IRON MAN

Here's the short version: this is a genuinely fun, well-made superhero movie, and it earns its four stars. Robert Downey Jr. is glib and cynical one moment, dedicated to a higher cause the next, and the special effects hold up. The story is good-versus-evil at its core, with a surprisingly thoughtful streak — a man taking responsibility for what his own company unleashed on the world.

That said, this isn't for everyone in the family. Tony Stark starts the film as a womanizer rarely without a drink in his hand, and the film includes an implied sex scene, some foul language, and war violence intense enough to unsettle young children. The good news: as Tony finds his calling, those rougher habits fall away — the film seems to suggest a real change in him.

If you're an older teen or an adult, buckle up and enjoy the ride. If you're deciding for younger kids, wait until they're older.

Billionaire defense contractor Tony Stark demonstrates a devastating new missile in Afghanistan — and is promptly kidnapped by terrorists wielding weapons built by his own company. Forced to build the very missile he just showed off, he builds something else instead: a suit of armor that gets him out alive.

Back home, Tony tries to steer his company away from the arms trade that put his weapons in terrorists' hands. His longtime partner Obadiah has other plans. Undaunted, Tony builds a better suit — and sets out to finish what he started.

Four stars means this earns its fun, and mostly delivers on it. Downey's performance carries the movie — glib and cynical in one breath, caring and dedicated in the next — and Jeff Bridges is convincing as the corporate man with his own villainous agenda. The special effects are terrific, even if not groundbreaking.

The film is more character-driven than many superhero movies, which works in its favor but occasionally against it: the tone shifts between comedy, sci-fi spectacle, and emotional drama without always settling, and the middle section drags a bit as Tony perfects his armor before the plot rushes to a fast finish. Still, it's an enjoyable, well-crafted ride.

At its best, this film tells a story of good overcoming evil — though it takes a while to become clear who the real villains are. There's a strong redemptive current running underneath the action: Tony's arc plays almost like an allegory of getting a new heart, and the film takes seriously the idea that a man must own the consequences of what he's built and sold to the world. It also takes a clear stand against corporate corruption, favoring principled capitalism over profiting from arms sold to terrorists.

There is a humanist undertone worth naming, though it's not overt: like many superhero stories, this one locates the hero's power to change the world in his own genius and wealth rather than in anything beyond himself. That's common to the genre, and it's not aggressive here — but it's worth a moment of discretion, especially with older kids who may be forming their own ideas about where real change comes from.

Tony's journey — from a man defined by weapons, drink, and conquest to one who finds a calling worth sacrificing for — echoes a truth Scripture states more directly: "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you" (Ezekiel 36:26). The film gestures toward transformation; the Bible names its source.

This is one of the good ones — funny, well-made, and surprisingly thoughtful about responsibility and change. It's also a PG-13 movie in every sense: language, an implied sex scene, drinking, and war violence that's too intense for young kids. Our answer stands: worth the trip — ages 13 and up.