You need to make a decision while watching Iron Man, and I feel it should be made early in proceedings that you will from that point pay no regard to the science behind the movie. Whether you pride yourself on a basic ability to add or spend your evenings pondering infintesimal calculus, you will to varying degrees avert your eyes and cringe at some of the silliness on show. Gwyneth Paltrow played a key role in the disregard for science. On watching her perform sort form of open chest operation on Robert Downey Jnr’s Tony Starke I realised the people behind Iron Man might have gathered together a credible cast but are having them play parts in a movie not too concerned with, well, logic.

The movie follows the traditional emergence of the hero, leading onto a confontation with the villain structure. Littered within what is commonly described as the plot there are moments of greatness and the person singlularly responsible for these is Robert Downey Jnr. The fact is the motivations driving Starke, as well as his wealthy isolated genius character could be seen as insincere and unconvincing in other hands. Downey grounds the movie and this is essential as the villain, the love interest and the progression to the final show down resembles an attempt to get some excited chickens in an orderly queue.

I would gladly have watched the segment of Starke perfect the suit and spark off Paltrow’s Pepper Potts extended to fill the rest of the running time. The humour throughout the film is nicely placed, witty and well delivered. Pity then we find ourselves confronted with a villain less interesting than our protagonist recycle some sinister schemes, his intellect and grand purpose leading to nothing more than a smack down. The story is of so little impact, with the villains recruited from a division of the Austin Powers school for henchmen that I can’t muster enough energy to be mad that Jeff Bridges is wasted. Gwyneth Paltrow does a fine job, exhibiting loyalty and intelligence and as my company remarked the ability to run in some killer heels.

There should be at least 3 points in the first hour when you register that a point has been raised for no more purpose than some lazy plot progression later on. Again though if you identify these, you will also have spotted the science gafs and overall will have resigned yourself to enjoying what creative juices there are basting the screen. These come largely in the form of blockbuster sheen, explosions, flash cars, a metal suit loaded with gadgetry and a sense of fun that Bruce Wayne could never convince of, and justifiably earns Tony Starke the accolade of being such an engaging superhero. I wish the plotting and substance behind the movie amounted to more as there is great potential ahead, the comic book character having an alcohol dependency problem and continuing health problems. Neverheless the movie is entertaining and resoundedly a great beginning for Marvels first solo movie project.

A suitably brash kick off to the summer movie season, Iron Man is good fun. Just as Johnny Depp added much value to the ‘Pirates’ trilogy with his investment in character so too Downey Jnr adds great depth to the movie, in contrast to the black and white extremes of the characters and events going on around him.