[Shawn.F]

Caught this last night in Boston. In a word repeated several times: fun, fun, fun. Downey was a perfect choice as Stark.

[John Swarce]

My son came home from high school yesterday (freshman) and he was jumping out of his shoes, as his teacher had given him a free pass for 2 to a sneak peak of Iron Man that night in RI.

Local radio station was handing out mini Iron Man posters, buttons and bumper stickers. Theater was packed, and surprisingly, a good crowd as the film started rolling.

In a word, the movie is terrific! Lot of humor, great action sequences, some romance (but not too mushy). RDJ is the perfect Tony Stark. A bit of an ass, but likable, moreso as the movie goes on.

The Iron Man suit is spot on, ILM nailed the look. The flying sequences were my favorite part, although there is a short part with terrorists after he gets the new suit that had a lot of the audience laughing (a targeting bit that made me think of RoboCop).

Movie ran a little over 2 hours and there wasn't much fat. A few "huh?" moments, but it is a superhero movie, so I could let it slide.

Marvel should have a winner with this, as I suppose the word of mouth will be very good. I expect a sequel announcement this summer!

Can't wait for the Blu-ray!

--John

[David Rubenstein]

I was at the LA premiere last night and I'll echo what everyone else has said about the film - one of the best superhero movies ever made.

The casting was perfect (especially Downey Jr. and Terrence Howard) and I thought they got the tone of the charatcter down perfectly.

The stars were all out and everyone was having a great time (It was wild to walk down the red carpet - we walked directly behind Gwyneth Paltrow who stayed at the after party longer than most of her co-stars).

Jeff Bridges also seemed to really be enjoying himself. He had his brother Beau and a few other family members off in a corner.

Great movie and a fantastic premiere party.

[Ruslan]

Just saw this here in the UK. Enjoyed it thoroughly and hope Downey's promise of multiple sequels holds true! Excellent effects, performances and a fun script!

Very annoyed to read that I should have stuck around til the credits finished! Ah well, will have to go and see it again!

A solid **** out of 5! Well done, Favs!

[Patrick Sun]

As the initial installment of the Iron Man film franchise, "Iron Man" is pretty solid, but I wasn't wowed by it, and felt it to be a little too simple in the plot department. I enjoyed watching Tony Stark's technological ingenuity come alive on the screen, and Robert Downey, Jr. is well-casted as Stark, in fact, all the footage with him developing the Iron Man suit is fun and nifty. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts was awkward for me, she just seemed off her acting game in many scenes. Jeff Bridges and Terrance Howard were solid in under-written roles.

Directorially, I thought Jon Favreau's direction to be mildly boring and staid in long stretches at a time, but the 2nd unit direction with the action scenes to be more entertaining and lively, though I was hoping for a little more imagination in the action sequences. Favreau's main problem is that he settles for giving the viewer "coverage"/wide shots, and as the film rolls on, it's visually uninteresting, and I wished he'd use some more background music to prop up some of the scenes. Also, the cinematography is average and serviceable, but doesn't quite hit the right overall tone throughout the film.

It may seem I wasn't thrilled by the film, and on some levels, that's true, but it won't disappoint the masses, and I think most viewers will enjoy it. I will look forward to the next installment, but I hope Favreau won't be directing it.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

P.S. Oh yeah, stay for the extra scene at the very end of the credits, that was pretty neat.

[Chuck Mayer]

I liked it a lot. I didn't love it, but loved enough about it to be enthusiastic for the film. I've been interested ever since they cast Downey, Jr. And he delivered a fine performance, encompassing all of the elements that make Tony Stark one of the more interesting and realized of comic book characters. I'm an old comic nerd, and saw him as a decent character until a few years back. When written to his potential (as he rarely is), he's pretty fascinating. As realized by RDJ, he's quite fun, quite cocky, but makes it totally work. The supporting cast did their jobs well, especially Howard.

I agree with Patrick on some of the direction, but not the cinematography. I was happy to learn it was by Matthew Libatique, a real up and comer. I thought there were some very nice shots in it. I do appreciate the way Favreau worked in lots of nods to the comics without being overt, but obvious enough for those nerds who are well-versed (the "Howard looking at the Mark 2" scene probably wouldn't have worked on paper, but it made me smile in the theater). There is plenty there for the next film or two.

I thought the effects were very well done, as the suit looked as ridiculously complicated and cool as possible. The first Mark 3 scene was pretty great, as was the first "suiting up" sequence, and the first flying sequence. I'm sure they'll have a new suit or two in the sequel(s) (as expected), but I hope they don't muck very much with the brilliant design they already have.

