Iron Man (2008)

Everything changes for Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) playboy heir to weapons manufacturer Stark Industries, after his engineered escape from kidnappers. Returning to wealth and privilege, Tony can't shake seeing his weapons used for death and destruction. Now determined to make a difference, Tony takes his inspiration from the iron shield that helped him escape.

Look, you don't need another rehashing of the plot. There is reason Iron Man ruled the summer at the box office. Behold its perfection. From the opening credits, it's clear to see that director Jon Favreau (Elf, The Break-Up) loves this story.

Iron Man is pure escapism in stunning fashion. Much like the body suit, the movie is seamless in every way. The plot is coherent, moving at a fast clip to build back story and get to business. The settings are beautiful. Equally lavish and ridiculous, Stark is surrounded by beauty. Speaking of beauty, the CG is seamless. If you get your eyes off a gorgeous cast, you still wouldn't notice the CG.

Robert Downey, Jr. is riveting. Downey's embodiment of redeemed bad boy Stark is multi-faceted and engaging. Downey simply sparkles. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts is stunning. Terrance Howard and Jeff Bridges bridge additional depth and substance to the film, but Favreau never reaches to far. He allows the cast to shine with a well-written screenplay that keeps the camp to minimum.

Iron Man is simply fantastic! The film is a perfectly executed; it is a much heralded {and welcomed} addition to the superhero canon.