Yep. That's right. I'm back, bitches. Although I'm not particularily active on the site anymore, I did genuinely miss doing reviews, as talking about movies is something I truly enjoy doing. So, I figured, what better movie to get back into doing reviews for, than the much anticipated Iron Man 3? This movie has the job of following up last year's brilliant Avengers, as well as kicking off Marvel's Phase 2, so a lot rides on this. This movie has it all: action, humour, superheroes, and something I've never seen in a movie before: a henchman who knows when to stop fighting and just go home before he gets blasted. But can it stand up to the hype, and critisism, it's recieved? Here's my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review. Your opinion may very well differ from mine.
Story
The movie follows Tony Stark, who has been struggling to move on from the events of The Avengers. Gods, aliens, and a near death experience have left Tony with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he spends all of his time building countless Iron Man suits, preparing for the worst. The worst comes when something called EXTREMIS, a "missing link" in human evolution that gives people incredible powers, is used to power terrorists, led by the mysterious Mandarin. When an attack from The Mandarin's forces brings Tony's world to a grinding halt and leaves him with absolutely nothing, Tony must fight and build his way back from the ashes to become Iron Man once more, get revenge, and protect what very little he has left to lose.
This was a very interesting route for the Iron Man movies to take, and I found that for the most part, it worked. This is a very different Tony Stark from the one we've seen in the past; he's been deeply affected by the events of The Avengers, and his whole life revolves around keeping the people closest to him safe. Tony Stark grows far more here than he did over the course of Iron Man 2, and even The Avengers. With that being said, while the movie was definitely going for a more mature, dark, personal tone, I felt there were times where the humour could have been toned down. Now, don't get me wrong, I love humour, especially Marvel / Iron Man humour, but there were times in this movie where I felt that even Stark wouldn't be making quips at certain times.
The series is more or less brought back to its roots in this movie. While Iron Man 2 was made to set up for The Avengers, and as a result became too crammed and silly, this is a more independent story, and it really does work. If you want a clearer sense of what the next Avengers will hold, you'll be disappointed, but if you just want a good story about Iron Man, you'll be right at home here. The movie also excels where the other two Iron Man movies have been pretty weak: action. While there isn't a ton of it, the action scenes here are far superior to the other two movies, and it all builds up to a climax that, unlike every Marvel movie other than Avengers, ISN'T a disappointment.
Now, I feel I have to discuss this. At the beginning of the final act of the movie, there is a major plot twist regarding The Mandarin, which I won't spoil. This has had a lot of fans absolutely PISSED. Having seen the movie, I can definitely understand why fans of the comics would be outraged over it, and if that's your mindset walking into this movie, this twist will ruin the movie for you most likely. Having said that, I'm reviewing a movie, not an adaptation of a comic book, and in the context of the movie, it worked. Given all the buildup, the Mandarin was a missed opportunity, but something I could get over. I'll just leave it at that.
Acting
As per usual, Robert Downey Jr. absolutely kills it as Tony Stark, bringing heart and power into the role that many people felt has been missing from Iron Man 2. It's still unknown if Downey will be returning to play Iron Man again or not, as his contract expired with this movie. I'd love to see him play Stark forever, but if this is his last role as Iron Man, he left on a damn good note. The returning regulars, including Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, and a surprise cameo after the credits, all do a great job as well.
The new cast, for the most part, do a great job as well. Guy Pearce brings a lot of charisma and passion into his role as Aldrich Killian, business rival and personal antagonist to Stark, who is somehow connected to the rise of EXTREMIS. Sir Ben Kingsley is menacing and intimidating in his performance as The Mandarin, creating the idea that this terrorist, while just one man, is someone who could bring the entire western world to its knees at the blink of an eye. Rebeca Hall's role in the movie, however, felt rather unnecessary and wasted.
Presentation
The Iron Man movies have always been visual marvels (pun intended), and Iron Man 3 doesn't make an exception. While it doesn't have the same scope as The Avengers, it's definitely the best looking of all the Iron Man movies, especially the visually astounding climax, and the use of a suit that can assemble itself piece by piece. Soundtrackwise, this is a far more mature score, for what is generally a far more mature movie. For the first time, I can't recall hearing an AC/DC song.
Verdict
So when all's said and done, I thought Iron Man 3 was:
Great!!
Much like Iron Man himself, Iron Man 3 has been upgraded in many ways from its predecessors: it's got all the amazing acting, all the heart, all the top notch presentation, and improved action from the previous movies. That being said, the villain was a missed opportunity with what is a polarizing twist, the tone is a bit confusing at times, and some performances were wasted. It doesn't reach the heights of The Avengers by any means, but it's without a doubt superior to Iron Man 2. If it's as good as the first, is a whole other debate in itself. What I can say is that, while it has its flaws, Marvel's Phase 2 is off to a great start.
