Just got back from a late-night screening of Iron Man here in SF - we rolled into the theater seventeen-deep and took over a great swath of seats. Bottles were passed, sodas were doctored, and there were perhaps people drinking tallboys quite brazenly.

Holy Goddamn, they opened the movie with AC/DC's "Back in Black."

I make no bones about the fact that Tony Stark is one of my favorite superheroes, and as much as I love Batman (and I really do), Iron Man, in my mind, is a more realistic depiction of the multimillionaire superhero.

So, the movie?

Robert Downey, Jr. overpowered Stark - like, he owned it, he made the role his own, and he transcended the comic book Tony Stark - there was no point during the movie that I saw the Tony Stark of my youth, and at the same time, I was watching the modern-day manifestation of the Arms Dealer personified.

I got bent out of shape over the "brown people are the bad guys" piece, but it actually got pacified over the course of the movie.

Jeff Bridges was RIDICULOUS. He was so charismatic and by the time he was an irredeemable Big Bad, he'd earned it.

For those of you who want a Completely Realistically Blah Blah Blah Movie? I'd like to point out to you that you're watching Iron Man. People get into metal suits. Things blow up. This is not your movie.

I felt a ton for Gwyneth Paltrow. This is a huge thing for me, as I'd not think that I could feel for a woman who makes more than all of our readers combined and has a child named Apple, but she managed to nail the flatness and the tension that you'd need to have to be the personal assistant to the World's Most Brilliant Asshole. Paltrow manages to turn Pepper Potts into a human being, a woman who won the lottery when it comes to jobs, but has the worst boss ever.

As far as comic book touches go, there's a ton. Anyone in the audience who can suss out the ridiculous-we-keep-trying-to-get-in-touch-with-you acronym will smile, and this interpretation of Iron Man's origin is very timely, syncing with Warren Ellis' Extremis arc (doesn't hurt that Adi Granov was a suit consultant, does it?).

The narrative arc works in the construct of a huge action movie, there's a little bit of a heavy-handed push to the deus ex machina finale, but you'll never see a more accurate interpretation of a comic book character on the screen, the special effects are fantastic, you'll laugh your ass off at the right moments, and you'll finish the movie satisfied, even if a sequel is in development.

And, uh, stay for the credits. I had advance warning, and the scene in question was so COMPLETELY AWESOME that I STOOD UP, CLAPPED MY HANDS AND YELLED. You're in for a helluva treat.

Editor's note: In the spirit of full disclosure Ash wrote this while drunk which may explain why it's well written and well thought out. We aren't even sure if what he actually saw last night was in fact Iron Man.