Iron Man Movie!

If I had five stars, they would go here.

Caught the new movie starring my favorite drunken Avenger at a sneak preview last night and it was truly @#$%&ing awesome.  Add it to the pantheon great comic book movies including Batman Begins, Superman (the original), Superman 2, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.  Iron Man ranks right up there.

All the character performances were excellent and the story and direction were top notch (tip of the hat to Mr. Favreau), but the leading man stole the show.  And yes, I’m talking about you Robert Downey Jr.  Seriously, this was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in a comic movie and better than a lot of non-comic movies. 

Downey played the Tony Stark I’ve always liked, not the horribly mischaracterized version prevalent in today’s Marvel comics.  At the beginning of the movie, Downey’s Tony Stark was egotistical, brash, callous and selfish… a doucebag of the highest order with more talent than sense.  Once he faces his own mortality at the hands of his own weapons, he transitions to a kinder, more heroic Tony Stark who is both believable and compelling.  He’s noble, funny, heroic and yet flawed, but does the right thing, even at great personal cost… the measure of a true hero.  You cannot help but root for the Golden Avenger.  Downey puts all of this incredible talent into this role and comes up aces. 

If you’re like me and wondered what it’d be like to strap on a set of powered armor and take to the skies, this movie will make you feel like it’s possible.  Sequel, please. 

Oh yeah, the showed the new Dark Knight trailer last night too… looks so kick ass.