Iron Man

May 2 2008 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

(2hr 5mins) Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges. Director: Jon Favreau

WITH great power comes great responsibility ... and great temptation to abuse that power for personal gain.

The tug-of-war between altruism and materialism is at the heart of Jon Favreau’s marvellous nuts and bolts realisation of the red and gold armoured Marvel Comics superhero.

Following the lead of the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises, he devotes most of the opening hour to fleshing out characters’ personalities and underlying tensions which light the fuse on an action-orientated second half, awash with spectacular visual effects.

The central role of a billionaire industrialist Tony, whose conscience is pricked after a brush with death, fits Robert Downey Jr like a titanium-plated glove.

He’s charming and roguish yet reckless with people’s emotions, and he galvanizes a sizzling screen chemistry with Gwyneth Paltrow as the personal assistant who barely flutters an eyelash at his endless one-night stands.

The playboy inventor is held hostage in Afghanistan by insurgents who demand he builds a missile for use against US forces. Instead, he fashions an ultra-strong suit of armour and orchestrates a daring escape.

He returns to America a changed man but faces being frozen out of his own company when he announces the shutdown of its weapons manufacturing arm.

The film is terrifically entertaining, fuelled by Favreau’s kinetic direction, strong performances and thrilling action sequences.

Downey Jr relishes his comic asides before the transformation into his eponymous alter ego. And repartee with Paltrow promises plenty of laughs. Keep your eyes peeled for the obligatory cameo by Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee.