Iron Man

Iron Man was just ok. It was very by the numbers, plug in the romantic interest, insert morally guided best friend, top it off with a super villain, add it to a superhero with a cool gimmick and that equals a very good, if standard summer action movie.
Robert Downy J. is awesome. Always has been, and probably always will be. I LOVED him in this, however I LOVED him in everything he's ever done (and REALLY look forward to him playing an Australian who has an operation to make himself black in TROPIC THUNDER later this year) and the fact that someone has FINALLY given him an entire movie to himself is just cool. Unfortunately, whereas he usually creates interesting characters with very unique material, here he's given something so...generic, I can't help but this what this could have been like if Tim Burton directed it.
As it is, Jon Favreau does decent work. He's one of those actor turned directors that seem to be popping up left and right now-a-days. Favreau hasn't done anything near this scale before, but he handles it ok. I put him in the same category as Brett Ratner and Chris Columbus. Those two directed such films as rush hour and home alone and RENT and red dragon. What do all of those films have in common (and unfortunately this one as well)? BLAND! Everything is very competently done, but with no flavor or artistic value. Their camera set up's are basic, but get the job done, and none of the actors stand in front of each other. That seems to be about the only compliment I can give it.
Also, I may be the only one out there who feels like this, but I’m sick of all of these super hero movies that are all pretty much the same. That’s why I LOVE comic book films like Batman Begins and Hellboy and 300, they go about their story in such a unique and interesting way, and present such fascinating heroes and set up such hard obstacles to overcome, that when something as "competent" as Iron man comes along, I can't help but think that at this point in the game, we as an audience deserve better.
Still, the special effects are cool. Gwyneth Paltrow turns in a thankless yet charming performance, and Robert Downy Jr. is in it, so it's not all bad. Will I watch it again? No, probably not, but I’m not sad I spent the money on the ticket.