Iron Man

A funny and entertaining gem that is several miles ahead of the awkward and clumsy Spiderman with its lightness and detachment. Robert Downey Jr. is incredibly sharp, his condo in Malibu beach is flawless, just like the black Rolls & Royce tearing up the roads. All of this wrapped in a dynamic action suit with the label “500 charges”. Unlike Spider-Man, Hulk or Hellboy, this guy will dig deep under your skin and make you want to see him in action again and again. He's not a good guy, not a classic do-gooder, and he indulges himself in luxury to the fullest. And that's exactly why he can afford to be so confident and smoothly move forward where most competitors play the good souls and saviors of humanity, while the whole usually grinds. The most entertaining and adult comic-book film of the past few years. Understandably made 300 million in the USA. Technically flawless. (26/09/2008)

A film for boys who still want to and can play. The villain is ruthless, the friend loyal, the secretary kind and faithful, and we all know where it's all heading. But this is exactly what I wanted and I got it served up so quickly and humorously that I hold my breath at the thought of a sequel. Moreover, Downey seems to have been born in a massive suit, and his lines, jeers, or subtle compliments to Pepper are exactly the kind of glosses that everyone wants to conjure up at some point, just a little late to the party. He's an incredible rich man who can fly and have the most beautiful girls. And I wish him all that, I don't envy him, and I am only fervently rooting for him. (31/05/2008)

Robert Downey Jr. is a dude. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. I couldn’t imagine anybody else in this role. His charisma and wisecracks give the picture style and, without him, Iron Man would be half-assed and definitely a lot less entertaining. Favreau takes the entire movie in the right direction (no wonder, because it was him who got Downey involved in the project), not so serious, slightly fateful and also true to the comic book. The action scenes from ILM also worked really well, even though the battle sequence was Stark’s escape from captivity, which involved a minimum of special effects. Personally, for me Iron Man has greater magic than my former favorite Spider-Man, and that’s saying something. P.S.: The post-credits scene with the allusion to the Avengers is magical. (20/05/2008)

Single use super hero. Downey and his charisma give the film far more than a cool effect while the story is a flight of fancy by an enthusiastic screenwriter with an American flag tattooed on his chest. A typical guilty pleasure product that doesn't bring much new to the table, but is so likeable and entertaining that you’ll always find your way to it in the end. And where neither a flimsy script nor spectacular action is enough, everything is supported by the demonic Jeff Bridges together with Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow, who is increasingly sexy as the years go by... The potential was a bit higher, as the excellent third movie shows :-) 80% (02/11/2013)

A fun popcorn fairy tale, totally comparable to Green Lantern in my view. No, I don't feel that Iron Man is significantly better. The whole thing stands and falls on the stardom of Robert, who almost killed Ally McBeal with his incompetence a few years ago, but he is very popular these days. Gwyneth is cute, but she's getting on in years after all, and Jeff is already in the "saying goodbye to his audience" category. It’s a straightforward film that is more satisfying when Stan Lee's cameo arrives. (01/05/2013)