Welcome to Reel People. It’s a place where, you guessed it, real people like yourselves spout off on new movie releases. It works best if you - yes, we mean you - jump into the forum link below and tell us what you think of the movie, too.

This week, we’re watching Iron Man.

What I Liked: Romantic comedies, not action movies, are my favorites. So I was pleasantly surprised to find IRON MAN a combination of both.  The romantic interplay between Tony Stark (suave, devil-may-care Robert Downey, Jr.) and his able bodied assistant Pepper Potts (business minded, devoted, caring Gwyneth Paltrow) made me smile, and at times got my pulse racing. The explosive war action and double-dealing kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges are impressive in their roles. Look for special appearances by director Jon Favreau and IRON MAN creator Stan Lee. As an IRON MAN aficionado from years past, the movie’s special effects impressed me, almost convincing me that IRON MAN could truly live.

What I Disliked: Lots of explosions and violence, although necessary to move the plot along, was disconcerting. If, like me, you have loved ones fighting for our country in the Middle East, it is shocking and heartrending to see what our military forces deal with on a day to day basis – nothing fictional about that!  After over two hours in a dark theater, I want an IRON MAN to deliver us from war.  Sadly, this comic book hero only offers a temporary respite from war’s harsh realities.

Would I Recommend?: Most males will relish seeing this movie at least once.  Young girls will probably be less enthusiastic than their male counterparts.  Women will enjoy watching Robert Downey Jr. in action, as long as he isn’t being worked over by the bad guys.  Anyone who likes romantic comedies with lots of action – with the emphasis on action – will want to see this movie now, while it is playing in theaters on the big screens.

Score: 9 out of 10

- Courtenay O’Connell

What I Liked: A thrill of the senses through the machismo experience of power wealth and technology set in a real life comic book adaptation that starts out like another day in Iraq or Afghanistan were life changes in another explosion and burst of gunfire. The bravado of weapons and war was a little unsettling in the current political arena, but this is where the story line for our super hero makes its debut in this niche market of surgical strikes, laser guided weaponry and tactical weapons on a massive scale. As a child prodigy, and heir to his fathers corporate arms manufacturing empire, our soon to be hero has a change of heart (or small reactor core) that empowers him to take on the evil that weapons trading and war has wrought. This complex scenario of a story line juxtaposed to our current day conflicts of technology, gorilla warfare and extremism is very intriguing when overlaid with this fantastic array of high tech suites of polished steel—chrome—wires—switches and gadget s. An inspiring movie that illustrates how the laws of physics and science have very powerful roles to play in warfare and our human struggle sometimes with mixed consequences.

What I Disliked: Ironman can at times appear to be a recruitment poster for the military, glamorizing aspects of war through computer graphic movie effects that seem to insulate us from the true tragic effects of conflict and weapons.

Would I Recommend?: Yes, in spite of all the supercharged, flashy, movie magic, hero worshiping; this story manages to slip in some real observations on the evils of power and greed.

Score: 10 out of 10

- Michael Ritenour