There was no other option for Marvel studios this time. They needed to strike with this one. The producers, including comic book mastermind Stan Lee, must have sat down and questioned how they could delicately combine action, comedy, and Robert Downey Jr., while at the same time generating a memorable adaptation of the original comic book. The bar was set, the hype was present, and they delivered with a pleasing thrill ride of fun in Iron Man.

I’m not much for comic books on the big screen, let alone sleazy sci-fi flicks with trippy special effects. Fortunately, Iron Man does not suit the preceding description and exceeds this reviewer’s high standards. If you are not a fan of the Iron Man comic books, or have not yet skimmed through the glossy pages of Stan Lee’s classic, don’t worry. There is a tremendously large background affixed to the story line which will upset fans already familiar with how a brilliant multi-billionaire weapon engineer comes to deflect the bullets of deadly terrorists with his self-designed suit of destruction.

The movie begins by building the irresistibly appeasing character of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Stark is the C.E.O. of a business with the same name that produces weapons of mass destruction for the United States military. After demonstrating a new fleet of highly advanced and deadly missiles called Jerichos in Afghanistan, Stark is apprehended by terrorists who demand he construct Jericho missiles in exchange for freedom. With grounded values to never allow such weapons to fall into the terrorist’s hands, Stark decides to instead design a powerful suit, all while under the watchful eye of his captors, in order to escape. After his three months in captivity, Stark escapes with his suit composed of scrap metal intended to make the missiles and returns to his technology powered mansion in Malibu. Back home, Stark designs a more intricate and appropriately designed suit based on the prototype he used to flee from the terrorists (though commonly mistaken as iron, the suit is actually composed of titanium and gold). However, when the suit’s technology is leaked, it is sought after by some people who would misuse it as a weapon.

Robert Downey Jr. made this film. After shaking off some dust from a few past movie role blunders, he comfortably steps in the big shoes of Iron Man. Downey Jr. is most certainly the only man who could have carried the lead role so delicately. His character is suave, confident, sophisticated, and even trendy. Yes, he is just acting, but he forces his wittiness and apparent personality into the character of Tony Stark. The numerous jokes in the film are subtly polished in by Downey Jr. and catapult Iron Man into the genre of “Action-Comedy”. While the main focus of the story is not searching for laughs, they drive the viewing experience to a new level of entertainment.

Straying away from the fantastic performance of Downey Jr., much credit is owed to the rest of the cast including Terrance Howard (Crash), Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski), and Gwyneth Paltrow (The Royal Tenenbaums). Impressively, the cast of mostly “B” list actors and actresses combine to produce an unforgettable movie experience. And as expected, the special effects are over-the-top beautiful yet believable, which is quite a feat in modern-day filmmaking. Overall, every aspect of the film is visually stunning; from Iron Man’s suit to the artillery fired (thanks to the  budget of roughly 130 million dollars). The action sequences are wonderfully and originally stylized, breathtakingly thrilling, and fantastically implemented into the plot. The suspense is gradual but seldom will you find yourself bored and reaching for your cell-phone to send out a quick text or e-mail. I cannot speak as an Iron Man comic book fanatic; however, this is a movie that can be appreciated by all demographics.

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