A brief, spoiler-free review: Iron Man is wicked. Go and see it.

Some additional details: This movie was a real surprise. After the partial-birth abortions that were Superman Returns and Spider-Man 3, one could easily get the impression that comic book movies were finished.

That is not the case. Iron Man is proof that there are some people left in Hollywood who don’t have their heads up their arses, and don’t treat the audience like freaking retards. At least, not all the time.

Even the great sin of all contemporary super-hero movies — that the first in a series has to be one looooong origin story — has been handled deftly here. Tony Stark’s perfectionism in developing his flying suit of robotic power armour is engaging, if fanciful, and the process is cast against a backdrop corporate skulduggery and simmering sexual tension. Sure, he’s a womanising drunk, but Robert Downey Junior’s portrayal gives the character a human edge.

That’s what the franchise was always about — coping with human weaknesses that can never be utterly defeated. It’s rumoured that the sequel will address Stark’s alcoholism, but for the first film dealing with his fragile bionic heart is more than enough.

While it presented a rough idea of what to expect, the trailer gave away almost none of the plot. We won’t give out any spoilers, either, save that Iron Man does unleash the hurt on the derka-derka terrorists, and it is cathartic. Iron Man doesn’t shake the PC heeby-jeebies completely, but the American military is depicted in a positive light, and without the Roger Ramjet cartoon excess of Michael Bay’s Transformers.

For the fanboys, there are several clever little references to the original comic books. They are not overt; nothing on the scale of ‘I’m the Juggernaut, bitch!’ from X-Men 3. Even Stan Lee’s obligatory cameo doesn’t stand out, because it’s actually funny.

The casting is spot on. Jeff Bridges maintains an oppressive, nigh-on disturbing presence, and even if you find Gwyneth Paltrow annoying you’ve gotta admit she’s perfect for the role of secretarial non-entity Pepper Potts.

The film has quibbles. Two examples: there are no subtleties you’ll pick up on a second pass, and the climactic fight scene happens at night, making it hard to discern what’s going on. It’s not perfect by a long shot. But the flaws ultimately pale before the film’s energetic charm, as though it was an expression of Stark’s own personality. Iron Man is engaging and thrilling, and it will entertain and surprise you to the very end.

It’s wicked. Go and see it.