NOW IN THEATERS

IRON MAN
Rated PG-13
Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Shaun Toub

Brian’s Rating       

There is no Academy Award for best casting director but if one existed, its first recipient should be the person who ultimately made the decision to let notorious Hollywood bad boy Robert Downey Jr. play a super hero in Iron Man.

It is inconceivable that this rehab veteran was anyone’s first choice to play the Marvel Comics character, but now that I have seen him in the role of arms-dealer-turned-international-crime-fighter Tony Stark, I can’t imagine anyone else filling his metallic, fuel-injected shoes.

Iron Man is unexpectedly good and Downey turns in a career-rejuvenating performance that will have everyone talking.

Equally impressive are Gwyneth Paltrow and an initially unrecognizable Jeff Bridges, who play Stark’s coy Girl Friday and devious arch nemesis, respectively.

Despite the presence of one mildly sexual situation, Iron Man is a high-energy spectacle the whole family will love.