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)
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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)
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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I enjoyed the first part of Iron Man, but at the same time I realized that he’s not going to become my favorite character. Robert Downey Jr. portrays him really well, I’m not saying he doesn’t, but the mixture of opponents, settings and jokes is not something that I grew fond of. I skipped the second movie and all of a sudden I had the chance to watch the third one. There was nothing else on TV so I decided to watch it to enjoy a pleasant blockbuster. I actually watched the movie twice, I wasn’t sure whether I was in the right mood when I watched it for the first time, but even the second time around the movie didn’t really amaze me. The antagonist was actually quite OK, but I simply couldn’t find anything to hold on to that would attract me to the movie. Simply put, I was pretty bored for the entire two hours. You see I believe it’s two hours of an absolutely mediocre movie with good visual effects, which unfortunately are not everything.
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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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The third Iron Man is a bit too minimalist in my opinion and overloaded with too many alternative plot elements. The first one was nicely compact and light. The second was oversized, but the action scenes were breathtaking and spectacularly executed. The third one is chatty, somewhat funny, the inner "Dark Knight" mood of the main character is a bit excessive with a considerable amount of irony, and there is almost no action (only two scenes, one of which is breathtaking, and the other is traditionally overwrought). I wanted a summer blockbuster, but what could they come up with in the third installment (the fourth one if I count the pumped-up Avengers) to make it feel fresh, innovative, and entertaining for millions of people? There isn't much. They got serious and humanized Iron Man, some people like it, some don't. I wanted to be "carried away" and instead, I was forced to "think".
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Iron Man 3 is the Skyfall of Marvel adaptations. Jon Favreau’s original boyish entertainment greatly benefits from the darker and more mature tone. The realist and cynic Shane Black loves Iron Man and develops the character of this most interesting Marvel hero to a depth that no Avenger has received yet, while preserving Marvel’s trademark playfulness. Stark’s feelings and protectiveness towards Pepper are more tangible, while his existential considerations are more selfcritical and fitting. In addition, there’s a great game of good guys and bad guys going on, where the character of Stark’s ex-girlfriend, played by Rebecca Hall, makes sense, as – most importantly – do both villains (Raimi, watch and learn). They deliver a clever and – with regard to the skeletons in the closet of today’s global politics – provocative twist, which also gives some space to the delicious creation by Ben Kingsley, my favorite. In addition (especially in the second half), expect some great humor and easy-to-follow, firework-like action, which will make you think that special effects just cannot evolve any further (in the end credits, pay attention to the number of members of the Digital Effects Crew). Iron Man 3 is an intelligent blockbuster super show made by enthusiasts and perfectionists, and it won me over completely also thanks to its many perfect details – the fragile Gwyneth Paltrow in an elegant white costume, Iron Man glove ideas and self-dressing armor, b&w buddy teamwork reminiscent of the best Lethal Weapon movies, and the fantastic airborne scene with the clever use of a 3D arrangement of people falling in space, supported by great superhero motif (for me, the highlight of the movie). Marvel should open its own Marvel Studios following the example of Universal Studios amusement parks and dedicate a section of it to the third Iron Man.
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Gallery (121)
Photo © Walt Disney Pictures / Zade Rosenthal
![Iron Man Three - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/049/264/49264495_b98f32.jpg)
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