Directed by:
Shane BlackCinematography:
John TollComposer:
Brian TylerCast:
Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley, Paul Bettany, Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
A billionaire who escaped captivity with a suit of armor he created, who now struggles to keep his technology in the right hands. Sequel to Iron Man and Iron Man 2, the seventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being the first major release in that franchise since the crossover film The Avengers. (Disney / Buena Vista)
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Reviews (14)
The best Iron Man, sure, but nothing to write home about. It’s the same playful Marvel as we know it, it doesn’t get darker or rougher in any significant way. The one really interesting thing is the twist with the Mandarin, its ambition is something not very common for Marvel, with some tangible overlap, that is. But it all ends after a couple of sentences, the whole thing is quickly forgotten and plot moves forward to the mandatory and pathetic rescue of the scumbags and the American presidents of the world, with inconsistently explained rules and a bland villain. But it’s pretty good fun, even if some of the jokes are repeated, Stark’s seizures look from another (better) film and the action could be more clear and dynamic. What I liked the most were the retro end credits. 7/10
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After the rampage of The Avengers, which was spectacular but missed the mark emotionally, Iron Man 3 is an enjoyable attempt to add humanity to Marvel comic-book adaptations. This is a film that (intentionally) makes mistakes. With Shane Black, we are accustomed to the refreshing sincerity of the protagonists and transgressions against the genre, but a film that cost 200 million dollars to make provides an unexpected context for his detached view, which leads to greater wonder and admiration (you wouldn’t normally expect certain means of self-parody in a spectacular action climax). At a lower level, the protagonist also makes mistakes. Tony Stark has to get by willy-nilly without amusing technological toys for a third of the film, which forces him to rely on his own ingenuity and the help of others. He purges his identity of the media sludge (while not being the film’s only victim of the media’s reconstruction of reality) and casts off the burden of being a superhero, which is the main cause of his anxiety. The film also returns to the time before the dominance of technology by reviving – and, at the same time, relativising – the western myth (instead of the romantic settlement of the west, the Sand Creek Massacre is recalled; Stark has no problem with wearing first an Indian poncho and then a cowboy hat). The stronger emphasis on the human factor enabled Black to construct the film as a series of buddy-movie collaborations. Stark always has at hand a machine or person on which he can exercise his keen wit (Jarvis, Harley, Rhodes) and demonstrate his superiority. Despite all of the stumbles and the declaration that this time it will be about personal vengeance, he remains a true American hero who can convince you of the necessity of using weapons of mass destruction with a charming smile and a dry one-liner. In the final analysis, however, the unspectacular beginning (for a film of this format), drawn-out action scenes, underused voice-over (akin to that of Woody Allen movies and film noir) and the occasionally violent attempt at humour are only minor flaws in this bit of summer entertainment, which I see primarily as Shane Black’s grand return. I felt in places that I had gone back in time to the 1990s and was watching some of the audiovisual instructions on how to make smart and imaginative action comedies. Jon Favreau can safely stay in bed and enjoy Downton Abbey. 85%
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I probably won't agree with others that Iron Man 3 is the best installment of the franchise, because I like the second one a bit more, but I'm not dissatisfied with this one. On the contrary, I'm cheering, because I've been waiting for this satisfaction as opposed to the boring The Avengers. Particularly with everything that takes place after the destruction of Stark's mansion, the third Iron Man is one of the funniest adaptations of Marvel comics (Thor's position is seriously threatened), it's also a very action-packed film, and it's gratifying that Tony Stark often gets into the action without his suit - for example, during his escape from his captors, which is quite possibly the best scene ever. The script doesn't lack emotion or insight, and I'm glad they're not copying The Dark Knight as much as I feared (the new Superman will be worse). Thanks to Brian Tyler, Iron Man finally has a proper musical theme (I have nothing against Debney). I would deduct points for Guy Pearce’s bland character, who was not very well thought out. In contrast, Ben Kingsley's unique Mandarin was perfect.
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Lethal Weapon: Iron Man Xmas Edition after which I may or may not have rather watched a comedy spin-off called Mandarin: Origin or a kids’ popular science show, Iron Child and his mentor, The Mechanic. A good old action buggy comedy (they say that this format is out of fashion... I’m glad they didn’t tell Black about that!) that has everything it should; from the very beginning right up to the eighties-style final credits. And when you compare it to other routine episodes, I needed so little; a good screenplay (in terms of this genre, of course), a proper villain and to make Stark the direct protagonist of the action scenes. Which meant the end of strict division into mutually unrelated passages of a “situation comedy with Stark" versus an “uninteresting, impersonal action with a CGI Iron Man".
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There was no better way to do it after the excessive The Avengers and the boredom of the second film. How do you not make a theater play after a blonde pancake-eater with a hammer hits the ground and New York is threatened by an alien invasion? Make a pure, sometimes even slapstick comedy, which is based on the strongest feature of Iron Man - self-irony, disrespect, audacity. It is no coincidence that Black literally devalues the "sacred" armor, which turns into a pile of recyclable junk. Stark can do without it for most of the film. He is a mechanic, a billionaire, a philanthropist and a laid-back guy who does not lose his humor even during a panic attack. There is something about guilt here and there, but we all know that his only real guilt in the third film is that he remained an outspoken child. It's good that the fatality has diminished and that the third film almost feels like cabaret with a lot of beautiful slips where the floor starts to pathetically stick. Shane Black gave it maximum juice and energy. This is not even about the action that traditionally bothered me at the end with its dull grandeur; it's about cheeky details, small gestures and one of the most luxurious (non) Marvel twists. Favreau managed to film Iron Man as a fun comic blockbuster, while Black filmed Iron Man as Tony Stark sees him. Because he is the Iron Man. And it works great for him.
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