Iron Man

Iron Man (PG-13) Following a spectacular weapons demonstration, world renowned weapons manufacturer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is caught in military crossfire and is kidnapped by enemy forces. Hidden away in a rocky cave with only a captive translator and some rudimentary tools and supplies, he is coerced into building a sophisticated weapon. Using the given materials to another purpose, he manages to forge, and intricately wire, a prototype of an armored suit unlike any other known to the world. Using the shield and powers of the suit to escape, he returns to the United States with a very different view of the weapons industry.

After his return home, Tony spends most of his waking hours crafting and perfecting the suit he will be wearing under his new Marvel persona, Iron Man. The entertainment lies primarily in all of the high-tech action and robotic sequences the film offers its fans. The plot is comic book thin, as it should be. Good guys and bad guy are clearly defined and no deep thought is necessary to determine which is which. So, relax, escape and lose yourself in the hero/ adventure/ comic book tale that details the birth of Iron Man.

Mary K. Morgan is a member of the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association. View more reviews at St. Louis Film Reviews