Iron Man 3 Review

Stark and his beloved Iron Man in Iron Man 3

Photo Credit: Marvel Studios 

Iron Man 3

B

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

Last year Marvel and Joss Whedon changed the mold of the super hero film with the Avengers. They took their characters and put them into a bigger situation where the stakes were off the charts and the action was bigger and bolder than ever. Cut to this year Marvel and writer director Shane Black attempt to deal with the aftermath of the aliens with the most charismatic of the avengers Iron Man. Like it’s predecessor (which 3 years ago I grossly overrated) Iron Man 3 tires to do some interesting things and goes into some interesting directions but ends up never going all the way and thus suffers from unevenness and ultimately falls apart by the time the climax comes along.

After the events of the Avengers Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is experiencing some serious PTSD. Stark can’t sleep at night so he continues his “hobby” of sorts building newer technology to try to keep the love of his life Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) safe. In the process he seems to alienate Pepper and the people who he cares about due to being constantly involved with his toys. When things are beginning to go downhill a new threat to the country begins to arise, the deadly terrorist who goes by The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). The Mandarin is setting off a series of bombings in other countries and sets his other target straight for Stark himself. This forces Stark to go on the run and find out key information about the Mandarin and about an old demon from the past Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce) who is also causing some trouble.

Iron Man 3 tries to play with its setup by visiting Tony’s Psyche and for the most part this attempt succeeds. The middle of the film is a true treat as the film deviates from being a high action picture and is, if only briefly, something more. The film deals with survival, relationships, and mental illness briefly and is more successful for it.

The problem is that this is a summer blockbuster and thus doesn’t commit all the way. The audience is quickly reminded that this is a superhero movie throughout with attempts at small set pieces while Tony is temporarily out of the action. It leaves the pace of the film feeling uneven and unsure of itself throughout the middle of the film. By the time the film reaches its climax it becomes a full on superhero film and ultimately disappoints. The film’s climax, like the first two films in the series (it feels even more so in this film), is its Achilles heel as it’s a generic mess that tries too hard to be crowd pleasing. By the time the end of the film roles around all of the films neater ideas seem to have left and the audience is again reminded that this is ultimately a formulaic superhero film.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable. For the most part the film is written sharply enough and there are many good times to be had throughout the film. Robert Downey Jr. remains in top shape and at this point he is Tony Stark. Downey never feels like he is going into auto pilot here as he seems like he is constantly engaged in the film and it’s a pleasure to watch. Downey is only matched by Ben Kingsley who is just as fantastic as The Mandarin (for the most part for reasons that I can’t divulge in this review unfortunately) who is succulently terrifying as the terrorist who can attack at a moment’s notice. Paltrow is still solid, although she has little to do, in this one and Guy Pierce get’s to play a sleaze like only Guy Pierce can.

The direction by Shane Black fits right in with the prior Iron Man films. The film looks and sounds good yet familiar, pointing out how unremarkable Favreau’s direction was in the last two films. That being said the set pieces present in the film, while not as spectacular as the Avengers, are solid and work on many levels. There is enough excitement and tension built in the action sequences that it provides a solid ebb and flow, and there are a few that stand out here and there (like an airplane sequence teased in trailers). The score is generic enough but works well to cover moments with new and familiar tracks.

Ultimately Iron Man 3 is a good way to start the summer, but it’s really nothing special. The film is solidly written, acted, and has some cool set pieces but can’t seem to shake the normal rhythm of a superhero film. All the different ideas presented at the opening of the film are lost by the mish mashed climax. Iron Man 3 is a solid film overall but can’t escape feeling like another Marvel Superhero film.