GRIMSHAW'S ATTIC MEDIA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, we've gotten The Avengers and Marvel Studios' Phrase 1 out of the way, let's kick off Phrase 2 with Iron Man 3.

 

It's Christmas time and Tony Stark has become an insomnia, PTSD-ridden mess thanks to his near-death experience at the end of The Avengers. His relationship with Pepper Potts and friendship with Rhodey, now Iron Patriot, is now in trouble and Happy Hogan has been injured thanks to an attack by the Mandarin, an Osama Bin Laden-esque terrorist played by Sir Ben Kingsley. So Stark does what any person sane person does in that situation: Publically pick a fight with the villain. Because that worked so well for Patrick Jane in The Mentalist. Naturally, when things obviously go to hell, Stark must use all his wits to be his newest foe.

 

Shane Black in his second feature film takes over scripting (With Drew Pearce) and directing duties from Jon Favreau. As you expect from the man behind Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, he injects a hell of a lot of fun into the proceedings, creating a tightly plotted, intelligent thrill ride that acts like the superhero answer to one of the better action films of the 80s, full of unpredictable twists, turns, kid and adult team-ups and fast, impressive looking action set pieces.

 

At the same time though, Iron Man 3 is not only a follow-up to Iron Man 2 but also The Avengers, giving us our first glimpse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-Battle of New York and the fact that "Nothing has been the same since New York" before Marvel's Agents of SHIELD trailers hammered that point to the death.

 

Robert Downey Jr. gives us a very different Stark to the one in the previous movie. No longer the arrogant playboy philanthropist we've come to know and love but now a shadow of his former self that's plagued by nightmares, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. The film strips the character away from everything, his wealth, his friends, even the Iron Man suit at times and shows us what makes him a hero: It's not the suit, it's the man and his ability to solve problems using whatever means he can find. And let's face it, Downey's Stark is the movie by this point, carrying the film so well that it feels like the other characters are just cameos. And I don't mean that in a bad way, because those characters are still good characters.

 

For example, the film gives us a great take on the Mandarin and while it won't appeal to some fans, especially the hilarious twist that comes later in the movie, Ben Kingsley is clearly having a ton of fun playing this larger-than-life character. As for the twist with the Mandarin: I liked it. Sure, it can be seen as a ruination of the character, but it was a well played one as actually kind of funny and necessary for the character's inclusion, considering the Mandarin was originally one of Marvel's most well known "Yellow Menace" characters.

 

As for the other characters, Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts gets a bit more development, with the character finally getting involved in the action as opposed to playing damsel in distress and love interest for Stark. Guy Pearce's Killian is a fantastic character and a well-played part, and Don Cheadle finally feels like Rhodes in this film.

 

If there is a weak link in the film, it's Rebecca Hall's Doctor Hansen. Hansen would be a dull character, if for some reason she didn't shift her rationale for her actions all over the place until her motives are finally revealed. In the end, the character is just there because the character was a major part of the Extremis storyline it was based on.

 

Also, I found it a bit odd that SHIELD never makes an appearance, or even managed. Seriously, one of the people they're meant to be keeping tabs on attempts to lure a terrorist to his house on National TV. You would think Nick Fury would notice.

 

Overall, if you weren't fond of Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3 more than makes up for it. It takes the series back to basics, giving us a fun blockbuster of a movie while giving the series a much needed sense of fresh blood.