Iron Man

Superhero movies can either leave you talking for days (Spider-Man, Batman Begins) or roll your eyes at the mere mention of it (Ghost Rider, Daredevil). So with the opening of Iron Man, easily one of the most anticipated flicks of the year and also Marvel Studios first self-financed film, it's no wonder why there were its fair share of fanboys/girls and skeptics.

Following the format of most superhero movies, Iron Man is a story about the origins of how Iron Man came to be. We are introduced to billionaire, tech genius and playboy Tony Stark who within minutes of the movie, is kidnapped by terrorist groups in Afghanistan and is held captive in a mountainous cave. It turns out that the terrorists are big fans of his; in fact, they're his company's most loyal customers. They have all of Stark Industries' weapons and missiles, which they force upon Tony to tear apart and assemble the Jericho, a missile that initiates more missiles upon launch (or something along those far-fetched lines).

But Tony, with the help of fellow prisoner Yinsen, constructs his first armor to escape - a crude but jaw-dropping realization of a comic book dream. The experience of being a prisoner of his own inventions reforms Tony and he vows to protect the people his weapons have put in harm's way.

Sounds rather predictable doesn't it? Well Iron Man doesn't aspire to break new ground but it's a formula that director Jon Favreau (who has a cameo as Stark's driver, Happy Hogan) has applied and tweaked to blockbuster effect. The cast is simply enjoyable to watch, especially Robert Downey Jr's snarky and self-deprecating interpretation of Stark. His comedic timing is perfect, bringing out a very likable side to an otherwise self-obsessed character. He does the whole "noble superhero" thing pretty well too, and had audiences rooting for him all throughout the movie. Even the machines are entertaining, particularly Jarvis, an artificial intelligence program that is to Stark what Alfred is to Bruce Wayne.

But nothing could beat the eye candy that this movie provides. The armored suit, when it was finally completed in all its glory, elicited a drawn-out "ooooh" from the audience. The computers that Stark owns in his workshop made everyone's eyes pop, and the robot vs robot action at the end would keep you on the edge. Iron Man could've easily been a B-grade superhero movie, but thanks to its well-written script and a predictable but nonetheless timeless plot, it works out very well. You didn't have to be a longtime fan to watch this film, but it didn't forget its fanboy/fangirl references as well. A real crowd-pleaser that could just be this year's big blockbuster.

Cast Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow Director Jon Favreau Runtime N/A Opens 30 April

Text Sarah Chan