I used to get up early; five or six in the morning, every Sunday. That was when the best cartoons would air - Teknoman and Iron Man.

I've always been partial to the flawed heroes. I like them to get their hands dirty, to make mistakes, to have horrible vices. Which is why I've always been drawn more to Wolverine, Iron Man, Batman...they've got problems. Batman with his 'killing is wrong', if only because once he begins to kill his enemies, there is no line stopping him from doing worse things. Wolverine with his practicality in the face of everything; 'do what needs to be done', because that's all there is. Iron Man, with his alcohol and women, his skewed sense of morals and his inability to be compassionate enough not to want to kill his enemies.

I liked Iron Man, and Tony Stark, the best because he was human. He made a lot of poor choices. He took a lot of broken paths. He drove away the people who loved him, and had to fight to get them back.

I was terrified when they announced the Iron Man movie. They've screwed so much up, done so many horrible things to the icons of my childhood. They put pants on Strawberry Shortcake, apparently to teach young girls that the only way to be a strong female and be taken seriously was to dress like a man. I have no words for the third X-Men movie, or the Spider-Man franchise. Ghost Rider was pretty much a joke, albeit a good one. Narnia, oh god, Narnia, what they did to you. So forgive me if I had no faith in Hollywood's ability to create an Iron Man that encapsulated everything that I loved about Iron Man.

But they did it. I went and watched it tonight, and it was glorious. Just the right amounts of alcohol, womanizing, emotional shutdown, pushing/pulling at the people in his life...there was the flashes of humor, the brilliant mind, the incredible show that Tony Stark's life is. It ended, and I actually had tears in my eyes, because I can think of nothing bad to say about this movie. It was Iron Man. It gives me hope that not all the Marvel movies will be utter crap.

So all I have to say is this: Thank you, Robert Downey Jr., for being the perfect Tony Stark. You are Iron Man. And that is the greatest praise I can give.

I have to go and download the cartoon now.

the way we are today:: thrilled.