Iron Man represents a return to the realm of great cinematic super hero adaptations. After disappointing efforts like Fantastic Four and Spider-Man 3, Marvel Comics, director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. have certainly done good by this one.

Based on a lesser known comic book hero (but certainly no less grand), Iron Man tells the story of Tony Stark, a brash, cocky weaponry engineer/ mogul who has a change of heart after being captured by the enemy during a demonstration in a Middle Eastern testing site. After being nursed back to health following an ambush explosion that almost claims his life, Stark is forced to construct a destructive missile for the enemy through the aid of another hostage. Of course, the resilient Stark has an entirely different plan. A plan that will alter the course of his life.

Iron Man is grand summer entertainment. It's Robocop meets The Rocketeer. And what really makes the whole thing come together is Robert Downey Jr.'s charismatic turn as Tony Stark. Downey brings a lively bravado and a wonderfully sarcastic wit to the part. His fast talking nature and comical undertone provides a nice contrast to the dark and brooding nature of Bruce Wayne and the boyish charm of Clark Kent. Stark is cut from a completely different cloth. Furthermore, Iron Man is a bit more adult then many of the other super hero tales we're accustomed to seeing. This is timely stuff. He's more of a super hero for the world we live in now.

The screenplay by Marc Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway is superb. This is essentially an origin story. A tale of how Stark becomes Iron Man. The first act of the picture is particularly effective as we see first hand why and how Stark's perception of what he does changes. Furthermore, the film offers up a lot of heart. The bond between Stark and Yinsen (played by the likable Shaun Toub), while short-lived, is extremely effective. Once Stark is back in the big city, he takes his plan to a higher level, and that's when Iron Man becomes a true super hero movie.

Director Jon Favreau keeps the action moving along at a great pace without out losing sight of the characters in the piece. The sweet natured rapport between playboy Stark and his long time assistant Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) gives the film a lot of depth, and the addition of veteran Jeff Bridges (sporting a bald head and a bushy beard) as Stark's business associate, adds another interesting dynamic to the project.

The special effects are outstanding. Many of the visuals are practical. Iron Man himself is not a CG creation save for the scenes when he's taking flight, but even then, the transitions from practical to CG are seamless.

Iron Man does falter a bit in the final act. Paltrow's Pepper Potts is reduced to the token damsel in distress role and that's disappointing given her sense of smarts earlier on. There's also the inevitable big showdown between Iron Man and the nemesis. The colossal sequence has a bit of a Transformers ring to it, but at least Favreau has the visual flare to let you see what's going on. Thankfully, the climax doesn't play like a music video. Given that this is a super hero movie, I suppose this stuff comes with the territory.

In the end, Iron Man is a hip, rousing, super hero film made with an enormous amount of energy and passion, and it clearly has franchise written all over it. I can't wait to see what Favreu and Downey have in store for us in the summer of 2010.

On a side note, Marvel fans are encouraged to hang around through the end credits. There's a nice little surprise for you.