Flashback Friday: Iron Man (Favreau, 2008) and Iron Man 2 (Favreau, 2010)

Five years ago, the name "Iron Man" didn't mean much more than the Ozzy Osbourne song. Robert Downey, Jr. was a washed up celebrity, Gwyneth Paltrow had never been in a major blockbuster, and Jon Favreau's only notable contribution to Marvel was co-starring in Daredevil. No one was expecting the phenomenon that would follow, or that Iron Man would grow from B-superhero status to worldwide recognition. It was the huge success of his original action film that gave Marvel Studios the confidence to release The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger, eventually leading to last year's super film, The Avengers. Kickstarting Marvel's Phase 2 (which will lead to The Avengers 2 in 2015), the Iron Avenger returns to the cinema with Iron Man 3, in theaters everywhere today. For those ready to see the new film, Movie Critic's Club has got you covered. Today on Flashback Friday, we're taking a look back at 2008's Iron Man and 2010's Iron Man 2.

Fueled by an AC/DC soundtrack, and driven by an ensemble cast of MARVELous performers, Iron Man and Iron Man 2 remain non-stop thrill rides. Pure fun and excitement, the movies' intense action scenes, humorous dialogue, and easy-to-follow plot lines make them universally enjoyable for any audience.

Before Iron Man, 20th Century Fox distributed the majority of superhero films. X-Men and Spider-Man turned Superhero into a major movie genre; each film received outstanding box office profits. When Marvel Studios entered the game in 2008, their flagship film, Iron Man, seemed like a bad choice. Paramount Pictures aided in the distribution, but for the most part, this was Marvel Studios chance to prove themselves in Hollywood. Iron Man was not well known in the superhero world, and the casting of noted bad boy Robert Downey, Jr. initially seemed dangerous. Little did they know how well their movie would actually perform.

Iron Man tells the story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), a brilliant but extremely narcissistic weapons manufacturer and the CEO of Stark Industries. His secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) tries to keep him in line, as does his best friend Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Terrence Howard). However, Stark's dangerous business leads his military convoy to be attacked, and he is kidnapped by terrorists in the Middle East, a group called "The Ten Rings".

Shrapnel from the explosion pierces Stark's heart. In a last ditch attempt to save his life, fellow captive Yinsen (Shaun Toub) attaches a car battery to Stark's chest, keeping the shrapnel at bay. However, once he regains consciousness, Stark geniusly builds a miniature Arc Reactor for his chest, powering his heart forever. While under captivity, the terrorists, led by Raza (Faran Tahir), try to force Stark to build a Jericho missile, with the ability to bring an entire town to it's knees. Stark refuses, and instead constructs a suit made of iron. When the terrorists try to take him down, Stark fights back, and the suit proves hugely successful. He escapes, but at the cost of Yinsen's sacrifice.

Stark is rescued in the desert and returns home to declare that, after what he saw in the Middle East, Stark Industries will no longer manufacture weapons. His fellow chairman, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), is furious at this decision, and fights to bring Stark down. However, Stark secretly constructs an improved version of the iron suit. He (in the iron suit) returns to the Middle East, where he destroys a militia of terrorists using Stark Industries weapons. The Iron Man is born.

After defeating Stane, Stark reveals that he is Iron Man to the rest of the world. Colonel Nick Fury, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and commander of the Avengers Initiative, suddenly arrives, leading to the beginning of Iron Man 2. Set shortly after the events of the first Iron Man, Iron Man 2 tells how Tony Stark is being affected by his dual identity. Stark leads the Stark Expo, a year-long scientific gathering of the world's greatest minds that his father once held when he was alive. However, Tony's paladium-fueled heart is growing more toxic, slowly killing him in the process. Meanwhile, he promotes Pepper Potts to CEO of Stark Industries, and as Iron Man has to fight the vengeful Whiplash (Mickey Rourke).  Also, the military is seeking control of the Iron Man suit, and Rhodey (Don Cheadle) claims the Mark II suit, upgrading it to become the War Machine. Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard as Rhodey, is a much better fit for the character, and he provides an amusing "sidekick" to Stark's Iron Man. After solving the poison in his heart, beating Whiplash, and outsmarting rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), Tony Starks heads over to The Avengers (which also features Gwyneth Paltrow). Tony and Pepper construct the Stark Tower, a clean-energy project that is Pepper's idea.

Iron Man could not have been released at a better time. The Studio's brilliant decision to release the motion picture on the first weekend in May gave it a huge head start from the weak releases before it. It surprised audiences greatly, providing fun entertainment and quality characters. Since Iron Man, the summer blockbuster season always starts with a Marvel movie (including 2010's Iron Man 2).

Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Tony Stark. His own experiences mirror the character's relationship issues, huge ego, and even eventual alcoholism. He keeps audiences riveted, making them roar in laughter one minute, then cry in sympathy the next. Unlike most other superheroes, who have boring and/or uninteresting alter egos, Tony Stark is arguably more amusing than his cool Avenger. Gwyneth Paltrow equally shines as Pepper Potts, the love interest to Stark. Downey and Paltrow have some of the best chemistry in cinema today, and their fast-paced dialogue remains a ton of fun. Their relationship is at the corner of the franchise; Stark needs Potts, and their love story is one of the few constants among the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Iron Man is one of the most interesting characters in what film critic Richard Roeper calls the modern "Golden Age of Superheroes". Tony Stark's success in Iron Man and Iron Man 2 led to the development of The Avengers, securing Marvel's place in the superhero pantheon of great films. Audiences will likely never tire of Robert Downey, Jr.'s legendary performance of Tony Stark/Iron Man. Set your radios to "Shoot To Thrill", keep the skies clear, and Iron Man will fly through the sky to save the day once again.

Iron Man 3 is in theaters everywhere today.