I was certainly excited about this when I heard this was coming out. I always loved Iron Man when I was a kid. Not for the super hero antics, but because off the sci-fi technology and Tony Stark being so cool. Unless you're a comic book fan, you wouldn't probably know much about Iron Man apart from he's this guy in a metal suit saving people. But he's a lot more complex than that. His genius, technology and money make it possible for The Avengers (a super hero team) to exist. He regularly works with people like The Fantastic Four and most of all he's a charismatic playboy and a bit of a media hound that likes to have a dolly bird on his arm. So of course Robert Downey Jnr was perfect to play the part and dare I say it, he made a better Tony Stark than the one I read all the years ago. In this version they have still made him a keen drinker but have left out the fact that he is an alcoholic, which is an important part of his character, but it still works.

The film's plot is pretty faithful to the origins. Stark is kidnapped when a booby trap goes off, has shrapnel in his chest, has Dr Yinsen to create a magnet to keep the shrapnel away from his heart. The kidnappers force him to make weapons for them, Stark agrees, but makes an Iron Man suit instead and escapes.

He then goes on to make more versions of the suit, gets it perfect and then starts saving the world.

But the plot is a lot more complex than this. The plot is self-perpetuating. What struck me is the whole story revolves around Tony Stark undoing the damage he has done from sellings arm, but being enough of a man to admit his mistake and do something about it.

It's a brave plot line, in the way I find 24 a lot more subtle than you can take at face value. Every series of 24 revolves around a terrorist group wanting revenge on something America has done. This is similar, Tony Stark is certainly no angel, but once he realises he is an Angel of Death he goes about rectifying that.

The story was brillianty directed and co written by John Favreau (swingers) who also amusingly plays his chauffeur. The villain of the piece is Jeff Bridges who is an absolute excellent actor, one of the best. From The Fabulous Baker Boys, Fearless to The Big Lebowski, it's time he played a villain in an big budget action movie and he's fantastic. He plays the part of Obadiah Stane (AKA Iron Monger). Finally we have Gwyneth Paltrow in the PART OF Stark's assistant Pepper Potts. She gives this role a touch of class, by being intelligent, sensitive, coy, beautiful and sexy throughout. It takes a good cast, writers and directors to make a decent superhero. And they got it perfect on this one.

The Iron Man costume is cool, the special effects are fantastic, the fight sequences don't go on for too long, they don't over expose Iron Man and instead let Tony Stark be the main focus. In fact the only criticism is erm... Oh, there isn't one. It's the best superhero movie ever made.

Oh and on a final note, watch the film till the credits roll. I won't spoil it for you but there's a lovely little "also" at the end.