None of this is to say that the film is without its impressive CGI, of course, and Stark’s initial trial and error stages of perfecting his crude Iron Man suit provide the similarly relatable, crowd-pleasing appeal that Bruce Wayne offered in Batman Begins. The visual effects are all seamless, though the scope of the final battle does slightly pale to Iron Man’s sensational opening escape sequence and another where he saves a group of Afghan refugees, partly because the real villain of the story is not that hard to guess. But the effects are all the more memorable because they are so compellingly inhabited by Downey Jr. and the other actors and are never needlessly overloaded like last summer’s “robotic” film, Transformers.

A top-flight supporting cast is just as crucial to add further dimension to the world of the superhero and a clear standout is Gwyneth Paltrow, who does some of her best and most vivacious work in years as Stark’s long-time personal assistant, Pepper Potts. Of course, we know that Stark as a changed man will come to really fall for the only girl who really sticks by his side and the two generate some electric chemistry in their snappy, witty navigation between the professional and the romantic. The ever dependable Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges provide able support as Stark’s best friend, Jim Rhodes, and mentor, Obadiah Stane, respectively (a double-take from Howard in particular in his admiration for Stark’s metallic body suit generates some big laughs).

Favreau previously directed the surprisingly enjoyable Will Ferrell vehicle Elf and the space adventure Zathura but Iron Man is a big stride forward for him as a director who can handle spectacle pictures as well. One can sense his boyish ardor for the comic book medium and, unlike Neil Marshall’s recent disappointing homage to apocalyptic B-movies Doomsday, his equally palpable love for the cinema really trusts the roots of classical storytelling to translate the comic book’s appeal to non-readers. His zeal for both mediums translates well to make more fans out of those not familiar with the man of iron, who, for my money, is more intriguing than anything the man of steel has done lately.

Bottom line: Pretty close to brilliance.