Iron Man can be considered a Fantasy with a capital "F," not only because the events which occur in it stretch a reasonable level of believability, but mainly because it manifests a particular form of wish fulfillment. Robert Downey Jr. plays military weapons designer and manufacturer Tony Stark, the mega-rich private owner of Stark Industries. However, after seeing his weapons somehow in the possession of terrorists and used to kill American soldiers, Stark develops a crisis of conscience. He then decides to use his scientific/engineering genius to create a weapon only for himself, dedicated to fighting the villains who misuse his technology.

It's a story of personal atonement, but one going a step further, for the atoning gets to be applied in as direct a way as possible. In other words, it's nice to be able to stop, realize that your life's work may have done more harm than good, then have the means to build a high-tech suit of armor and go out yourself to make up for your mistakes. This personal mission becomes the driving force of the movie and of the Stark character, who turns out to be a perfect fit for Downey Jr. I'm fond of saying the actor mostly plays one persona -- usually a glib, smug, and snarky cynic -- and it doesn't change here, given Stark's irresponsible playboy ways, but here there's also the opportunity to display contrast within the character. He becomes regretful, then rather desperately determined, and Downey Jr. plays all this out rather splendidly, as he usually does with more well-rounded roles.

Stark's personal crisis appears so distinct it actually causes pacing problems for the movie. The first half is crackerjack, especially if you actively suspend your disbelief -- Stark, after giving a weapons presentation in Afghanistan, is captured during the convoy ride back to the airport by terrorists. They force him to build for them the weapon he had just finished presenting to the American military, shoving him into a cave with a fellow prisoner (Shaun Toub) who becomes his technical assistant. Nevermind that Stark is taking his time and building something that very obviously isn't a missile weapon -- his confused captors apparently just chalk it up to their not being familiar with technology, I suppose. Anyway, surprise surprise, Stark uses their materials to build a weapon for himself -- a mobile, artillery-outfitted suit of armor.

Stark eventually reveals his change of heart (which is both figuratively and literally represented in the story) and prepares for his personal mission. This thread's natural climax comes a little over halfway through the movie, when the red-and-gold-clad Iron Man engages in a desert combat. After this, the focus shifts to Stark's developing relationship with his personal assistant (Gwyneth Paltrow) and, more significantly, the attempts of his mentor, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), to continue Stark Industries' interest in manufacturing the weapons Stark no longer has the desire to produce.

Stark's conflict with Stane represents the good intentions of one against the wealth/might/power-driven interests of the system, but it's handled somewhat generically, producing a third act which  isn't as compelling as Stark's personal journey. Part of the problem may be that the personal journey itself didn't have far to travel -- once the protagonist has made up his mind about doing good in the world, there's almost no conflict left except in his being able to accomplish his goals, which doesn't seem to be too difficult given the amazing powers of the Iron Man armor. So the only thing remaining is to have a supervillain somehow emerge, mainly in order to include a big battle at the end. But the villain doesn't have a strong hold over the hero's conscience, which at this point is pretty clear, and so the confrontation feels mostly physical and perfunctory (also, the villain seems to bypass a learning curve that the movie took pains to show the hero going through).

By the time the frontloaded Iron Man ends, it's somewhat begging for a sequel. But the movie as a whole is fine -- it boasts a great look, abundant humor (showing touches of director Jon Favreau's comic set-up and timing), and Robert Downey Jr. making the case for middle-aged, flawed superheroes, a privileged scoundrel whose turnabout, most importantly, feels real. So it deserves a sequel -- the tricky part now will be finding something new to be at stake for the damaged heart of Tony Stark.

(Released by Paramount Pictures and rated "PG-13" for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, brief suggesive content.)

Review also posted at www.windowtothemovies.com.