Those expecting Iron Man to be a slam-bang, explosion-a-minute blockbuster will be sorely disappointed. Instead, it's a character-driven yarn with  certain explosive set pieces that over-use constant pyrotechnics to woo the ADD-afflicted masses. But as much as this sounds like a downer, considerable care given to the script and story only serves to strengthen the movie,  putting it in the same league as films -- like Batman Begins -- designed to capture the soul of a superhero rather than simply recant his adventures.

Robert Downey Jr. toplines as Tony Stark, gazillionaire playboy and all-around technological dynamo. While in the Middle East to demonstrate his company's latest military weaponry, Stark becomes the victim of his own merchandise after his convoy is attacked by a terrorist cell. Initially forced to build the group their very own missile, Stark instead revolts, whipping up a suit of armor with which he escapes his captors. He emerges from the experience a changed man, announcing upon his return to American soil that he intends to shut down production on all weapons of mass destruction. In the meantime, Stark concentrates on perfecting the suit that saved his life, tweaking and modifying it until he's ready to take on evil across the globe as the metallic defender of justice, Iron Man.

What's the one thing most recent successful comic book flicks, from Spider-Man 2 to Superman Returns, have in common? Their filmmakers took the time to flesh out the characters before sending them on their heroic ways. Tony Stark in particular is one of the most emotionally complex personalities in Marvel's canon of superbeings, so it's important that before setting his sights on unleashing dazzling action sequences upon viewers, director Jon Favreau nails his interpretation of the character.

At heart, Iron Man is the story of a flawed genius who comes to see the error of his ways, who puts his vast intellect towards helping people instead of being the source of their destruction. Of course, Stark isn't a complete Boy Scout once he dons Iron Man's iconic red and gold suit, but the journey he goes through leaves him a little wiser: it's a convincing character arc that Favreau pulls off brilliantly. Of course, Iron Man couldn't have come together so well without Downey's dead-on performance as Stark, a career-defining turn that does a great job of bringing out the man behind the mask.

Even if you shift Iron Man's more dramatic and character-based aspects to the side, it still emerges as a fun popcorn flick. Action sequences may not be numerous here, but the ones included are fine, especially a scene in which Stark defends a Middle Eastern village for the first time as Iron Man. However, the movie's climactic battle does leave a lot to be desired, and Downey's back-up cast seems a bit of a mixed bag. Terrence Howard fares well as Stark's best friend (whose own eventual fate in the comics is alluded to here), and it's great to see Jeff Bridges ham it up as Stark's colleague, even if his character is painfully predictable. Also unfortunately, Gwyneth Paltrow continues her streak of mediocre preformances as Stark's dedicated secretary/potential love interest. 

Marvel Comics has made Iron Man the first film in which their people are in creative control of the production. As it turns out, this choice was a wise one, for as easily as Tony Stark could've ended up as some jerk running around in a titanium suit, the filmmakers excel at proving how, as the movie's tagline states, heroes aren't born -- they're made.

MY RATING: ***1/2 (out of ****)

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