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The terrorist leader (Faran Tahir) demands Stark build him a new missile, but Stark, with Yinsen's help, secretly builds a metal suit instead, complete with its own missiles, guns and flying capabilities. This allows Stark to plow his way to freedom. Back home, among his army friend Jimmy Rhodes (Terrence Howard) and secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Stark declares he's shutting down the weapons division of Stark Industries, telling the press he can no longer head a company that abandons all accountability for profit. His second in command, the bald and bearded Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), doesn't find the news amusing.

To retrieve all his weapons from around the world, Stark designs a new suit, which is also powered by his chest plate, becoming the titular Iron Man. Surprisingly, the movie takes its time to show the details behind Stark's invention. We see him run tests, speak techno-babble to his robots, and even screw up a couple times. You've got to give the movie credit for having this much patience.

On an action movie level, Iron Man delivers some of the best special effects I've seen in a long time. Unlike the over-digitalized (or at least over-digitalized-looking) Spider-Man 3, the effects in Iron Man are practical, functional and almost completely seamless. You know they're good when you can barely make them out. There's one scene where Stark tests his jet propulsion boots by flying around his garage, and another when he tries to let robots remove his armor. Both look wholly convincing, as do the shots of Iron Man flying alongside jets.

The film's performances are also dead on. Along with the multi-talented Downey Jr., Bridges breathes extra life into an otherwise underwritten character. There's just something about the way he put his arm around other peoples' shoulders and yells at a scientist that makes him interesting to watch. Paltrow and Howard are also given ample weight as the screenplay provides them zippy, charming dialogue.

If the film has any letdowns, one of them is the climactic battle between Iron Man and Stane's Iron Monger. Early on, it doesn't take a genius to figure out Stane will become the movie's villain (his hair and makeup practically scream it), but there just wasn't enough buildup to his descent into madness as he sets out to build his own metal suit and battle Tony for control of the company. Their fight scenes feel rushed, mediocre and oversimplified, especially when you consider a much more brilliant sequence early on when Iron Man rescues an Afghan village from terrorists. You hate to see your movie peak so fast.

As a first installment, Iron Man is sharp, witty and thoroughly entertaining. Many of its parts feel borrowed from other superhero movies, which is kind of inevitable considering most cinematic superheroes come out of the Marvel universe. What matters is how the movie handles its assets, and Favreau and his team display patience and an almost relentless confidence in the material. The movie is fun, family friendly and avoids gratuitous violence, but perhaps doesn't have the depth and lasting emotional or intellectual capacity as Superman: The Movie, Spider-Man 2 or Batman Begins. As action, though, it pays off sensationally, which should be more than enough to get viewers excited for Iron Man 2.

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