Iron Man (Blu-ray Disc, 2008, 2-Disc Set, Ultimate Edition)

Let me get it out of the way, first. My favourite super-hero movie is Batman Begins, and a far second is the first Spider-man (2nd was okay, 3rd was mediocre).

For me, the key, the ultimate enjoyment in a super-hero tale isn't the spectacle, the marvel, the powers, nor the villains. No, it's the person behind the mask, behind the glasses, the person him/herself. That's what drives the story and grabs my interest. The superhero aspect is an avenue for the expression of the person's desires, morals and willingness to sacrifice under great difficulty.

Here, Iron Man reaches a height that all over, and I mean each and every superhero movie, watches in envy.

Tony Stark is a multi-layered character. He's an unbelievable genius, a pampered playboy, an extremely likeable character, with great wit and eccentricities, and when things get difficult, yes, Tony Stark has a heart.

Unlike most superheroes, where it's merely a rush in the story to get to the part where the hero puts on the suit, Iron Man slowly undergoes this process. It's not concerned with the usual path. Instead, we concentrate on Tony, as he experiences tough circumstances which leads him to look deeply into himself.

Iron Man isn't about how a good person gets bit and seeks a way to 'save' people, which is the usual staple in superhero movies. Instead, it's about the change in a man's perspectives and thoughts, as he sees the world is not in reality as simplistic as he's convinced himself for years.

Which leads me to the acting, which is by far the strongest part of this movie.

The idea to grab Robert Downey Jnr. for this was an amazing stroke of ingenuity. He takes the character completely, and there's no actor who can give witty, quick-thinking dialogue like Downey. I've always, always admired him (thought he was brilliant in Wonder Boys) every time I've seen him, and I was frankly intrigued at them getting Downey as a superhero protagonist. Through Downey's brilliant acting, you understand Tony, and everything he says and does is entirely believeable.

Paltrow was another eye-brow raiser, but she also hits this out of the park. She provides a fantastic amount of sweetness to her character, yet she's more than the generic other girl. She displays the unsureness, hurt, desire, confusion remarkably with the slightest movement of her face.

Terrence Howard is a very good actor, and does well here. I do wish there was a bit more shown between Rhodes and Stark, so I could see more of how they interacted or how they got to know one another.

Bridges is a good one, too.

If you like superhero movies, then I wonder why you're reading. Go on, already, watch this movie!

If you always liked some special effects, but didn't like the overblown visual effects with thin dialogue, I suggest you give this movie a chance. It's a superhero movie for people with brains. Chances are great you'll like it.

I came to the theatre wanting to watch this movie as a good starter for the summer season (with the Dark Knight, Incredible Hulk etc...). I was stunned at my experience.

Iron Man is the best superhero movie I've ever seen. Yes, it's better than Spider-man 1. Yes, shockingly, it's better than Batman Begins. It is a superhero movie tailored to my love of knowing who is under the mask and what makes them tick. Downey is wonderful, simply wonderful.

I can't wait to see the next one. Hurry up Favreau!

Rest assured, Iron Man is an absolutely amazing movie. I won't dare spoil any of this remarkable movie for you but I do recommend it as highly as I possibly can. Marvel needed to get in to the solo movie making business long ago. Instead of leasing out their characters to other studios, they're making movies themselves. Most everyone knows Iron Man is their first effort and what a great lead off film! This movie helps take the comic book genre to the highest level. Just like they did in the books, they reinvent standard epic adventure by "Marvelizing" characters and making them more believable. The Spider-Man and the X-Men movies did this to a degree but only as far as their respective studios wished to stay true to the source material. Anything added or amended was for the benefit of the live action adaptation. Director Sam Raimi pulled this off by talking to the summer crowd, not down to them with the Spider-Man series. Jon Favreau has done the same thing here but I think he's done it even better. Raimi intentionally threw in a little cheese. Favreau adds nice bits of humor but not too much. He also grounds the action and the suit of armor in firm reality. I've said it before but it's brave to reach for the highest common denominator with a big budget film and Favreau delivers a movie with as much feeling as it has action and intensity. Needless to say, Robert Downey Jr. and company deliver the goods. It's a movie that has a wonderful balance that delivers intelligence with its fun.

The amazing yet realistic action is paced by the plot and characters that keep you interested from start to finish. What absolutely blew me away were the phenomenal special effects. I know they built a practical, working armor. What I loved is the use of CGI was used to augment the real life armor and not create something from scratch. Most all CGI constructs feel fake somehow but the stuff in Iron Man didn't seem fake even for an instant. As great as everything looked, what really drives the movie is the emotional resonance and down to earth nature of the plot. Sure the concept is wild but it's all presented so that you really believe it could happen. I doubt anyone will find fault with this movie unless they went in trying to dislike it.

Robert Downey Jr. gives a great performance as Iron Man in this Movie and Marvel Comics scores another hit following the SpiderMan movies.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges have outstanding roles in the movie.

Iron Man holds your attention from the beginning when Downey, captured by terrorists, dreams up "Iron Man" all the way to the end when he fights the final battle. (And don't miss the extra scene at the end of the final title sequence).

Any comic book fan will love the movie as well as anyone who loves a good action adventure movie.

Rated 5 of 5 for great acting, great directing and well done movie.

Don't miss it.

Overall, Iron Man is the best two-disc package available on Blu-ray. The film is fun, the audio is mighty impressive and I can't in good conscience fault the video quality enough to deduct points. It may not be the most detailed picture I've ever seen, but I believe that could easily be accounted for by the camera work and CGI integration. Robert Downey, Jr. and the special effects give Iron Man a fresh, unique vibe that sets it apart from most action or superhero films. There are enough surprises and plot twists to keep any audience on their toes; enough humor to keep any audience chuckling; enough character development to satisfy the critics and Stark nerds; and enough effects and action to get the blood pumping. Iron Man gets my highest recommendation and Paramount--a studio that not long ago snubbed Blu-ray consumers--gets my thumbs up on a job very well done.

"Iron Man" is the first really great summer hit since "Spider-Man 2" or "X-Men: The Last Stand." Maybe because Stan Lee and the Marvel people have so much editorial control, the film adaptations of their comic books are very strong. "Iron Man" plays like an old-fashioned hit, full of character development, witty dialogue and a plot that plausibly makes sense.

It also has really fantastic special effects. I don’t mean explosions — there are plenty of those. But the whole construction of the Iron Man suit, the learning curve that Downey’s Tony Stark moves along as he invents Iron Man, all of it is simply and expertly revealed. Watching Tony learn to fly as he puts together the pieces of Iron Man is one of the high points of a screenplay that boasts two pairs of writers with different expertise.

Overall, this is a huge hit that the whole family can see and enjoy.