Iron Man 3 – A HO Film Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, Don Cheadle
Directed by Shane Black

Iron Man 3 begins shortly after the events of The Avengers, with Stark holing himself up in his workshop all the while attempting to hold off his increasing insomnia.  This incessant insomnia is causing him to slip away from the Stark we all know and love.  His now-girlfriend, Pepper Pots (Paltrow), and friend / former bodyguard, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau, also the director of the first two films), are overwhelmed with growing concern about this hermit-like identity crisis their dear Tony has come to endure.

Enter The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a vicious terrorist staking claims across the world for his horrendous act.  The Mandarin is someone Rhody (Cheadle) and the government wishes to handle on their own for once, yet Stark cannot let this one go.  He needs this.  When Happy is inadvertently thrown into the middle of a Mandarin attack, Tony goes deeper to find the heart of The Mandarin’s plan. Throw in Guy Pearce as genius scientist Aldrich Killian and some very clever dialogue with a 6 year-old and you have Iron Man 3.

Now, Iron Man 3 is more akin to a spin-off of The Avengers than a direct sequel to the first 2 films.  Structurally, tonally and especially in terms of character.  Where the first 2 films gave Tony Stark, billionaire & brilliant scientist, plenty of room to develop his Iron Man suit as well as consistently fend off foes and sweet honeys, Iron Man 3 takes on a more character driven approach.   This film is about Stark losing his way and growing as a man.  Finding himself and finally shedding his metaphorical skin.  What did coming back to Earth from that wormhole truly mean?   Yes, there are a lot of metaphors here.

Therein lies the one problem with the film – the hammering home of Stark’s development.  While it is fantastic to finally see a sequel, much less a third film, take a serious swipe at fully developing the human side of a superhero…it’s done to the detriment of the film’s pacing.  The middle of the film drags just enough to make you realize that they are definitely trying something different, with several genuine surprises, yet several scenes could easily have been tightened up for a better flow.  Thankfully, every time you are treated to a whaaaa moment…back comes The Downey.

Robert Downey Jr. just may be the most perfect casting of a comic book character ever.  Most likely because he IS Tony Stark.  Whether that statement is completely factual matters not, in my mind it is so.  Seeing Downey the actor, play Stark the playboy, is like watching a painting in motion.  He commands your attention, plays with the audience’s expectations, and then departs just when you demand more.  Just like Tony Stark.  Feel free to interchange your Batman’s and Spider-Man’s – But Tony Stark IS Downey, Jr.

Paltrow is given much more to do here and she rises to the occasion, delivering the true heart of the film.  Cheadle is still no Terrence Howard but he has taken on the role of Rhody / War Machine with an enjoyable flare.  Favreau is genuinely amusing in his expanded role as Happy and it was nice to see him let loose. Oh, and Pearce remains one of the better character actors working today, giving a layered performance in a small role.

Now, Kingsley as Mandarin.  Hmmm.  It is hard to go into his portrayal without discussing his intentions so we will say that for what the film demands of him, he nails it.  He adds a level of theatricality necessary for the character and for a brief moment I had concern that this would divulge into camp, which thankfully he steered away from.  Not akin to the Joker as some have claimed though, not even close.

So I mentioned tone and pacing and that is where my only real concern with Iron Man 3 is – Shane Black.  For those that do not know Black, he wrote Lethal Weapon and wrote / directed Downey, Jr.’s Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, one of my favorite films.  Black does witty banter better than any writer in Hollywood and it is never more evident than here.  He takes Stark’s every interaction and turns it into something to stand up for, even when insulting a child.  The issues I have are that there is a little too much Shane Black in this Marvel film and it took away from the ‘Superhero’ aspect of it all.

There is a scene near the end of the film, with Rhody and Tony, which feels as though it was lifted straight out of Lethal Weapon.  Danny Glover could have popped in for a wave and I would not have been surprised in the least.  If you have seen Lethal Weapon, you will know exactly the scene.  Seeing Tony Stark using a gun in an Iron Man film just took me out of the moment and felt extremely out of place.  Black also spent too much time acclimating Stark back into his world after the Mandarin takes the fight to him. Thankfully, this was only a small part of the film and the rest of the film soared on dialogue and performances alone.

In closing, Iron Man 3 was a little uneven in places, but overall a fun film and a very good start to the summer season.  Is it the fantastic start that Avengers was?  No.  But it’s a fun film in its own right.  I commend Marvel for trying a different tone and direction with such a well-established franchise.  While I may not think every aspect works, you cannot help but be impressed that they did not take the easy way out.

If $10 is the full price of admission, this one’s worth $6.50.

 

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider Podcast