If Iron Man is any indication, this summer could be one of the best for moviegoers. The first movie of the summer tends to set the tone, and Iron Man has skyrocketed, garnering rave reviews from fans and critics alike, and removing the bad taste from last summer’s big May movie, Spider-Man 3, of all. our mouths.

Iron Man is a Marvel comic book character who made his debut in 1963. The character is still alive and well in the comic book world, most recently as a central figure in the Marvel’s Civil War miniseries, as a member of the Mighty Avengers, and in two of his own monthly comics.

Comic book fans have been eagerly awaiting the Iron Man movie since the cast was announced, and especially after some footage was screened at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. Well, the wait is over, and the! movie really worth it!

Robert Downey, Jr., plays Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist who has made a fortune developing weapons for the United States government. He lives a luxurious playboy lifestyle, with a whiskey in one hand and a supermodel by his side. While in the Middle East for a weapons demonstration for the US government, his convoy is attacked and he is taken prisoner by baddies using his company’s weapons. The bombardment causes the shrapnel to slowly destroy his heart, so another captive (a scientist / surgeon no less) connects him to a car battery and creates an electromagnet to prevent the pieces from killing him. Stark’s captors want him to build missiles for them, but he has other plans.

Simply put, Stark creates armor that helps him escape. Back in the US, and still reeling from the fact that his weapons have fallen into the hands of the enemy, he gives up weapon-making and goes to work on a new armor that will help him defeat the bad guys. Little does he know that the baddest of the bad guys is one of his closest friends (watch the movie to find out who he is).

Iron Man is one of the best superhero movies ever for a variety of reasons: First, Robert Downey, Jr., was born to play Tony Stark, and he steals the movie. He brings humor, drama and action to Tony Stark / Iron Man, and makes him a character that the audience can care about and relate to. He’s surrounded by a top-tier supporting cast, which includes Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, (Stark’s assistant), Terrence Howard, as his friend, Jim Rhodes, and Jeff Bridges and his mentor, Obediah Stane. All of these actors bring their comic book characters to glorious life on the big screen.

The story is simple, but compelling, thanks to a great script and dialogue. There are some great moments for comic book fans, but you don’t have to be a fan or a girl to enjoy the movie. * Note to comic book fans and regular viewers, be sure to stay in the theater until the end of the credits for a cool cameo that sets the stage for future Marvel movies.

The special effects are outstanding, among which the Iron Man armor developed by Stan Winston Studios (Aliens, Predator, Terminator, Jurassic Park) stands out. There is nothing that seems fake or cheesy. The action sequences are well done and exciting.

The only chink in Iron Man’s armor could be the music. The score is the Hans Zimmer fare, similar to what you would hear in many Jerry Bruckheimer films. There isn’t really an Iron Man “theme”, but the score works quite well as background music and helps move the action forward.

This is the first film to be fully funded by Marvel under its new Marvel Studios division, and it is a home run. One of the cool things this establishes is the possible interaction between different Marvel properties in the same movie, as certain characters are in movies under the Marvel Studios banner. There are rumors that Tony Stark is appearing in The Incredible Hulk, (another Marvel Studios movie), which is screened in June. And Marvel announced future Marvel Studios projects this week, including Iron Man 2 and Thor in 2010 and Captain America and an Avengers movie in 2011. The future looks bright for Marvel Studios and comic book fans.

Iron Man is rated PG-13 for language and violence and gets a solid “A” rating from me.