Rating: 8 / 10

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard

The plot: Billionare playboy and weapons manufacturer Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) gets a harsh dose of reality when he’s captured by terrorists and forced to see the consequences of global warfare. Solution: Build an armored suit to wage war on villains around the globe.

The good: “Iron Man” doesn’t hold back any punches in its portrayal of smarmy Tony Stark. He’s Bill Gates with an engineering degree, and his philosophy is to literally arm the good guys with everything they need to protect America. No room for diplomacy here as Stark is the hero you love to hate.

However, when he’s mortally wounded by his own weapons during a weapons demonstration (talk about irony), Stark becomes the always lovable redemption case. He’s seen the light, and it told him to make a suit with rocket flight and anti-tank rounds.

This all lends the opportunity for fantastic visual effects. While the actual hero is completely computer animated, he doesn’t look completely robotic or human. The attention to detail is astounding, and that holds true for the actors as well. All four leading roles turn in believable performances despite being cast in a movie about a man who dresses in gold and red chrome pants.

The bad: Fans of the classic “Iron Man” story will not find a place with this modern adaptation. This movie isn’t for purists and requires a little stretch of the imagination.

The lowdown: Despite the inherent campiness all superhero movies have, “Iron Man” plays it off well. Much in the same sense in which “Spiderman” used the humor of its situation, “Iron Man” takes itself just seriously enough to captivate the audience, but to never lose them. Robert Downey Jr. may have found his home in what will undoubtedly be a franchise success for Marvel Comics.