Iron Man 3

"Excellent"

Iron Man 3 Review


Changing the writer and director for this third Iron Man movie turns out to be the best thing that could have happened, because Shane Black is a much more focussed filmmaker, and he gives this franchise a badly needed kick. We know that he and Downey work well together (see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), but we could never have anticipated how Black would bring clarity to Downey's comical riffs. He also makes the action scenes much more human, and therefore a lot more thrilling.

The story takes place in the overall Marvel chronology. Wealthy arms manufacturer Tony Stark (Downey) is feeling badly shaken by his experience working with the Avengers to fight off an alien invasion. So he dives into his work and neglects his relationship with Pepper (Paltrow), who also runs his company. Then two faces from the past reappear: bio-scientist Maya (Hall) is an old colleague of Tony's, while technical genius Aldrich (Pearce) has a past with Pepper. And both seem somehow connected to a wave of nasty bombings that is terrorising America, masterminded by a menacing man who calls himself the Mandarin (Kingsley). And the Mandarin's next target is Tony.

Intriguingly, the script keeps Tony out of the Iron Man suit for much of the film's running time, which makes his character feel much more grounded than ever before. It also makes the action set pieces even more spectacular, since they're not mere robot-vs-robot animated battles. So even if the dialog is peppered with technical gibberish, at least it has a personal dimension. Which not only deepens Tony and Pepper as characters, but makes the surrounding people more interesting. These include Tony's old pal (Cheadle), two self-healing goons (Dale and Szostak) and a pre-teen (Simpkins) who helps Tony. And with his constantly surprising character, Kingsley very nearly steals the show.

Black proves to be expert at directing enormous action sequences that are bracingly coherent. Each of the three key set-pieces uses jaw-dropping inventiveness to push the story ever-forward, never letting the digital effects work take over the movie. Even the 3D is subtle and effective because it's never too flashy. In other words, keeping Tony out of his metal suit was a stroke of genius. And Black has hopefully given Marvel a more human focus that can continue into future adventures.

Rich Cline



Facts and Figures

Genre: Action/Adventure

Run time: 130 mins

In Theaters: Friday 3rd May 2013

Box Office USA: $409.0M

Box Office Worldwide: $1.2B

Budget: $200M

Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures

Production compaines: Marvel Studios, Paramount Pictures, DMG Entertainment

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Fresh: 220 Rotten: 61

IMDB: 7.3 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer:

Starring: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, as Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, as Aldrich Killian, as Lt. Col. James Rhodes, as Trevor Slattery, as Maya Hansen, as Happy Hogan, as Jarvis (voice), as President Ellis, as Savin, as Miss Elkridge, as Jack Taggert, as Rose Hills Sherrif, Bridger Zadina as Richie, Chris Gethard as Juan, Roy McCrerey as Military Advisor, as Hollywood Type, as Ellen Brandt, Noah Visconti as Neptune's Net Boy, as Harley Keener, Jenna Ortega as Vice President's Daughter, Bronte D'Esposito as Neptune's Net Girl, as Vice President Rodriguez, as Pageant Judge

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews