Posted By Michelle Ealey on May 4, 2013

Iron Man 3 avoids the trappings many third installments of trilogies have. The film is not the culmination of a grand, over-arching story. Instead, Iron Man 3 continues the tale of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) as Iron Man, tracing his evolution from cocky, wise-cracking selfish playboy to cocky, wise-cracking armor-wearing hero. With no origin story to bog it down, Iron Man 3 is free to be the ultimate superhero movie and easily the best in the series.

Shane Black directed Iron Man 3 and co-wrote the script, and his fingerprints cover the film. Set just before Christmas, Iron Man 3 has the aura of a buddy film, and Tony has a few friends help him battle The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Black’s direction allows us to see different aspects of Tony. His interaction with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) shows us how he struggles with the (self-imposed) responsibility of protecting someone he loves. Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) is Tony’s good friend, but the friends never miss the opportunity to put the other in his place with a quick quip. A new relationship is introduced in the film; we see Tony the mentor when he meets Harley (Ty Simpkins), a boy who helps Tony rebuild. Each scene in the film advances the plot while developing one of these relationships, a feat accomplished because the film is in the very capable hands of Black (writer, Lethal Weapon).

Pepper Potts with Iron Man

The film begins in 1999, New Year’s Eve, in Switzerland; Tony parties with a scientist, Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall). Tony’s actions, even the minor ones, shapes the lives of others for over a decade; the scorned and damaged boomerangs return to Tony’s life set on forcing him to complete an act he doesn’t remember doing. In the present, the United States is under attack by The Mandarin. Bombings happen anywhere and at any time. When someone close to Tony is hurt by one of The Mandarin’s bombs, Tony vows revenge. His cockiness rears its head; Tony states his address to the public, and soon The Mandarin takes advantage of Tony’s hubris.

While Tony appears solid and confident, he is actually still reeling from the events in The Avengers. Tony can’t sleep, and he constantly tinkers. His anxiety gets in the way of his relationship with Pepper, and almost hinders his ability to deal with everything The Mandarin throws at him. Tony is stripped of most of his material possessions after the attack on his home. He ends up alone in Tennessee with a broken suit, one that was not ready for combat. Armed with his wits, Tony, with the help from Harley, works his way through his anxiety issues and rediscovers his ingenuity. Robert Downey, Jr. is in fine form throughout the film, but he’s best during the time in Tennessee when he is forced to figure his way out of what seems to be an impossible situation. Downey’s eyes show the mental gears constantly whirling in Tony’s head, engineering a new device or new plan to overcome the obstacles strewn in his path.

War Machine is Iron Patriot now.

Iron Man 3 unfolds at a great pace. Just when you think a scene is going too long, like the conversation between Pepper and Maya, Black introduces a turn, never letting the audience get too comfortable with any situation. The film is hilarious and has a plot that surprised me, even at the end. There are many great action set pieces. The fights are tight, quick, and look like people got hurt. The special effects are seamless; I couldn’t tell if the air sequence when Iron Man rescues people falling in the sky was CGI or wire work. If you were disappointed by Iron Man 2, don’t worry about this film. Downey, Paltrow, Cheadle, and Favreau (as Happy Hogan) know their characters well, and their comfort allows them to play and take their characters to new levels. Iron Man 3 is based on a comic book, but it is more than a simple, mindless action flick. The film tackles the influence of television and the media, terrorism, the corruption of pure scientific intentions, and the ramification of minor decisions without sacrificing the rollicking entertainment the audience expects from this type of film. I didn’t think The Avengers could be topped, but Iron Man 3 has proved me wrong.

Check out the other reviews for Iron Man 3:

Dave Howlett’s Review

Iain McNally’s Review

Royal Lance Eustache’s Review

Ryan Morrissey-Smith’s Review

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Categories: Movies, Reviews
Tags: Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle, Gwenyth Paltrow, Iron Man, Iron Man 3, Iron Patriot, Pepper Potts, Robert Downey Jr, Shane Black, The Mandarin, Tony Stark, Ty Simpkins