Iron Man flew into theaters the first weekend of May, and has brought quite an impressive start to the summer movie madness this year. With over $98 million in it's debut weekend at the box office, it's already made the box office charts. It is 10^th on the list of all-time box office opening weekends, and it is one of only two non-sequels in the top 10 (Spiderman being 4^th on the list). I don't know about other places, but I do know that at my local theater, not only did it sell out the evening showings the first weekend, it sold out one showing this past Friday. In it's second weekend, it did over $51 million, over twice as much as the second place movie for the weekend, What Happens in Vegas. That tells me that the buzz is very positive, and those who have seen it are indeed recommending it to their friends.

Personally, I thought the movie was wonderful. I don't think there was a truly slow moment. Yes, of course some scenes did not have the same amount of action as others, but nothing ever felt slow or bogged down. There was always a sense of importance and urgency to each scene, as opposed to some movies in which there are some scenes that are not needed and would not take anything away if they were cut. One thing I was worried about was that the special effects would overshadow other aspects of the movie, but I think they blended very well. While we know that Robert Downey, Jr. is not always in the suit during the action, we always know that it is Tony Stark; the effects never take you out of the story. I especially enjoyed the scene when Tony first tested the flying capability of the suit in the garage. For me, that was really the first time we see Iron Man.

Now, while a comics fan, I have to admit that I am somewhat new to the world of Iron Man, and even now I mostly read his story in group books. This movie being an origin story, I think it appeals to all viewers equally; it is not important for movie-goers to already be familiar with the characters. If Marvel is half as smart as I think they are, then this is how they will introduce all of The Avengers characters, so that when they come together in their team movie, viewers will already know the backgrounds of the characters and be able to enjoy the main story.

I will not ruin things for those who have not seen the movie yet, but I will tell you that it is important that you stay through the credits for an extra scene. More and more movies are doing things like this, and I have started staying all the way even when I have not been warned...you just never know. Oh, and don't forget to look for “The Man”, true believers...as always, he does appear!

Another movie already released is Speed Racer. I have not been to see it, as I was not sure I wanted to, not being that much a fan of the original cartoon series. After reading reviews and talking to some people who have seen it, I'm glad I did not. In it's opening this past weekend, it brought in just over $18.5 million, placing 3^rd for the weekend. In Yahoo's movie section on their website, you can view the first 7 minutes of Speed Racer, and in my opinion, if the whole movie is like that first few minutes, it is all effects and no story. While I realize that it is hard to establish much of the story in that short a time, and we do learn a little about the main character, I felt overwhelmed by the colors even after the opening title sequence, as if they were the main point of the movie. Also, while the effects were cool, I think there was too much too quick, and I fear that in a whole movie, they will get old.

This coming week sees the release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and it is expected to do well at the box office. With Iron Man having been out already for two weeks, it could take the #1 spot. From looking at the official website (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/narnia/) and also at some interviews at www.movieweb.com it would appear that this film will be grander than the previous film, and the clips I have seen do look like they have taken the effects to the next logical step. The actors who play the Pevensie children have all said they are pleased with their character growth in this film, which to me is very important. There is also more action in this film than in the first one, being throughout the movie rather than mostly at the end. For those who like downloads and simple keyboard-driven games, the official website has been updated since my visit earlier this year, and when going to the different places at the site, there are movie clips in between.

Many movies have commercial tie-ins with products, and I think that for the films from this month, the honor of the best tie-in goes to Indiana Jones and M&Ms. The commercials for the specially packaged candies are humorous as always, and put the M&M guys into Indy-like situations. Also, having tried the special Mint Crisp M&Ms, I can say if you like M&Ms and mint, you should try them. (Visit http://www.m-ms.com/us/indianajones/home.jsp for a fun little game.) They also get the award for fastest movie, as Kyle Busch won last weekend's Dodge Challenger 500 Sprint Cup Race at Darlington in the specially-painted M&Ms Indiana Jones car, and Marco Andretti will be driving an Indiana Jones car for the Indy 500. As for the movie itself, all the signs point toward a great movie, and I think it will likely be tops at the box office on it's opening weekend, with the film opening on May 22^nd (yes, that is a Thursday, and it is correct). There are several trailers available, as well as little featurettes at the official website (www.indianajones.com). One thing that impresses me is that Harrison Ford has stated several times that he did most of his own stunts. At age 64, that is a definite feat. Naturally, trailers and other released clips and whatnot are trying to attract viewers, but if what I have seen so far is really indicative of the whole film, we will see plenty of action, and that, after all, is the basis of the Indiana Jones series.

Looks like May is going to be one of this year's hottest months at the movies. There are always duds, but I think we have three big winners. Iron Man has already gotten the month off to a great start, and while neither Prince Caspian and Crystal Skull may not have as big an opening weekend, I think they will not only be successful, but will also be outstanding films. That's the important thing...not how much they make, but if the fans are entertained. Personally, I was by Iron Man, and I believe I will be.