Iron Man

Today I went to see the movie Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. I always enjoy the comic book/superhero movies, and this one was no exception. It was fast-moving and fun, with lots of great special effects and some pretty impressive acting. 

I was pleasantly surprised that Gwyneth Paltrow was chosen for the role of Pepper. She is not the typical glamour girl - she's more of a girl-next-door. And she was adorable in this movie. Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges were also great, but I think Robert Downey's facial expressions and delivery of the one-liners really stole the show.

When Iron Man came out in April, I remember reading a news article about the actor who plays the Afghani "bad guy." He is a Carmel Valley resident and his son goes to school at Carmel Creek Elementary, which is in the Solana Beach school district. Kind of a cool little local connection. He was very good in Iron Man as one of the villains.

As great as the acting was, the plot itself was pretty formulaic and predictable. And the action sequences felt like they had all been done before. I guess that by now the Hollywood powers that be know what works and they stick to it - and I think that Iron Man has proven them right by making a bazillion dollars. Hopefully Iron Man 2 will be a little more creative!!