Reviewer’s Grade: A-
As films like “In the Valley of Elah” and “Stop-Loss” have proven, anti-war movies are the kiss of death at the box office. But not when they’re disguised as a superhero action-adventure, as the exciting “Iron Man” is.
Born in 1963 on the pages of Marvel Comics’ “Tales of Suspense,” the metal-clad maverick is embodied by Robert Downey Jr. in an all-aces performance as Tony Stark, the womanizing warmonger who becomes a symbol for peace after a life-or-death brush with terrorists overseas. Turns out, genocide “? although profitable “? isn’t best for business if you want to sleep at night.
Jon Favreau’s film is everything a summer movie should be: fun, funny, exciting and at least a little bit intelligent. Stick around after the end credits for a glimpse at where the sure-to-be-made sequel might take the tin-can titan. PG-13
“?Rod Lott
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2008.