This was the beginning of everything. Originally, Iron Man was seen as its own thing. It would be released, hopefully get a trilogy, and that would be all. The idea of including SHIELD came later in production and was cemented when Samuel L. Jackson was cast as Nick Fury. But enough about that, let's talk about Iron Man on its own.
It's pointless to talk about this movie without bringing up one key thing: Robert Downey Jr. He is one of the biggest reasons this movie became a hit. Why? Simple: casting RDJ as Tony Stark was one of the best casting decisions since Francis Ford Coppola thought Marlon Brando would make a good Don Corleone. Too steep praise? I don't think so. Downey owns this role in every possible way an actor can own a role. He is not giving a performance: he IS Tony Stary. He doesn't play a billionaire playboy who comes to realize the destruction he has caused with his weapons: he IS that character. Every nuance is perfect. Every joke connects, every dramatic moment is spot on. I can perfectly believe this man's transformation. I totally buy him as a guy who wants to save the world and have a great time while he does it. I'm a big film snob who can nitpick things to death, but I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this performance. He is perfect. Oh yeah.... this isn't just Robert Downey Jr. being awesome for two hours? There is a movie here? Well yes, and it's a damn good one. The plot moves along very well. Tony Stark goes on a huge journey throughout this movie and the plot guides him well. We buy his personal change. He saw terrible stuff in the Middle East, and saw a man who saved his life die in front of him. I can see why he would want to stop making weapons and step up to put a stop to what he caused. On the other end of the spectrum, the movie has a great villain. Obidiah Stane basically helped raise Tony and nurtured him after his father died. He would never expect him to become a traitor which just makes the final battle more emotional. He is fighting someone he has come to love. Jeff Bridges is very good as Stane. He can play a warm and kind hearted man one moment and then reveal his true colours as a bloodthirsty maniac the next minute. In case you haven't noticed, we already have a very good movie here. The story is good, and the actors are brilliant. But I'm not done. There is also a very fitting love story here that is different from other love stories because it is implied, not stated. There is tension between the two and some flirtation, but an actual love story does come until the sequel. It works because of the natural onscreen chemistry between Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow, who is also very good here. Visually, the movie is spectacular. Iron Man's armours look great. They are shiny and metallic, looking very photorealistic even if they are largely just CGI. There is a satisfying amount of time spent with him in the suit and one very good fight involving an exploded tank. If I had one negative thing to say about this movie, it would be Terrence Howard as James "Rhodey" Rhodes. He's kind of bland and speaks in a very high pitched tone that got on my nerves after a while. I didn't believe him as the tough solider who acts as Tony's moral compass. But that doesn't ruin the movie. It's an excellent film that gets better every time you see it. This movie served as an excellent beginning to a franchise unlike any other.
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