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Created Oct 05, 2008 05:39AM PST • Edited Oct 05, 2008 05:39AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   Iron Man is a fantastic superhero tale, tragically restrained by the formula of an origin story. It’s almost an impossible stigma to beat… You gotta show where a hero gets his drive and his wings, but in what’s basically a popcorn action movie, you must sacrifice that action for it.
   
   They get pretty much everything else right. Robert Downey Jr. is inspired casting for a sarcastic, self-serving, future alcoholic billionaire turned high-tech vigilante. The suit design is perfect. It’s fun and funny and when the action ramps up, it’s damn good. It’s also mostly in the trailer… The other catch of being an origin story: it’s hard to be surprising. Iron Man starts the franchise right, however, and I await part 2 with bated breath.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

   Did I mention how perfect RDJ is here? As far as I’m concerned, he IS Tony Stark. Everyone else does as well as can be expected, with Jeff Bridges being the only scene-chewing standout.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

10. Film

    Perfect 5.0

    Gorgeous production design, and a praiseworthy amount of practical effects work. Or maybe the CG was just that good… The soundtrack was kinda lame, unfortunately. Generic electric guitar riffs throughout.

11. Direction Perfect 5.0

12. Play Perfect 5.0

13. Music Perfect 5.0

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.0

    Stark gets pretty roughed up at the beginning, but otherwise it’s pretty tame.

17. Sex Titillating 2.0

18. Violence Fierce 2.0

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.2

    They do a great job of showing that Tony Stark is actually maybe capable of making what he makes and doing what he does. So it’s still a bit of a stretch, but how boring would a totally realistic flying robot weapon suit be?

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.2

23. Biological Surreal 2.2

24. Physical Surreal 2.2