is flush with pride that only wealthy carpenter-collectors can truly appreciate.

Suddenly, mercenaries throw an Ikea particleboard bedframe in front of Tonno's SUV, which swerves and promptly crashes into a ditch.

Awakening in a dark cave, the mercenaries tell Tonno, "You will design the most luxurious Scandinavian-inspired two-drawer desk ever seen, and sign over all rights to it... to Ikea!"

Tonno wisely agrees. To his surprise, he is provided with propane, TiG welding tools, and a flame thrower in order to complete his task.