Iron Man doesn't pretend to be anything but what it is - a movie about Iron Man. The story is kept simple, not a lot of scenes out of place or overly tedious. The Iron Man suit is nothing short of spectacular, as is Robert Downey Jr - he adds just the right amount of snark to the role. If I had to pick something that needed work, it would be that Terrence Howard's character was kind of a spare part most of the time, and I was never sure if we were supposed to buy him as "the best friend" or "military commander guy who has to do things contrary to his friendship with Tony Stark". Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow were both great in their roles - Paltrow's Pepper Potts blows Kirsten Dunst's Maryjane Watson out of the water. This movie is all about Robert Downey Jr, though- so many people questioned him being cast as Tony Stark, and now I can't imagine anyone else doing it. There are no real surprises with Iron Man - but it's done so well, I found I didn't mind.