With all the hype I went into this needing to be blown away, and I was not disappointed. Robert Downey Jr is perfect for this role and should never need to read for another part - it's FRANCHISE good. Add to that a refreshingly uncomplicated plot(especially for a superhero movie) and eye-popping special effects - CGI does great with metal and flat surfaces and they used enough prosthetics and real props to give the suit extraordinary believability. It's smart without sacrificing a second of fun, and enlightened without being preachy which is more than plenty of plot-intensive art films can manage. I'll be seeing it more than once.