Iron Man Three

Iron Man 3 is the Skyfall of Marvel adaptations. Jon Favreau’s original boyish entertainment greatly benefits from the darker and more mature tone. The realist and cynic Shane Black loves Iron Man and develops the character of this most interesting Marvel hero to a depth that no Avenger has received yet, while preserving Marvel’s trademark playfulness. Stark’s feelings and protectiveness towards Pepper are more tangible, while his existential considerations are more selfcritical and fitting. In addition, there’s a great game of good guys and bad guys going on, where the character of Stark’s ex-girlfriend, played by Rebecca Hall, makes sense, as – most importantly – do both villains (Raimi, watch and learn). They deliver a clever and – with regard to the skeletons in the closet of today’s global politics – provocative twist, which also gives some space to the delicious creation by Ben Kingsley, my favorite. In addition (especially in the second half), expect some great humor and easy-to-follow, firework-like action, which will make you think that special effects just cannot evolve any further (in the end credits, pay attention to the number of members of the Digital Effects Crew). Iron Man 3 is an intelligent blockbuster super show made by enthusiasts and perfectionists, and it won me over completely also thanks to its many perfect details – the fragile Gwyneth Paltrow in an elegant white costume, Iron Man glove ideas and self-dressing armor, b&w buddy teamwork reminiscent of the best Lethal Weapon movies, and the fantastic airborne scene with the clever use of a 3D arrangement of people falling in space, supported by great superhero motif (for me, the highlight of the movie). Marvel should open its own Marvel Studios following the example of Universal Studios amusement parks and dedicate a section of it to the third Iron Man. (04/26/2013)

The third Iron Man is a bit too minimalist in my opinion and overloaded with too many alternative plot elements. The first one was nicely compact and light. The second was oversized, but the action scenes were breathtaking and spectacularly executed. The third one is chatty, somewhat funny, the inner "Dark Knight" mood of the main character is a bit excessive with a considerable amount of irony, and there is almost no action (only two scenes, one of which is breathtaking, and the other is traditionally overwrought). I wanted a summer blockbuster, but what could they come up with in the third installment (the fourth one if I count the pumped-up Avengers) to make it feel fresh, innovative, and entertaining for millions of people? There isn't much. They got serious and humanized Iron Man, some people like it, some don't. I wanted to be "carried away" and instead, I was forced to "think". (05/03/2013)

After the rampage of The Avengers, which was spectacular but missed the mark emotionally, Iron Man 3 is an enjoyable attempt to add humanity to Marvel comic-book adaptations. This is a film that (intentionally) makes mistakes. With Shane Black, we are accustomed to the refreshing sincerity of the protagonists and transgressions against the genre, but a film that cost 200 million dollars to make provides an unexpected context for his detached view, which leads to greater wonder and admiration (you wouldn’t normally expect certain means of self-parody in a spectacular action climax). At a lower level, the protagonist also makes mistakes. Tony Stark has to get by willy-nilly without amusing technological toys for a third of the film, which forces him to rely on his own ingenuity and the help of others. He purges his identity of the media sludge (while not being the film’s only victim of the media’s reconstruction of reality) and casts off the burden of being a superhero, which is the main cause of his anxiety. The film also returns to the time before the dominance of technology by reviving – and, at the same time, relativising – the western myth (instead of the romantic settlement of the west, the Sand Creek Massacre is recalled; Stark has no problem with wearing first an Indian poncho and then a cowboy hat). The stronger emphasis on the human factor enabled Black to construct the film as a series of buddy-movie collaborations. Stark always has at hand a machine or person on which he can exercise his keen wit (Jarvis, Harley, Rhodes) and demonstrate his superiority. Despite all of the stumbles and the declaration that this time it will be about personal vengeance, he remains a true American hero who can convince you of the necessity of using weapons of mass destruction with a charming smile and a dry one-liner. In the final analysis, however, the unspectacular beginning (for a film of this format), drawn-out action scenes, underused voice-over (akin to that of Woody Allen movies and film noir) and the occasionally violent attempt at humour are only minor flaws in this bit of summer entertainment, which I see primarily as Shane Black’s grand return. I felt in places that I had gone back in time to the 1990s and was watching some of the audiovisual instructions on how to make smart and imaginative action comedies. Jon Favreau can safely stay in bed and enjoy Downton Abbey. 85% (05/13/2013)

Kiss Black's ass! If we were to take this part to be an action thriller with elements of crazy comedy, it would make this decent, but not that great goods, but... In the comic waters of Marvel this is a breath of fresh air and a sign of the creators’ brave attempt to push something from inside them into the enclosed universe (which worked best in the playful end credits sequence). That dark odor that seeped from the trailers is, like a good half of the plot, just a charade that is incredibly entertaining, even before the curtains open. The uncompromising Mandarin makes things hot for Tony, who it seems knows fear for the first ever time in his life. Extremis is a gift from the gods and brings so-needed invention into the fights with him (the inferno suit could only perhaps be trumped by a galactic war). Savin (James Badge dale enjoys this role) and his gang bravely resist the metal suits. Guy Pearce (cutely disheveled at the beginning, then stylishly slimy) is overshadowed a little by Sir Ben Kingsley who is unbeatable and towers over all other comic book villains. Robert Downey Jr. shows a slightly different side of Tony Stark, borrowing something from the role of Harry in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which is very refreshing. Mainly taunting the little boy and the terse verbal exchanges with Rhodey (Iron Patriot is here basically as a joke). The action is a little hard to follow, but I’ve seen worse. Saving Air Force One is marvelous, for instance. The half-equipped Tony is marvelous. The finale with the boat, but the suits...not really... In any case, this is a marvelous watch, powerful in dialogs and story. This is just the right direction they should take in phase two. Bring on Thor and the Capo. P.S.: In some places the whole theater (all 3 people) laughed. Potato Gun Mark II. (05/06/2013)

The best Iron Man, sure, but nothing to write home about. It’s the same playful Marvel as we know it, it doesn’t get darker or rougher in any significant way. The one really interesting thing is the twist with the Mandarin, its ambition is something not very common for Marvel, with some tangible overlap, that is. But it all ends after a couple of sentences, the whole thing is quickly forgotten and plot moves forward to the mandatory and pathetic rescue of the scumbags and the American presidents of the world, with inconsistently explained rules and a bland villain. But it’s pretty good fun, even if some of the jokes are repeated, Stark’s seizures look from another (better) film and the action could be more clear and dynamic. What I liked the most were the retro end credits. 7/10 (05/04/2013)