Writer: Nor Inayah Ariffin

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Watch this if you liked: "Transformers" and "Batman Begins".

After seeing "Iron Man", some people might scream, "Where's all the action!?" This movie is clearly not about that. Sure, there are some heart-stopping scenes where Tony Stark/Iron Man flies around in his suit, testing it out and injuring himself numerous times in the process, not to mention the scene in the beginning of the film where he makes his daring escape after being captured by terrorists in Afghanistan.

Let me explain. In very much the same vein as "Batman Begins", what this film does is show us the origins on Iron Man and how he came to be. If you were expecting in-your-face, non-stop action frenzy like last year's "Transformers", this movie will disappoint you just a wee bit. In fact, most of the action in the film is already shown in the theatrical trailer, which you've probably seen half a dozen times.

"Iron Man" is more story-driven, and it takes its time to introduce Tony Stark and friends and slowly lets us explore Stark's world. Luckily, it isn't one of those superhero movies that fail to live up to the hype; on the contrary, it delivers everything it promises. There's witty dialogue, a well thought out plot, excellent special effects and CGI without being over-the-top unbelievable, and an amazingly well put together cast portraying characters with true depth and emotion, without sacrificing the fun. All these elements come together to make the film one of the highest quality big budget movies I've seen in a long, long time.

With regards to the cast, a more fitting troupe could not have been chosen to come together onscreen. The chemistry between all of them, especially the unspoken love between Tony Stark and his faithful assistant Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) was so subtle and relatable. Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane may not seem like an obvious choice, but he transformed himself for the role and made it work. From a hapless, deadbeat hippie in "The Big Lebowski", he turns into a relentless industrialist, whose main goal is profiting from war, not giving a second thought to the tree-hugging types.

Robert Downey, Jr. was a class act, effortlessly becoming Stark with the same spirited charm and inner turmoil bubbling just beneath the surface, making Iron Man a very interesting and dare I say unorthodox sort of hero with many, many flaws. Despite the flaws and the fact that deep down, you know you should be hating a person like Stark, you can't help but love and respect him for his utter sincerity. Nobody could have done it better than Downey.

The only downside to the film is really the fact that they couldn't squeeze in a little more action into the two hours, instead of harping on about who Iron Man was and where he came from. The movie isn't called "Introducing Iron Man" after all! Towards the end, the energy and momentum felt like it was flagging, and the ending itself was obviously left open for a sequel or two (or three!). Perhaps some might find it bad filmmaking to end it that way, but it is quite plain as to what their intentions are.

The best way I can describe "Iron Man" is that it plays like a very exciting, two-hour long trailer for the actual movie, which isn't out yet. We'd probably have to wait a year to see Iron Man fully in action, and until then, this should serve to whet our appetites. I definitely can't wait to see what's next for Tony Stark and gang!

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008