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.
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?
I LOVED this movie. (Tony Stark's panic attacks hit me among other things.) But like you said, is another Iron Man film really needed?
ReplyDeleteI love RDJ as Stark but I feel like this would've been a great conclusion to the Iron Man trilogy.
I've come to terms with the fact that there probably *will* be another Iron Man film (for financial reasons) but like you, I feel like this is the perfect end to the trilogy.
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