Since the film isn't technically out yet, I'll limit my review to mainly no spoilers. I'll talk about scenes seen in the trailer or just obvious plot points that we know of, but I won't go too far in depth with exact descriptions just yet. Read on with relative safety!

The film opens with Stark in Afghanistan. This is obviously the first difference from the books, but placing him in Vietnam would be an odd start to the story given it takes place in 2008. Putting him in the Middle Est also opens the film up to a more modern audience and lets us relate to Stark on a much deeper level. We all have some connection to the war in Iraq, be it first or second hand, so we can empathize and/or revile Stark especially.

And get used to that dichotomy. The first act of the film does an excellent job of portraying Stark as a real person. He is not Kal-El and he is not Peter Parker. As much as Peter acted selfishly when he first got his powers, you still root for him. Stark is a weapons developer for the United States military. As much as he states he tries to defend himself (and he believes it), the man develops tools that men use to kill each other. Regardless of which side he fights for, the man is responsible for deaths upon deaths. But he makes these weapons so the U.S. can fights its battles and defend freedom, right?

While the film doesn't go too deep into the politics of the situation, it very much raises the question of just who is at fault in all this. This is the first aspect that sets the film apart from the other comic book movies, both of this summer and of years past. This is an adult film, but not in the way Sin City. The film deals with ideas and asks questions that kids just wouldn't understand yet. Stark goes through a transformation that to a kid looking for a summer blockbuster is going to look boring.

Don't get me wrong. There are action set pieces and they kick serious ass. From Stark's escape in the big gray suit to the first flight of the Mark III (red and gold) to the final, the action is depicted as realistic as possible given it's about a man in a superpowered suit of armor. Favreau doesn't skimp on the action as much as he tempers the film b building up to it. The film is definitely not ABOUT the action, but without it the film would certainly be lesser for it. We need to see the midair dogfight between Iron Man and the fighter jets because, aside from the fact that it shows us what the armor can do, it sets Stark apart from what he was. I won't go too far into the specifics, but the jet scene is proof to the viewer that Stark isn't who he used to be and that he truly has become what he says he has.

The backbone to the film really is Stark. Granted, that seems obvious, but I mean it in as much as Stark is the star of the film, not Iron Man. The armor is almost an after thought at first. It's a fair amount of time before we see the first armor and even when he makes Marks II and III, there are long stretches of time when we don't see them. It's about what Stark does with his technology, not what the technology can do.

To jump ahead, let's look at another facet of the standard comic book movie and even just the summer blockbuster, really. The villain of the film is not the traditional idea of a villain. It's not the Joker, it's not the Green Goblin and it isn't even himself (i.e. Spider-Man and Venom). No, Iron Man's villain is much more real life and personal in Obidiah Stane. He also isn't a cartoony human villain a la Lex Luthor. Don't get me wrong, I love Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey, but Luthor is hardly realistic despite a distinct lack of powers. Stane is as much Donald Trump and Donald Rumsfeld (are all Donalds evil?) as he is Norman Osborn. Jeff Bridges is careful not to bring Stane over to super villain territory even when the turn comes and he openly goes out to get Stark. I applaud the downplay as it makes the final confrontation between the two men all the juicier.

Moving on to the other two co-stars of the film, it's hard to say much about Terrence Howard. Jim Rhodes does not have a very large role in the story. I've heard his role got cut severely in editing, but that he plays a much larger role in the hoped-for sequel. He acts more as a plot device here, personifying Stark's relationship to the U.S. military. He does get a classic moment with one of the armors that you'll most likely get a kick out of.

Paltrow as Pepper Potts is another beast all together. I'm not usually a fan of hers, but the Potts/Stark relationship is an important one in the film. She is his ground wire to the real world and acts as his moral guidance in the first act. She also plays the plot device in act three, but she does not play the damsel in distress role that is common for most women in these stories. Kudos to the scriptwriters who didn't keep her sidelined or in danger. She is a fully fleshed out character who acts both sheepishly and bravely as the situation warrants.

Potts is also the link to the first crossover between the Marvel films. Most Marvel films will pick up on it immediately, but if not, they do spell it out for you in act three. Also of note, be sure to stay in the theater after the credits roll for a great treat. After that, head out to see the Incredible Hulk film for the continuing stories (and a cameo from Stark himself, so they say).

Special effects are spot on and there are only a small handful of shots where the Iron Man armor doesn't look real. The technology used in the film is real enough so as not to draw you out of the story. We all know this can't happen (yet), but it's built up from a believable base.

If I go into more detail from here I start to describe specific scenes in the film and giving away plot points. As much as I want to say "keep an eye on this" and "wait until you see that," I want to let you all see the film for yourselves. It's a great film and more than that, it steps outside the arena of a great comic book film. Downey was made to play Stark as his cavalier ways giving way to a deeper sense of responsibility echoes Downey's own life.

All I can say from here is that this is a great film and you really should go see it. It's a fantastic start to Marvel's film career and shows that they are not going to just sell out to the kids because that's where the money is. So long as they keep attracting the attention fo top flight talent like Favreau and Downey Jr. our favorite characters will have a long road ahead filled with wondeful films on all levels.