Review roundup: Iron Man

It sounds like Shellhead's big screen debut may be pretty decent.

International Herald-Tribune:
"Iron Man," directed by Jon Favreau ("Elf," "Zathura"), has the advantage of being an unusually good superhero picture. Or at least - since it certainly has its problems - a superhero movie that's good in unusual ways. The film benefits from a script (credited to Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway) that generally chooses clever dialogue over manufactured catch-phrases and lumbering exposition, and also from a crackerjack cast that accepts the filmmakers' invitation to do some real acting, rather than just flex and glower and shriek for a paycheck.

Orlando Sentinel:
...darned if "Iron Man" isn't everything a summer movie should be, and more. The first big popcorn movie of the season is also the best Marvel movie since "Spider-Man," a silly-serious pedal-to-the-metal (ahem) E-ticket ride with, now get this, a message.

Chicago Sun-Times:
The well-crafted "Iron Man" is one of the smartest superhero films to come down the pike in some time.

Robert Downey Jr. again reveals why he is one of the best actors of his generation -- allowing himself simultaneously to be playful and poignant as he adds enormous depth to the title role. Downey has carved out his own interpretation of Tony Stark/Iron Man, and yet he delivers on the established premise of the Marvel Comics character -- so not to disappoint Iron Man's legions of fans.

Toronto Star:
There's no rust on the first blockbuster of summer '08: Iron Man is an ironclad cinch to be a hit.

It's everything you want from a superhero flick – lots of action, great characters and a really cool suit – and it smartly vaults a lesser Marvel Comics hero into the same stratosphere as Spider-Man.

But as spectacular as the hardware is in Iron Man, and that includes the best robot sidekick since C-3PO, it's the human software that really drives this macho machinery. The casting represents a risk that paid off handsomely.

USA Today:
Jon Favreau (Elf, Swingers) directs a strong ensemble cast, including Jeff Bridges, who cleverly plays Stark's right-hand man; Terrence Howard, Stark's nicely underplayed military pal; and Gwyneth Paltrow, just right as Stark's assistant, Pepper Potts.

The extra heft brought to their cartoonish characters and the special-effects action make Iron Man entertaining and fun — though the second half has less snap, and a pivotal fight sequence between Iron Man and a nemesis is predictable.