So, have you seen Iron Man 3? What did you think of it? Was I too harsh or too leniant? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
Yep. That's right. I'm back, bitches. Although I'm not particularily active on the site anymore, I did genuinely miss doing reviews, as talking about movies is something I truly enjoy doing. So, I figured, what better movie to get back into doing reviews for, than the much anticipated Iron Man 3? This movie has the job of following up last year's brilliant Avengers, as well as kicking off Marvel's Phase 2, so a lot rides on this. This movie has it all: action, humour, superheroes, and something I've never seen in a movie before: a henchman who knows when to stop fighting and just go home before he gets blasted. But can it stand up to the hype, and critisism, it's recieved? Here's my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review. Your opinion may very well differ from mine.
Story
The movie follows Tony Stark, who has been struggling to move on from the events of The Avengers. Gods, aliens, and a near death experience have left Tony with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he spends all of his time building countless Iron Man suits, preparing for the worst. The worst comes when something called EXTREMIS, a "missing link" in human evolution that gives people incredible powers, is used to power terrorists, led by the mysterious Mandarin. When an attack from The Mandarin's forces brings Tony's world to a grinding halt and leaves him with absolutely nothing, Tony must fight and build his way back from the ashes to become Iron Man once more, get revenge, and protect what very little he has left to lose.
This was a very interesting route for the Iron Man movies to take, and I found that for the most part, it worked. This is a very different Tony Stark from the one we've seen in the past; he's been deeply affected by the events of The Avengers, and his whole life revolves around keeping the people closest to him safe. Tony Stark grows far more here than he did over the course of Iron Man 2, and even The Avengers. With that being said, while the movie was definitely going for a more mature, dark, personal tone, I felt there were times where the humour could have been toned down. Now, don't get me wrong, I love humour, especially Marvel / Iron Man humour, but there were times in this movie where I felt that even Stark wouldn't be making quips at certain times.
The series is more or less brought back to its roots in this movie. While Iron Man 2 was made to set up for The Avengers, and as a result became too crammed and silly, this is a more independent story, and it really does work. If you want a clearer sense of what the next Avengers will hold, you'll be disappointed, but if you just want a good story about Iron Man, you'll be right at home here. The movie also excels where the other two Iron Man movies have been pretty weak: action. While there isn't a ton of it, the action scenes here are far superior to the other two movies, and it all builds up to a climax that, unlike every Marvel movie other than Avengers, ISN'T a disappointment.
Now, I feel I have to discuss this. At the beginning of the final act of the movie, there is a major plot twist regarding The Mandarin, which I won't spoil. This has had a lot of fans absolutely PISSED. Having seen the movie, I can definitely understand why fans of the comics would be outraged over it, and if that's your mindset walking into this movie, this twist will ruin the movie for you most likely. Having said that, I'm reviewing a movie, not an adaptation of a comic book, and in the context of the movie, it worked. Given all the buildup, the Mandarin was a missed opportunity, but something I could get over. I'll just leave it at that.
Acting
As per usual, Robert Downey Jr. absolutely kills it as Tony Stark, bringing heart and power into the role that many people felt has been missing from Iron Man 2. It's still unknown if Downey will be returning to play Iron Man again or not, as his contract expired with this movie. I'd love to see him play Stark forever, but if this is his last role as Iron Man, he left on a damn good note. The returning regulars, including Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, and a surprise cameo after the credits, all do a great job as well.
The new cast, for the most part, do a great job as well. Guy Pearce brings a lot of charisma and passion into his role as Aldrich Killian, business rival and personal antagonist to Stark, who is somehow connected to the rise of EXTREMIS. Sir Ben Kingsley is menacing and intimidating in his performance as The Mandarin, creating the idea that this terrorist, while just one man, is someone who could bring the entire western world to its knees at the blink of an eye. Rebeca Hall's role in the movie, however, felt rather unnecessary and wasted.
Presentation
The Iron Man movies have always been visual marvels (pun intended), and Iron Man 3 doesn't make an exception. While it doesn't have the same scope as The Avengers, it's definitely the best looking of all the Iron Man movies, especially the visually astounding climax, and the use of a suit that can assemble itself piece by piece. Soundtrackwise, this is a far more mature score, for what is generally a far more mature movie. For the first time, I can't recall hearing an AC/DC song.
Verdict
So when all's said and done, I thought Iron Man 3 was:
Great!!
Much like Iron Man himself, Iron Man 3 has been upgraded in many ways from its predecessors: it's got all the amazing acting, all the heart, all the top notch presentation, and improved action from the previous movies. That being said, the villain was a missed opportunity with what is a polarizing twist, the tone is a bit confusing at times, and some performances were wasted. It doesn't reach the heights of The Avengers by any means, but it's without a doubt superior to Iron Man 2. If it's as good as the first, is a whole other debate in itself. What I can say is that, while it has its flaws, Marvel's Phase 2 is off to a great start.
So, have you seen Iron Man 3? What did you think of it? Was I too harsh or too leniant? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
baylaust out.