He speeds into battle in a fiery flash, laying waste to all challengers. That's not just "Iron Man" but the film's likely box-office outcome, too, as the summer's top hit.

Movie studios and exhibitors are desperate for a hit, with 2008 attendance down more than 6 percent compared with a year ago. Several of the year's higher-profile releases all faltered, and relief from some of the summer's biggest movies won't come until late May.

Directed by "Elf's" Jon Favreau, "Iron Man" stars Robert Downey Jr. as arms manufacturer Tony Stark. Captured by Middle Eastern guerrillas who force him to build a missile, a wounded Stark instead constructs a protective iron suit that allows him to escape.

Once free and back in Malibu, Stark secretly refines his design, turning himself into a more peace-minded crusader. His about-face might worry longtime assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), but it really ticks off business partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges).

"Iron Man," based on the comic book character of the same name, is expected to single-handedly launch what is Hollywood's most important season and help lift the business out of its doldrums. With the acclaimed Downey and the Oscar-winning Paltrow in leading roles and mostly favorable reviews expected, "Iron Man" should also garner positive responses from more discriminating moviegoers.