Iron Man 3

If you’re like me, not really a huge comic book film fan, you go into a film like Iron Man 3 not expecting much. Oddly enough Iron Man was my favorite of the Marvel films, but I thought every film afterwards, including Iron Man 2, was a bit under par, the quality of the bigger picture shrinking immensely as the journey to The Avengers film moved closer to fruition.

Iron Man 3 is a refreshing come back for the titular character, given new life by Shane Black, who writes and directs, as well as Drew Pearce (Pacific Rim). The film manages to reboot the franchise, unintentionally, by giving us a quick peek at the snarky Tony Stark that we were introduced to in Iron Man and then jumping straight into the present day life of Stark. An even bigger bonus is the continuity from The Avengers into Iron Man 3, which ties together the two films in a way I don’t ever recall seeing in related films coming together.

Stark is suffering from a mental block that is a bit trimmed down throughout the film. Is it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, just a mental brick wall caused by the many life changes Stark has undergone since settling down with Pepper Potts, or is there some hidden illness that will Passover into the future marvel line of films? In any case it gives us some insight into the changes coming a bit further down the line for Stark as his franchise moves beyond trilogy.

Another aspect that I enjoyed about Iron Man 3 is the subtly of Starks character changes as the film progresses. A seemingly fatalist encounter with a small boy brings to light some of Starks Daddy issues. The fact that we get a bit of back story on Stark and his relationship with his Father in Iron Man one, and that his Father is given life in Captain America, well, it really puts into perspective the enormity of the Marvel film universe.

Aside from the psychological aspects of the film dealing with Tony Stark the film is pretty much all action and laughter. Like I always say, when a film makes you forget you’re sitting in a dark theater with a massive group of strangers, that film has done its job. You can also chalk that up to Brian Tyler’s amazingly bombastic soundtrack that really sets the mood in every instance it supports the visuals of the film.

Lastly, Ben Kingsley was fantastic. Robert Downey Jr. once again gives us a great turn as Tony Stark, the douche bag, the hero, the romantic. Best of all, and this is a real qualm with me, the villain of the film was spectacular. I really can’t stand villains who are hyped up by so much attention from fans and throughout a film who are easily dispatched by love, conscience, or convenience. What we get is a potpourri of hatred, anger, pride, and ego all thrown together in a non-hesitant take no prisoners villain that fans can finally be proud of. Iron Man 3 simply has it all, taking the spirit of the first film, making you forget about the sequel, and just giving the franchise the revitalization it needed. I look forward to the next film.

As for weather or not you should see the film in 3D? I was able to see it in 3D (Post Conversion 3D) and I have to say, that while there were some fun instances where the 3D was decent, there just wasn’t enough of it, at the kind of level you’d expect for this sort of film, to really justify buying the more expensive ticket.