With his gaunt appearance and history of drug abuse, you would think that middle-aged Robert Downey Jr would be the last Hollywood actor to play a Marvel superhero. But if you know anything about this particular superhero, you'd know that Robert is really perfect for the part.

After all, Iron Man is not supposed to be young like Spiderman or dashing like Superman. His human alter-ego, Tony Stark, is a middle-aged playboy/inventor/alcoholic who only decides to become a superhero after he is kidnapped by Afghan terrorists. Confronting the face of evil for the first time, Tony escapes and builds an armour suit equipped with incredible gizmos and gadgets. With this suit, Tony resolves to � what else? � save the world...

Directed by Jon Favreau (Zathura, Elf), Iron Man comes with all the bells and whistles of a summer blockbuster. Special effects � check. Big action sequences � check. Lots of green-screen computer imagery � check.

The only thing that's missing is a young handsome actor to headline the film. Yet, Robert Downey Jr charm and wit more than make up for this fact. His extraordinary acting talents make Tony Stark a complex three-dimensional character whom you believe and gradually root for.

While Iron Man certainly isn't as good as the best superhero films like Bryan Singer's X-Men and Tim Burton's Batman, it is certainly big and entertaining enough to be the curtain raiser of the blockbuster season of 2008. Don't miss it!