Viewed in
2013
Formats
IMAX 3D.
Premise
In the third entry of the Robert Downey Jr. era, Tony Stark tries to deal with post-Avengers jitters while being attacked by the Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley.
Loved
Exciting action sequences, the good guy cast.
Liked
Surprisingly entertaining kid sidekick subplot.
Disliked
Misuse of Mandarin character.
Thoughts
I'm pretty much in agreement that this was a nice rebound from Iron Man 2.
There weren't enough superlatives to justify how charismatic and disarming Downey was as Tony Stark. He owned it. Gwyneth Paltrow also mastered Pepper Potts, and together their back-and-forth chemistry was lovely to watch. Actually, pretty much Downey's interactions with any cast member energized the film. Paul Bettany's voice over as snarky Jarvis was hilarious. (Apologies for mistaking your voice with Jude Law's. Again. For a third time.)
As a Don Cheadle fan, I was glad to see him get plenty more screen time. In fact his witty banter with Downey during action scenes was reminiscent of Lethal Weapon (not surprising given that was written by director Shane Black). Normally, child sidekicks are annoying and cheesy. Here, not only was Stark's brief team-up with a kid (played flawlessly by Ty Simpkins,) plausible, but also brought some of the biggest laughs. Jon Favreau was hilarious in a small role as the zealous security guard, recently promoted to head of security.
While his portrayal brought umbrage from hardcore Iron Man fans, Sir Ben Kingsley was a solid presence. Shout out to James Badge Dale from 24 as a henchman.
Aside from The Avengers, I always thought the Marvel Studios films were lacking in fight sequences. Here, director Shane Black finally broke the trend for the Iron Man franchise with not one, but two memorable action pieces. The climactic battle between an army of Iron Men and super-soldiers on a freighter was epic and exciting, an elaborate choreography of CGI and sweeping cinematography, with Stark jumping in-and-out of various suits throughout the mayhem. Another great scene was the breathtaking skydiving rescue. Both moments were excellent in IMAX 3D. I also enjoyed Downey MacGyvering his way into an enemy compound, followed by his battle with just a power glove and boot.
The weakest link was the story. There were interesting scenes, popping dialog, and big laughs (ten bucks says Joss Whedon ghostwrote the bus gag). However, Stark's character lacked an arc, the Mandarin's masterplan never made sense, Guy Pearce (while solidly acted) wasn't compelling, and Rebecca Hall's subplot was flat out confusing.
It's a pity Disney kiboshed adapting "Demon in a Bottle" arc from the comics. Replacing alcoholism with possible PTSD might've been intriguing for Downey Jr., but I never felt like the story dived into Stark's psychological demons interestingly/deep enough. At least when I watched it for the first time. My friend, psychologist Andrea Letamendi PhD, had a great article about trauma (and possible consequences) in the Iron Man franchise and she was very positive about the movie's believable portrayal of such symptoms. I think an expert's analysis overruled my initial feelings.
Another friend also had a good point about Paltrow's twist at the end wasn't believable given her character's lack of experience. If I didn't love Stark and Potts so much from three movie's worth of goodwill and witty banter, there wouldn't have been anything at stake during the climax. The good thing was that these flaws were minimal, and frankly negligible as a popcorn flick.
For my thoughts on the nerd rage controversy, go to Spoilers section at the end.
Overall, I had a blast watching Iron Man 3. It had lovable characters, winning performances, and unforgettable popcorn action scenes that was immersive in IMAX 3D. The meandering story was forgivable, and once you get used to the differences from the comic book canon, it's definitely re-watchable fun. Probably my second favorite of the three Downey Jr. flicks to date.
Spoilers
I'm sure most aren't too concerned about the alterations to Extremis serum and Iron Patriot. And I'm fine with the fact that changes are necessary when adapting from one medium to another. But the Mandarin thingy is fascinating, because I sympathize with both sides.
We know characters/stories are retconned all the time in comic books, but it's different when you remove the essence of a character. The Mandarin is Iron Man's greatest nemesis, and to use him like that in the movie was disrespectful to the legacy. I wouldn't care as much if it was a less-important minor character, like Stilt-Man. But if you made such a choice with Batman's Joker, Superman's Lex Luthor, or Sauron from Lord of the Rings, I think an uproar from the fans is justified because the adaption has subverted the spirit of the original source.
The movie makers took a gigantic risk. As a film buff who likes artists taking risks, I do admire their willingness to change the Mandarin dramatically for the sake of the story. The Downey Jr. era franchise has always been grounded in science and technology. Mandarin's powers from the comic books would've contradicted the rules of that universe. Not to even mention the character's racial insensitivity (Iron Man 3 was heavily funded by Chinese investors). A valid counter-argument to "grounded in tech" would be that once the supernatural events of The Avengers occurred, then the rulebook has been irrevocably thrown out.
I admired the daring choices made for the Mandarin (and I might've been won over if the antagonists/story were more compelling), but overall it was a disservice to the character and Iron Man's comic book legacy.
