'Iron Man' pulls its weight

When the man behind the iron mask is a substance abusing yet redemptive soul, who better to play him than a man who has already been there and back?

CEO of Stark Industries and hard-drinking playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr., Zodiac) produces advanced weapon systems for the U.S. military. During a trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate a new missile for the U.S. Air Force, his convoy is attacked by terrorists, and Stark is seriously wounded by one of his own company's weapons.

Being held hostage in a cave and seeing the devastation that his weapons bring when fallen into the wrong hands, Stark builds a suit of armor that allows him to escape his captors.

Upon returning home, Stark decides to stop producing weapons, much to the dismay of his company's stockholders and board of directors. Meanwhile, Stark builds a more advanced suit while constantly bickering with the less-than-helpful robot arms in his lab.

Finally realizing his purpose and his legacy, Stark vows to protect the world as Iron Man, while his personal assistant and Moneypenney-esque love interest Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, Running with Scissors) and Air Force Lt. Colonel Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard, Crash), help to protect him.

Three things we liked about the movie

1. Of all the superheroes for Robert Downey Jr. to play, Iron Man was the perfect fit. We love cheering him on from the sidelines as his comeback cranks into full-gear.

2. The action was well-paced, well-directed, always clear but not in-your-face about it, with excellent music and special effects to boot.

3. There was a lot of improv in the dialogue, which created a very character-driven, clever sense of humor.

Three things we disliked about the movie

1. The identity of the villain was hardly a surprise, and the last battle was anticlimactic.

2. Like Superman, Iron Man is virtually indestructible except for one specific weakness. This takes away the suspense, since you know he can survive just about anything.

3. There's a scene after the credits that disappoints us as comic fans with its obvious sequel pandering and lousy casting. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury? Does that man really have to be in everything?

Overall, Iron Man is both thrilling and relatable. And, after making $101 million at the box office opening weekend, Iron Man far exceeded expectations in more ways than one.