note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room

Iron Man is perhaps the last big franchise that, until last year, Marvel had yet to tackle. With the help of Robert Downey Jr.'s immaculate performance, they have managed to bring one of their quintessential superheroes to living, breathing life, in an action packed, funny, and exciting film that's one of the best superhero films to come down the pipe in a while.

Tony Stark (Downey) is a rich arms dealer who, whilst in the middle east, has his convoy attacked, and is held hostage by a group of terrorists. They ask him to build for them one of his own Jericho missiles, or they will de-activate the supermagnet embedded in his chest, which is currently keeping shrapnel from travelling towards his heart and killing him after his being attacked. Stark complies, but in secret builds a very crude iron suit, which becomes the prototype for what will later make him Iron Man - a heavily equipped, super-armoured suit that he can use to fire missiles, fly, and generally kick ass.

Whilst the film is a lot of fun by itself, it graduates to greater status because of Downey Jr's excellent performance, which is the best by any Marvel lead to date - it's somewhat self-reflexive because, Downey being an alcoholic himself, portraying the hedonistic and alcoholic Stark has to be somewhat therapeutic. The wit he exudes makes him an even more likeable actor than already thought.

What is a fun and energetic thrill ride in its own right is elevated by Robert Downey Jr's highly entertaining and spirited turn (which renders Tony Stark the most likeable Marvel hero by a country mile). Moreover, the near-unrecognisable Jeff Bridges makes a fierce antagonist with a great screen presence. Iron Man is limited by the fact that it is an origin story, yet it melds spectacular effects with intelligent humour and subtle commentary on war, weapons and the government.