Iron Man

Long ago, in some distant time called my childhood, I had an eclectic comic book collection. I never took good care of them, the pages being a bit tattered. The collection is gone now, but one stands out in my mind, and that's Iron Man. The first panel of that comic book had Tony Stark slumping at his desk, a nearly-empty bottle of alcohol close by. I was hooked.

So I had to see the big-screen version of Iron Man that opened Friday. Just had to.

Now these days, super hero movies from the Marvel comics pantheon haven't fared well, except for the first two Spiderman movies, Hellboy and all of the X-Men movies. Many of us fans choose to forget Ang Lee's angst-filled Hulk or the horribly executed The Punisher and Daredevil.

Thank God for Robert Downey Jr., who steps into the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man. He's an actor's actor.

Plus, it helps that he has this backstory of being a drunken, drugged mess of a man once upon a time. That past makes him the perfect person to play the boozing playboy billionaire genius Tony Stark is.

He's quick with the quips and loves a good time, especially if it involves a romp in the sack with a gorgeous gal. Stark is head of Stark Industries, the largest weapons-maker in the world. He's amoral, with no concern for making profit out of war.

That is until he ends up being kidnapped by Middle Eastern terrorists in Afghanistan, his heart connected to a carburetor to keep shrapnel from penetrating it. Stark realizes that his weapons are being used by his country's enemies to do evil.

Well, he builds himself a suit, makes his escape and then builds a better suit, a sleeker, shinier one colored with hot-rod red, and becomes Iron Man.

Yes, it all sounds silly, but then again, all comic books are that way. But the dialogue, for a change, is sharp and witty, and Downey gives the movie the sort of dramatic oomph you don't see in many blockbusters.

The chemistry between him and Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays his red-headed assistant Pepper Potts, is one of the best things about the movies. And you can't go wrong with Jeff Bridges, who plays the sly villain Obadiah Stane. Terrence Howard is a bit underused but more than makes his presence known.

Jon Favreau, the director, gives the film a subversive, independent feel to the movie, even if it is all a bit predictable. The special-effects serve the plot well, though the climax is a disappointment.

The ending, however, which of course makes room for the inevitable sequel, is a hoot. I can hardly wait for Downey to suit up yet again.