So let’s talk Iron Man 3, shall we? I think I was like every other card carrying nerd out there and felt disappointment with Iron Man 2. I mean it was ok, but it was so much slower then the fantastic first film and pretty much wasted Mickey Rourke. I mean how do you waste Mickey Rourke? That man was born to chew scenery. So I went into Iron Man 3 hoping for the best and expecting the worst.
It definitely gave me a bit of both.
I want to just get the plot out of the way. Iron Man must face off against The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and their army of super soldiers powered by a process called Extremis, making them super strong, super fast, heal quickly, and become super hot. Oh and they explode from time to time. By the end of the movie Tony Stark has to deal with saving the country, saving the girl, and dealing with the emotional aftermath of The Avengers, where what he saw has given him a case of PTSD. There. That’s the story and it works for what it needs to do which is provide a framework for big explosive action set pieces.
These pieces do not disappoint. From an attack on Stark’s house, to an air rescue scene (done with 13 sky divers the old fashioned way), to the big finale of super soldiers vs multiple Iron Men, the movie moves along quickly and satisfyingly. It has the feel of an old school 80’s action movie, not surprisingly since it’s written and directed by Shane Black, author of such classics as Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout.
Robert Downey Jr has in my mind, always been an inspired choice for Tony Stark and has brought with him this swaggering, hilarious, charismatic energy to the role. Even in the dullest moments, he always gives us something to watch even in just his mannerisms and movements. These aren’t the kind of movies that provide chances for meaty dramatic roles, but Downey makes the most of them.
Unfortunately, the film turns into a colossal mess in the final third. I love the big twist of the Mandarin reveal at the end, and it allows Ben Kingsley to almost steal the movie right out from under Downey’s nose. However, the plot makes zero sense. Tony displays insane secret agent skills from apparently nowhere. The villains master plan seems straight out of a Bond movie and just as intelligent. Stakes are raised but never dealt with. It’s sloppy writing, pure and simple.
The final set piece has Downey out of the armor more than he is in it. I have a pet peeve about superhero movies where they feel the need to have the character pull the mask off in the middle of a fight. Its just always seems so forced. In this case for a movie called Iron Man, I was hoping for a bit more of Iron Man doing the fighting, not Tony Stark.
Overall, though, Iron Man 3 is much more enjoyable than the last one. It’s a nice start to a new cycle of Marvel films and a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
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