I did manage to stay and observe the last scene, solely there for comic nerds. It was a fun scene, and worth the wait. It really, really, really made me itch for a

Spoiler:

Captain America

movie. I won't hold my breath.

Eagerly awaiting a second film,
Chuck

[Jim_K]

Just watched this a few hours ago. Great stuff! I was in a nerd-like nirvana. Casting Downey was pure inspiration. I'd put this one just shy (but not by much) of Spidey 2, X2, Batman Begins and Superman: The Movie.

Hopefully this does well enough at the BO to lock in a sequel.

[Chuck Mayer]

I think it was to the film's credit that while it took the material seriously, it still was a comic movie. Even better, it didn't feel like a comic book movie. No zaniness...just some technology that wouldn't be out of place in any typical summer blockbuster. Because of that, I think it's much more approachable than most superhero films (which I love, but I am part of the target audience).

Most importantly, it was REALLY fun. It wasn't trying to be a drama. I appreciated that. I don't mind that from Batman, but I don't want that from every superhero film. I'm happy to have Favreau back, though I agree is action direction was hit and miss. He got plenty enough right to make me satisfied though.

[Cory S.]

A solid three stars. Better than the first X-Men (only because of money) and the first Spider-Man. But, it's not close to Batman Begins, X2, Spider-Man 2 or Hulk.

A very solid start to the franchise. Stan Winston and ILM together was magic (as usual), even if the action sequences, I think, didn't match Bay's Transformers in terms of spectacle and awe-inspiring moments.

Stark's journey/arc could've been on par or even better than Wayne's journey in Begins. I think Nolan handled his material much better than Favereau did with Iron Man. But, he had all the elements in place.

But, it was a fun ride. I look forward to the Blu-Ray.

[Larry Sutliff]

I saw it yesterday, and thought it was really good. Downey is such a likable actor that he stole every scene, and made you care for his plight. The film has one or two setpieces that are among the best I've seen in a comic film, particularly when

Spoiler:

Iron Man kicks the crap out of the terrorist thugs

.

The film's last action setpiece was a bit tired, but the final scene, and the overall uplifting atmosphere of the film made it a real treat. A great way to start the summer movie season. ***1/2 out of ****

[Diallo B]

as far as i am concerned iron man was one of the more mature comic adaptations. it didn't resort to a "dumbed down after school cartoon in the 1980's" plot in order to be a comic book movie. it was a real movie with characters that people truly related to.

it even included real concerns for real people and companies. how many comic book movies even start talking about the stock market and include jim cramer. (besides batman begins, and i will get there)

the action scenes were pretty seamless and believable. there was not a point in time where i felt like something looked fake.

and as i eluded to in another thread downy as stark was pure casting genius. i hope now that marvel can keep its production in house they continue to cast believable actors in roles. (i.e. angela bassett should have been storm. not soft ass halle berry.)

this was a great movie. but i still think that batman begins is a better movie. in batman we got to know bruce wayne inside out. honestly, for as much as we did learn about stark it didn't hold the same emotional weight.

but with that said, it is a must see movie for any comic fan, action fan or someone that just wants to see a good movie.

by the way, i thought that this movie was more enjoyable than any x-men or spidey movie. i enjoyed those movies but they were, ehhhhh....a little cheesy.. when i left the theater. perhaps it is the mecha/robotech/voltron/macross fan in me.

[Ray H]

I saw this earlier, and while I found it highly entertaining and it probably ranks among my top five comic book movies, I can't say I adore it.

The film never really seemed to get into high gear for me as it's all essentially one big origin story. And I have no problem with that. I guess as an audience member, I've come to expect a superhero movie with the same old structure. You know, first act: guy becomes superhero, second act: villain introduced and shit goes down, third act: the resolution. So it was strange seeing a movie where the superhero wasn't even introduced to the world at large until the film's finale. For this reason, it kinda felt like an huge budget, two-part TV show pilot or something. It leaves you wanting more, but there won't be a new episode next week, but rather two years from now.

Of the Marvel movies, I'd say it's the best first installment. It's got a better story and it was better executed than any of the others, which often felt clunky. A tip of the hat goes to Favreau for pulling off a great foundation for the series, sans any of that clunkiness.

The cast was pretty excellent across the board, and it's nice to see Robert Downey Jr. making something of a comeback. Not that he was ever really gone, but it's funny to see him finally hitting it big over 20 years after his first starring role.