Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3

IM3 is a much better movie with a better script and humorous moments.  While the movie is darker than the first two movies, it has some lighter moments missing from IM2.  And, that’s the thing; IM3 is just a better movie all around from the unfocused IM2.  Director Shane Black was the right choice to helm this outing.  His focus on plot, emotion and humor help make this a strong follow up the first movie, while playing service to the Avengers and other Marvel movies. 

Think of IM3 as the Dark Knight Raises of the Marvel universe.  Tony Stark has pretty much lost everything and has to rely on his wits to fight the terrorist group and other villains.  I love seeing Stark using his intelligence to defeat his enemies this time around without the suit.  We get to see how much of a genius he is without his suit. 

Many of his plans don’t work out in the way he envision, which is nice running gag.  I loved the “one suit” that keeps malfunctioning and it gave me one of the moments where I laughed out.  Stark is a flawed character, but he’s a good guy at heart.  We see this through his work with a rather smart kid. 

Speaking of this kid, he actually works in this movie.  I generally hate little kids in movie, such as action flicks.  But, he works in the context of the movie mainly because he’s just like Tony.  I can see why Tony would take him on as a side partner.  And, the damn kid has one of the funniest lines in the movie. 

The other thing that work in this movie is the “universe building” moments.  Tony Stark is still feeling uneasy about almost dying in New York in the Avengers.  It should be noted that this subplot never gets paid off, and I am wondering if this was either deleted from the movie or left open for Avengers 2.   Guy Pearce is a better villain than Mickey Rourke, but he’s still a weak villain.  This is something that has plagued all the Iron Man movies.  At least here, you can see why Guy hates Stark. 

One of the weaker points in this strong script is the power of the villains and their actual motivation.  We know that Stark screwed over the main villain, but why is he causing all this trouble?  It just seems a bit weak to me.  I am sure there was way more filmed for the movie.  With an already long running time, I am sure it had to be cut. 

There are a few boring moments but not that many. 

Now the music on the other hand was a nice upgrade from the last movie.  The main theme introduced here by Brian Tyler is a welcome change.  Tyler is clearly channeling Alan Silvestri from his Avengers score.  And, Tyler gives Iron Man an actual clear super hero theme, which was something that was lacking in last two movies. 

The other strong aspect of the movie is the mystery investigation that Tony has to embark on.  We get to see him stripped of his power (his suit) and have investigate certain clues in Tennessee, which is a strange choice of locations.  

The final battle is very fun and it reminded me of an epic battle from a videogame and it all worked at the end.  The closing moments are also a nice way of closing the book on the IM franchise. 

Iron Man 3 is a better and more focused movie with a smarter script and acting.  While the Iron Man suit isn’t in it that much, the movie really shines with all of Stark’s scenes.  Robert Downey Jr. is having a lot of fun and so are we.  This movie clearly gives a true ending to the franchise or a new direction.  Stark can come back, but it leaves it open for someone else to suit up too. Shane Black, you did good. 

Grade: A-

Note

-Justice League Reference:  For all comic fans, there is a reference to DC.  This moment made me chuckle a little.

-Happy (Jon Favreau) has an important plot point in the movie:  However, his role is greatly reduced.  I know it was for the plot, but he was better written here than in part one. 

-William Sadler plays the President.  How cool is that?  It seems this guy was elected partly because of the invasion in the Avengers 2. 

-We actually see the relationship between Pepper Potts and Stark carry over from the Avengers. 

-The Mandarin reveal:  This had to be the best reveals I’ve seen in a long time.  I won’t spoil it for you, but I loved the big reveal about The Mandarin. 

-War Machine upgraded:  I miss the original paint job, but Don Cheadle has some great moments here and there.  His interaction with Stark this time around seems a bit more good-natured. 

-Pepper Potts has a much bigger role:  I loved what they did with her character.  There are some neat moments where she becomes a hero.