I caught an early screening of “Iron Man” last night and came away thrilled and excited about the franchise. I’m already looking forward to the next installment.

Chief among the pluses is Robert Downey Jr. Who is just excellent in this role. He plays a cocky, arrogant, wildly irresponsible weapons manufacturer who kids himself that his arms are helping the good guys win wars. After three months in captivity, tortured by Islamic fundamentalists (I assume, the film is carefully apolitical) he finds a conscience and builds the ultimate weapon: an indestructible suit that can fly, shoot rockets and throw fire that he will use to destroy all his weapons that have been sold into the wrong hands.

Downey is of course Hollywood’s ultimate reformed bad boy, so the character’s change of heart seems like a comfortable fit. He is also wildly sexy as Tony Stark -- all ripped muscle and big doe eyes. It’s no wonder that Pepper Potts flirts with abandon. She’s played by a red-headed Gwyneth Paltrow who has never seemed so soft and sensual.

There’s not really a lot of that stupid humor in “Iron Man,” no silly one-liners and throw-away gags that so often pop up in comic book adaptations. It really seems to be playing to a grown-up audience.

The suits (for there are several different incarnations) look great. My only beef was that the ultimate battle between Iron Man and his enemy smacks of “Transformers” a bit. But that’s a small quibble. Jeff Bridges (looking like Governor Jesse Ventura) makes a great villain but it is Downey’s film and he totally rocks it! Hats off to director Jon Favreau.