After the traumatic events of The Avengers, changed man Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) must deal with the mental, emotional, and physical tolls that saving the world has had on him. While struggling with his identity and his place in the world, a terrorist, The Mandarin, begins wreaking havoc on the world. In typical Stark fashion Iron Man 3 sees the hero refusing to submit to fear or the threat of harm. On his newest journey Stark will find himself among friends in James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), but in the crosshairs of his most intimidating foe yet. Does Tony have what it takes to save the world again, or will the insidious Mandarin and his vicious ways drown Tony in fear and failure?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is broken up into phases and each phase focuses on a different aspect of the greater picture. Phase one concluded with The Avengers and just the next year Iron Man 3 came to be and kickstarted phase two. There’s something very different about Iron Man 3 in comparison to Marvel’s phase one films. One of the major changes between past films and this installment is the fact that Disney, rather than Paramount, helped create this spectacle. With Disney comes certain expectations, including vivid imagery, crisp animation, and deep, personal connections between viewers and the characters on screen. These expectations are not only met, but exceeded.
In general Iron Man 3 presents its viewers with imagery that far surpasses anything that had been done in the past. The film isn’t bigger than The Avengers, but it does possess brighter colors, and it just feels more modern and meticulously developed as a result. These things sound like they have nothing in common, however, seeing the attention to detail in every aspect of the film, including the imagery, proves how much thought was put into developing Iron Man 3. As the MCU develops and the films begin to rely more and more on animation, Iron Man 3 sees a significant jump in obviously animated sequences compared to other solo films up to this point. Again, the attention to detail is so incredibly obvious and viewers are presented with a series of events that, while they certainly aren’t real, appear as real as possible.
Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark has entertained and resonated with viewers from day one. It’s likely fair to say that no one has questioned whether or not Downey Jr. was right for the job or his ability to connect with viewers. However, Iron Man 3 takes the development of Tony Stark to a new level. For some time the film is far more about Tony himself than it is about superheroes or alter egos. Viewers become much more involved in what Tony has going for him than ever before, and Iron Man 3 is better as a result. With this direction change Downey Jr. is tasked with providing his best performance to date, and he delivers beautifully. Quite possibly the best performance of his career up to this point, Iron Man 3 sees Downey Jr. connecting emotionally with viewers and setting the tone for the rest of the MCU.
Iron Man 3 had so much potential. It promised long time fans of Marvel Comics one of the most dangerous baddies that Iron Man has ever faced, the Mandarin. As expected Iron Man 3 consists of a number of twists and turns that keep viewers on their toes and unsure of what to expect. That game plan is one that should have worked wonders, brought viewers to tears, and energized the film. It, however, played out in the exact opposite fashion. As things begin to change within the storyline of Iron Man 3, viewers begin to understand that everything they had believed to be true, and everything that they were promised (the very things that drove viewers to theaters) were lies. At the point when viewers learn of writer-director Shane Black and his co-writer Drew Pearce’s deception, all the love that those fans had for this film is tested like never before. A lot of love was lost throughout the course of Iron Man 3, and it’s a shame that Iron Man’s trilogy came to an end in this fashion, with genuine disappointment.
Iron Man 3 is full of bright colors, sharp sound, and a theme that resonates with viewers far more than either of the previous Iron Man films. The dialogue may be the best of the trilogy, the story is something that resonates with viewers as well as any other in the MCU, and Downey Jr. undoubtedly delivers one of his best performances to date. With so much going for it Iron Man 3 was assured success, but the asinine shift in narrative left viewers underwhelmed and wishing for something very different. Tony Stark/Iron Man still remains the best character in the MCU, but his final film, regardless of all its successes, is a failure in terms of what Marvel typically delivers.
Directed by Shane Black.
Written by Drew Pearce, Shane Black, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, Warren Ellis, & Adi Granov.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ty Simpkins, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Paul Bettany, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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