Iron Man opens with the classic ACDC track Back in Black. While I am biased in that this song is significant to me it is no doubt a bold and fantastic choice to open the movie and in turn the MCU. The boisterous tones match perfectly the tone of the movie. Loud, in your face and unforgiving.

 

We open to Tony Stark being driven by convoy in the middle east. A few witty lines of dialogue later Tony is captured leading to the opening credits. Director Jon Favreau throws us back 36 hours giving us a chance to meet Tony and discover what drives him. This is one of the most important parts of the movie in terms of character development as we get a chance to see Tony Stark the man and later the start contrast (pun intended) of his character at end of the movie. An important line delivered by Robert Downey is said to a reporter 'my father once said that being a hero is having a bigger stick than the other guy'. Here is where it is clear that the gamble on the casting of Robert Downery will pay off. You can see that the character is saying the words more for his own benefit and is trying to convince himself that his actions as a weapons manufacturer are justified. He has conviced himself that weapons keep the peace but it is obvious that there is a shred of doubt in his words. The rest of Tony's introduction is filled with gambling, drinking and girls which further creates the impression that Tony, despite having everything is just not quite where he wants to be and is trying to fill the void.

 

Skip forward to Tony's capture we find him being held in a cave with a character later introduced as Yinsen by a group known as the Ten Rings (easter egg anyone?!). Yinsen has arguably the greatest impact on Tony Stark having saved his life. The character also brings home the reality of Starks choices by commenting that his weapons were being used in his home town. Tony, looking down and out realises he may only have a week to live is nudged by Yinsen who tells him 'this may be the most important week of your life'. This prompts Stark in to creating Iron Man suit mark 1 which allows Tony to escape but is ultimatley destroyed during his escape. Having made it far enough away from the Ten Rings Stark is rescued by his friend James 'Rhodey' Rhodes.

 

The impact of Stark's cave time and Yinsen is evident straight away as immediately after landing on US soil Tony calls a press conference announcing that Stark's involvement in producing the worlds weapons will cease from this moment forward. A decision that angers his life long friend and father figure Obadiah Stane played by Jeff Bridges. Bridges does well with the material here but the character, having started strong ends up being the weakest by the end of the movie. Stane is clearly motivated by money and power but in the end seems to slip in to madness and all the careful preparation having organised Tony's capture and attempted murder descends into a mad fury that could only result in his demise.

 

Stark has one last attempt at debauchery by attending a red carpet event (look out for arguably the best Stan Lee cameo as Hugh Hefner) but is bought right back to reality learning that his friend is double dealing and selling weapons to the enemy. This is the nail in the coffin and an important scene where Stark aims his new Iron Man suit at his reflection cements his decision to use his genius for good. Tony is now on a path of righteousness and heads back to the middle east to free prisoners and destroy his own weapons.

 

This leads to the the end of the movie where Stark is once again confronted by his own inventions as Stane has aquired the design for the first suit using it to battle Tony in the movies climax.

 

Iron Man is the perect introduction the the Marvel Cinematic Universe and clearly producer Kevin Feige has bigger things in his cross hairs. They could have gone small here but the introduction of SHIELD by Agent Phil Coulson and the after credits scene where director of SHIELD Nicky Fury mentions the Avengers shows us that much bigger things are to come and boy are we in for a treat. This film has it all, action, great cast, stellar script and a killer soundtrack. If you have been living on Asgard and somehow missed this once, go down to your closest DVD outlet and add it to your collection.