I finally found time in the evening to go see Iron Man. Kristie was meeting her friends for their monthly “Girls Night” so I headed off to the cinema.

Iron Man (the movie) is based on the comic book adventures of hero Tony Stark. Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and gifted engineer who builds an armored suit that enables him to become a technologically advanced superhero, nicked-named (incorrectly by the press) Iron Man.

Stark, a billionaire lives in a dream home / shop/ lab at Malibu. He spends little day to day time at his company other than through his personal assistant Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. In the movie there is a growing love interest between them, causing them to struggle separating business and personal life.

Stark lives alone except for the company of J.A.R.V.I.S.; Stark's robot butler, systems controller and computer which assist him in the construction and programming of the Iron Man suit.

Jeff Bridges plays the villainous Obadiah Stane, the second-in-command at Stark Industries. Stane, who wants control of the company, will stop at nothing, even Starks murder to get it.

The film has been in development since 1990. And the results are great. Particularly Downey's performance. The film's major stars have signed on for two sequels, the first of them scheduled for release on April 30, 2010, and Downey also cameos as Stark in the upcoming The Incredible Hulk.

Here is a quick plot outline:(Spoilers)

• During a business trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate Stark Industries' new weapon Stark is kidnapped by the terrorist group who order him to build them weapons.
• Instead, he secretly builds a crude powered armor suit fueled by a miniature "arc reactor".
• The arc reactor also supplies an electromagnet which prevents some embedded shrapnel from killing him.
• After his escape aided by the suit, Stark reconsiders his life, and his attitude about the building of weapons.
• This change in direction angers the evil Stane who has been supplying weapons to both the U.S. troops and the terrorists groups, playing both sides.
• Stark builds a more powerful and reliable mini-arc reactor and suit. Along the way learning the truth about Stane's intentions.
• Stane has the company (without Stark) build a larger seemingly more powerful suit for himself using Starks plans which he found.
• They do battle. (I am not giving the ending away here.)