While I wasn’t as blown away as I was following the original Iron Man, the third film was a very nice bounce back from the disappointing Iron Man 2, which failed to meet the lofty standards set by its predecessor.
Fortunately Iron Man 3 seems to have steered the series back on track.
The film opens with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) having a flashback to 1999, on New Years Eve in Bern, Switzerland. While attending a party near midnight, Stark comes into contact with scientist Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall). Hansen has invented a product called Extremis, a regenerative drug that is designed to regrow limbs and push the body past it’s current physical boundaries.
Conversing with Hansen in an elevator, Stark is approached by disabled scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who takes a great interest in Extremis and offers Stark and Hansen a place in his upstart company, Advanced Idea Mechanics, which is often referred to as AIM. Although Stark appears willing to pursue the matter, he blows Killian off, and doesn’t think any more of the matter.
In the present day, the United States is under threat from a terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). The Mandarin has claimed responsibility for many explosions across the US and threatens to assassinate the president. While the government attempts to locate the Mandarin, Stark does some digging and finds the explosions are not what they seem to be. At the same time, Killian suddenly resurfaces after 14 years, offering Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Stark Industries the chance to join AIM.
From there the action takes off as the plot plays out like a roller coaster, with sudden turns, drops and big surprises along the way.
The films strength proves to be its all star cast, headlined by Downey Jr, who once again shows how perfectly cast he is for the role of Tony Stark. His charismatic and confident approach looks just right as the billionaire, genius Stark. Paltrow reprises her role as Stark’s girlfriend Pepper Potts for the third time and turns in another solid, believable performance.
Her great onscreen chemistry with Downey Jr. is evident and makes the film that much better. Some other good performances of note were Guy Pearce as Killian and Ben Kingsley as the mysterious Mandarin. Don Cheadle does a nice job as Colonel James Rhodes, but it really felt like he was underused and he really took a backseat for most of the story.
Overall Iron Man 3 is another terrific addition to the now considerable Marvel franchise. It is a truly enjoyable experience from start to finish and the plot kept me engaged for the whole, whopping 130 minutes, which feels a lot shorter than it really is. With great acting, fast paced, in your face action, and a clever and unexpected plot, Iron Man 3 has it all.
By Josh Ripley
[/tab] [tab title=”Stark’s ego remains oversized”][heading style=”1″]Tony Stark was made for Robert Downey Jr.[/heading]
Ever since I was introduced to superhero movies I’ve had a strange fascination with them. It must be my secret desire to become a “hero” myself and save the day, that draws me to these films. Or maybe it’s just my love of a good story line, with a predictable ending. I’ve grown fond of these movies because I take comfort in knowing that the good guy is always going to come out on top and save the day.
Of them all, Marvel’s character, Iron Man, has captured my attention more than any of the others. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) emerged in 2008 in the first Iron Man installation. His witty charm and extremely sarcastic sense of humor glues viewers’ eyes to the screen. Stark fans would agree, you don’t want to miss a single comment or pick-up line uttered from the famous “genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.”
I think, personally I was most drawn to these films because of Stark’s character. He is indeed a genius. No matter what situation he got himself into, he was able to think faster that his opponent and outsmart them. Stark used his intelligence to create the well-known Iron Man, who became an incredible hero. Though his crude humor may been a little mature at times, I was intrigued by the fact that these movies were promoting the positives of being intelligent.
Back in November, I heard a rumor that Marvel would be releasing a third Iron Man movie and to say the least, I was ecstatic. I wouldn’t say I’m a crazed fan, but I’m pretty close. And after experiencing The Avengers, I couldn’t wait to see where Stark would go for his next adventure. However, I was a little skeptical, I mean The Avengers was amazing; where could the series go from there? But despite my doubt, the film pulled me into an adventure once again and my eyes couldn’t be peeled from the screen.
This film starts in an unknown territory for Iron Man fans, where Stark is struggling. The effects of a near-death mission, including traveling through a wormhole and falling back to Earth (The Avengers) have left Stark psychologically damaged. Anxiety attacks are frequent for this hero, which make him susceptible to sleepless nights and unguarded moments, which is not normal for the “invincible” Iron Man.
The villain in this movie is actually an injection, something called extremist. Several people have been injected with this medication that makes them glow, as well as regenerate. It’s somewhat disturbing, but also mind-blowing at the same time. Throughout the movie, I was trying to guess how Stark/Iron Man was going to defeat these invincible soldiers (invincible means can’t die, right?). But I wasn’t disappointed. Iron Man came through again, as he always does.
The action scenes in this film were up to Marvel’s typical standard, keeping the audience engaged. However, there was some misplaced humor, making the supposed emotional moments, less heartwarming. But, overall I was impressed with the movie’s ability to keep the attention of viewers after two previous installments.
Iron Man 3 was released on May 3, 2013 and earned $173.5 million dollars in it’s first three days in North America, opening higher than both Iron Man ($98.6 million) and Iron Man 2 ($128.1 million), according to insidemovies.ew.com. Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie a 78% rating, which was well deserved. Though I can’t decide which of the Iron Man movies is my favorite, if you’re a sucker for superheroes, don’t miss this movie.
By Brittany Corneilson[/tab][/tabgroup]
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What is your favorite Marvel movie?
