Film Review: Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3    7/10

Director: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
Plot: a terrorist called The Mandarin enters Tony Stark’s world, and only he can defeat him.

After the uninspiring, mediocre Iron Man 2 and then the explosive, inventive Avengers Assemble, Tony Stark has undergone a rapid change in recent years. The problems with the second Iron Man film included a poor script, uninteresting plot and an overlong running time. Iron Man 3, despite still having some flaws, has overcome the majority of the hurdles the character has previously faced, with some nice surprises.

Firstly, the action sequences are staged to a phenomenal level. Some of the set pieces challenge the likes of the Avengers Assemble in scale (with no Thor in sight!) The impressive collapse of Tony Stark’s house is far lengthier, grander and more exciting than the trailer teases (particularly thrilling in IMAX). The ‘Air Force One’ scene is incredibly realistic also; the falling of several passengers from an airplane turns into a mammoth catch-and-save mission at insane speeds. Black, a new director for the third instalment, has pumped adrenaline into the series which was squandered throughout the second film.

Also, the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow - the two stars - are as fabulous as ever, with Paltrow finally getting more screen time (yet still barely enough). The film also boasts an impressive supporting cast; Ben Kingsley is chilling as The Mandarin (though heavily underused – those who have seen the film will understand) and Rebecca Hall is a surprising addition to the team (after her fantastic performance in The Awakening).

Now to the downside; the film sadly, hasn’t improved hugely on the script of the second. The overwhelming amounts of humour seem a little repetitive after a while and certain moments (particularly in the final thirty minutes) are incredibly predictable, removing the shock value of certain scenes. The change the film undergoes is also disappointing; whilst it’s difficult not to give it away, the film has marketed itself entirely differently, yet not in a good way. The change the film undergoes lacks any real punch and feels slightly anti-climatic in the final conclusion. Sadly, Guy Pearce falls into the role of Aldrich Killian, and doesn’t quite pull of the role as one would hope; there’s nothing new to see in his character and is fairly forgetful.

In Conclusion: boasting mammoth special effects, a wonderful cast and a suitable running time, Iron Man 3 is another exciting addition to the Marvel series. However, the film feels inconclusive and, inevitability, steering towards a larger goal… which boasts the ultimate question – is another Iron Man film really needed?