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Iron Man Our rating: Your rating:   MPAA rating: PG-13 (for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content) Genre: Action, Science Fiction Theater release: May 01, 2008 by Marvel Entertainment/Paramount Pictures Directed by: Jon Favreau Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes Cast: Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Terrence Howard (Jim Rhodes), Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Shaun Toub (Yinsen), Faran Tahir (Raza), Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson), Leslie Bibb (Christine Everhart)• Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

The 2008 summer movie season might as well be dubbed the Summer of Superheroes. Several of this year's flicks are based on or inspired by comic books and cartoon characters, all releasing within weeks of each other, beginning with Iron Man. He's a classic that dates back to 1963, nearly as old as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, yet this is the first attempt to bring ole Shell Head—one of my all-time favorites—to the big screen.

What makes Iron Man so special? Much like Batman, he doesn't really have any mutant superpowers or radioactive accidents to speak of. Tony Stark is a middle-aged, self-made hero with nothing more than his brilliant mind and seemingly endless wealth to combat evil. Part Howard Hughes, part James Bond, his stories offer complex themes of psychological scars and atonement as Stark wrestles with character flaws and personal demons to become a better man. And as a billionaire weapons industrialist, the Iron Man series offers a timely subject concerning capitalism and the ethical use of weapons to keep the peace.

Robert Downey Jr. owns the role of Tony Stark

Ah, who am I kidding? It's the armor.

Iron Man has got to be the sleekest looking superhero ever—the stylish sports car of the Marvel Comics universe, with as many gadgets as a walking, cybernetic Swiss Army knife. When he first appears on screen in his trademark red-and-gold suit, the 10-year-old boy in me was thrilled to see his hero come to life. As both a fan and a critic, I'm happy to say that actor-turned-director Jon Favreau (Elf, Zathura) adapts the story into a successful film—one that translates well to our present world climate.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Stark, the wealthy inventor in charge of Stark Industries, a weapons development corporation started by his late father that earns billions through contracts with the U.S. military. Though a brilliant mind and an international celebrity with a suave personality and handsome looks, Stark is also a reckless playboy with a reputation for boozing and womanizing. He has no surviving family, no stable relationships, no passionate causes beyond his own selfish ambition. As one character in the film puts it, Stark is a man with everything and yet nothing.

Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts, Stark's assistant

Indeed, Stark nearly loses it all on a fateful trip to Afghanistan (Vietnam in the original comic) for a military demonstration. When his convoy is attacked by terrorists, Stark is mortally wounded from the blast of one of his own rockets. The terrorists take him prisoner, and a fellow captive scientist saves his life with a makeshift electromagnetic implant that keeps the deeply embedded shrapnel from destroying his heart.

Stark witnesses the lives destroyed by weapons of his own creation after they fall into the hands of evil men. Moreover, the leader of the terrorists wants Stark to build the same missile that he designed for the American military. Instead, Stark turns the tables on his captors by designing a new miniature power source that stabilizes his heart while also fueling a suit of armor that helps him break free. (Take that, MacGyver.)

His eyes opened, Stark returns to America and announces plans to shut down his company's weapons division with intentions of finding peaceable alternatives for his technological advances. The noble-but-hasty decision doesn't go over well with the board of directors or Stark's number two head honcho, Obadiah Stane (a much older-looking Jeff Bridges). Corporate unrest grows as Stark secludes himself in his lab to design an improved version of his armor, in an effort to better serve mankind while also combating those who misuse weapons.

The brilliant inventor Stark at work

Downey absolutely owns this role. He's pitch perfect as Stark, though he infuses the character with more hipster personality and comedic one-liners than there ever were in the comics. That actually helps keep him from becoming a stoic bore on the screen. Stark may be a flawed hero, but he's still likeable and charming enough to root for. Downey also looks the part, from the stylish suits to the neatly trimmed goatee.

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