Is ‘Iron Man 3’ what we thought it’d be?
By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor
4/5
Marvel, from here on out, will have its name associated with one of the most ambitions film experiments ever done. With seven movies now released as part of the Avengers storyline (eight come November with Thor: The Dark World), it’s amazing that all have ranged from decent to downright incredible—so how does Iron Man 3 hold up?
Set some time after the events of The Avengers (2012), charming bad boy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has been somewhat reduced to a reclusive, post-traumatic stressed state (albeit still a charming bad boy). Obsessing over a number of new Iron Man suits and putting his lady pal Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) aside, Stark’s not at his best. Demons from an even further past for Stark also show up in the form of Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a scientist who Stark once painfully insulted, and ex-girlfriend Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), who’s come to share some surprising news with Stark. In the midst of all this, several terrorist bombings at the hands of a man who calls himself “The Mandarin” (Ben Kingsley) have occurred across the US, and it’s not long before Stark is forced to get involved.
With four movies now involving the character of Tony Stark, it is initially very difficult to keep any sort of interest in what’s going on with him for the first third of this film. But, in a brilliant writing move, making Stark actually vulnerable with overwhelming panic attacks is, plot-wise, one of the highlights of the film, and I’m glad it kept me watching. There’s a lot that happens in Iron Man 3, and try as you might to be uninterested (I certainly did), the movie’s actually a fun ride, to the point where even its action sequences are inspired.
Like The Dark Knight Rises was to The Dark Knight, there was no way in hell Iron Man 3 would be as great as The Avengers. However, unlike Rises, Iron Man 3 does a superb job at bringing a close to Tony Stark’s personal arc, and is more than worthy of its ticket price (as long as it’s not in 3D).
