Iron Man

Director Jon Favreau keeps the film light and bright; the special effects are impressively crafted, and the setup for another film is handled gently and well. Iron Man knows that it's a comic book movie; not only does it have all the plot points and moral messages that we're used to from Spider-Man, Batman Begins, and others in the genre, but it also subtly mocks and twists them. The plot touches all the bases of the traditional "origin story" (how our hero becomes a superhero, his first outing with his new powers, etc.), and it shows plenty of hustle and style as it does so.

But if there's any one thing that makes Iron Man more than just a run-of-the-mill superhero film, it's Downey Jr. His work here is funny, human, heroic, and completely engaging, capturing the brisk breezy laugh lines, the adrenaline-fueled action, and the moments of bold purpose that every superhero has to have as they start out. He gives both Stark and Iron Man a little swagger and coolness -- in a field normally filled with nerds (Spider-Man's Peter Parker) or stiffs (Superman's Clark Kent), it's a refreshing change.