Never before, however, have so many producers been willing to spend so much cash on comic book adaptations. It’s not just the studio suits. Superheroes, both earnest and ironic, have not been so modish since the Cold War was at its chilliest. Indeed, this summer sees the greatest onslaught of graphic novel-to-screen films since the weekly matinee instalment went the way of smell-o-vision. By the end of next year we’ll have munched popcorn in the presence of such Marvel veterans as The Hulk, The Punisher, Wolverine, Captain America and Thor. DC, meanwhile, will weigh in with The Dark Knight, The Spirit and Watchmen.
If any of these titles are half as good as Iron Man, we’ll be doing pretty well out of it. Robert Downey Jr., who has been hampered by mortal roles for too damned long, is, in Tony Stark, gifted the biggest canvas of his career. While field-testing his state-of-the-art armament in Afghanistan, our billionaire military-industrialist hero is kidnapped by terrorists and ordered to build a weapon of unholy scale. He instead fashions an apocalyptic suit of armour and escapes his captors in no little style. Returning to America, Downey Jr. goes all out on his invention, not to mention his performance, to become the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man.
It’s easy to understand how the snappy, knowing script attracted such a starry supporting cast.
Gwyneth Paltrow, having the most fun she’s had since The Royal Tenenbaums plays love interest Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts, Terrence Howard is best friend and jet pilot. Jeff Bridges is Tony’s evil capitalist business partner.
As is often the case with super-budgeted ($186 million!) comic book extravaganzas, one is unsure if the director had anything to do. Jon Favreau (Elf, Zathura) does, however, bring a PG sheen to the proceedings. This does mean we get a cleaner, kinder Tony Stark than the alcoholic playboy of the comics, but Mr. Downey Jr. has enough bad boy baggage to compensate.
All this and Black Sabbath on the soundtrack. Retconning rocks.

(100 minutes. Cert 12A)