Director: Shane Black
Screenplay: Shane Black, Drew Pearce
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley
Runtime: 130 min
Hold on to your seats! This is gonna be one crazy ride! – That should have been the tag line before we stepped in to watch Shane Black’s Iron Man 3, the follow up to Joss Whedon’s The Avengers and the first film in Marvel’s Phase 2 film line up. What audiences are presented with is a totally new Marvel experience.
Iron Man 3 follows genius billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as he battles with personal issues following the events in New York, as seen in The Avengers. While trying to keep himself busy, a new threat emerges in the form of The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a ‘terrorist’ who simply has no limits. When Stark’s personal world is shattered, he set’s out on a journey to take down those responsible but more so, to answer the questions that has haunted him for a long time: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
The film has received mix reactions from audiences and critics so to put it straight, Iron Man 3 has taken a different approach than other Marvel films. What we get to observe in Iron Man 3 is a detailed study of character, something the first film established very well. In Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, we got to see the pain and struggle that pushed Tony Stark to put on the metal. In Iron Man 3, that pain and struggle is taken a step further, pushing Tony Stark to find out if the world of Iron Man is what defines him or if there is something more.
Robert Downey Jr. has always been a fantastic actor and his portrayal of Tony Stark has always been spot on. In Iron Man 3, he provides a more refreshing portrait of the billionaire, something we have not seen in the characters last three appearances. We see emotions that were otherwise hidden under Stark’s witty charm and cocky attitude. It’s quite nice to see a character ‘mature’ to a stage that creates all sorts of possibilities in the story line. Another actor that really took it to a whole new level in this film was Gwyneth Paltrow and her portrayal of sweet Pepper Potts. Frankly, if I say anymore, it will ruin the unexpected moments!
Characters that were a bit disappointing included Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). The performances by each actor were brilliant but their characters, unfortunately, were totally not in tune with the established story lines. Hardcore comic book buffs might be tempted to throw a half-empty bag of popcorn at the screen when the revelations are made. With that said, if you were to chill your superhero side and view the film from a movie point of view, Iron Man 3 sets-up a very interesting plot for future films, that could be a million times more ‘explosive’.
Sticking to the point about the story: I believe that to be the disappointing element of the film. As mentioned, it does not follow the established story lines, messing around with characters, their purposes and their overall impact to Tony Stark’s world. The story has only one strong element and that is the development of Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark. The majority of the 130 minutes really dives deep into Stark and creates a film that takes his character within the Marvel Universe in a totally different direction. However, the other flaws in the story are a tad hard to ignore, especially considering this is the big Iron Man solo-comeback since Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Again, as mentioned before, the story has opened a door to an interesting follow-up, assuming the studios choose to go that route.
The film itself – looking at the action sequences and the effects – is absolutely brilliant. The bazillion visual effects and special effects artists involved with the film have done a splendid job of capturing the jaw dropping visual experience we have become use to in Marvel films. In fact, in comparison to all the past marvel films – including The Avengers – Iron Man 3 has some of the best visual effects we have seen in a superhero film. There are moments in the film where you go “but that’s not possible?” and then you follow-up with “you know what, who cares?!” The entire film, as a visual experience, is just a treat!
Credit where credit is due: Shane Black has taken a gutsy approach to Tony Stark and his alter ego Iron Man and has created a film worthy of recognition. The effects are fantastic and the development of Tony Stark is spot on. The backlash is likely going to come because of the way the film has been sold to audiences, who are going to go in expecting a certain kind of film with a particular story. If you ignore some of the mistakes the film makes, Iron Man 3 is an entertaining thrill ride that takes Stark’s character in an all new direction. In a nut shell, Iron Man 3 is an excellent study of character, truly highlighting each character in a way not done in previous films. It is not the best Iron Man film, but certainly a refreshing one.
Iron Man 3 releases Canada-wide on May 3rd.
Photo Credits: Disney Canada
