Of the multitude of superhero movies Iron Man is definitely one to add to the collection. Although not as classic as X-men or as visually intense as Transformers, it is a movie worthy of attention. Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and more, this action packed thriller plays upon your imagination to enthrall and excite.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a billionaire industrialist that creates weapons of destruction for the U.S. military. Then on a test mission of a new, highly volatile missile he is kidnapped by terrorists bent on forcing him to recreate this same missile. With strength previously unseen, another layer of his persona is uncovered as he secretly refuses to build the missile and decides to build his own ingenious weapon to help him escape.

This weapon turns into an iron suit of armor he dons to fight the insurgents. A whirlwind of action and explosives have the crowd jumping in their seats just 15 minutes into the movie. Upon returning back to his luscious L.A. mansion filled with every gadget imaginable, he recreates the suit once again with the help of his witty, serene assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

There is nothing like a near-death experience to cause one to want to right the wrongs and save the world; which is exactly what Stark proceeds to do. With a better, sleeker and more mobile suit Stark grabs your attention and makes you wish you had a suit of your own.

Stark’s charming bad-boy character is a new quirky type of superhero, but an easily relatable one  and captivating to the audience. Iron Man is the perfect combination for a superhero genre, a blend of humor, action and even an underlying romance to spice it all up.

Summed up quite accurately by the Wall Street Journal, “The gadgetry is absolutely dazzling, the action is mostly exhilarating, the comedy is scintillating and the whole enormous enterprise, spawned by Marvel comics, throbs with dramatic energy because the man inside the shiny red robotic rig is a daring choice for an action hero, and an inspired one.”

Christine Pizzo is an iron-clad intern for the New River Voice.