Downey Jr. is invincible

Robert Downey Jr. is back, and he’s not going away. His performance as weapons dealer Tony Stark single-handedly makes "Iron Man" one of the best superhero movies in recent memory. Downey takes a film that had the potential to be terribly cheesy and turns it into something spectacular.

Anyone who has turned on a TV in the last couple of months could tell you that "Iron Man" is the story of billionaire industrialist-playboy Tony Stark who is captured by terrorists and forced to assemble a weapon of mass destruction. But instead of building a missile, Stark builds a suit of armor to escape the terrorists. He later realizes how much damage his weapons have caused and turns his suit of armor into a high-tech one-man fighting machine, which he uses to right the wrongs of his past actions and redeem his shallow life.

This film was perfect. It managed to live up to its impressive trailer, which is high praise not too many movies can claim anymore. A beautiful film with amazing special effects, "Iron Man" never drags and constantly entertains. With many laugh-out-loud moments, fantastic robot battles, and compelling characters, every aspect of this production is well-crafted and finely polished.

From the first time Downey Jr. opens his mouth, he’ll have you hooked on his charm and wit. He is hilarious as the ultimate ladies man who undergoes a radical transformation from shallow business mogul to iron-clad superhero. The supporting performances are fantastic as well. Jeff Bridges plays Stark’s ruthless business partner Obadiah Stane, Terrence Howard is air-force colonel James Rhodes, and Gwyneth Paltrow is Stark’s assistant, Virginia “Pepper” Potts. All create characters that are dead ringers for their fictional counter-parts, and Downey seems to have flown straight off the pages of an "Iron Man" comic book. (Make sure to stay after the credits to see the baddest man on the planet sporting an eye patch in a cameo that will leave fanboys drooling in the aisle.)

Director Jon Favreau should hire an assistant to pat him on the back all day, because he deserves it. "Iron Man" is a wonderful experience for anyone who enjoys a good movie. It is a welcome reprieve from the bland movie fare we’ve been given these last few months, and kicks off one of the most promising summers the movie industry has seen in a while. "Iron Man" flies to the top of the list, and sets the bar pretty high for the rest of the summer’s heroes.