Iron Man 3 Review: Part 2.

Here is the second and final part of my Iron Man 3 review. Just as before, it is free of any spoilers.

 

Plot: 9.9/10- Iron Man 3 did just about everything right. The dialogue was better than ever, which is a tough feat, considering how great the dialogue was in the previous Iron Man films. The supporting characters were given a better role, particularly Don Cheadle as "Rhodey". Similar to Lethal Weapon, Tony and Rhodey had a great buddy-cop vibe together in the film and their dialogue was excellent. At the plot twist my mouth was literally hanging open in amazement! Shane Black had some serious guts to do it and I respect him for that. Never have I been that shocked during a film ever maybe, which is something that rarely happens today. Being knowledgeable of the comics, a few of the minor twists were expected but like any great book adaption, I loved it all the same. Another thing that makes Iron Man 3 great is that he is suit working out some kinks with the new suit just like the first Iron Man film, which is one of the many reasons it was so great. The film had the perfect balance of epic finality and personal struggle. Also Iron Man 3 had a much more comic book feel, which makes sense considering what happened in The Avengers. There are references that are not in-your-face but more subtle, which worked well in the context of the film. My only slight disappoint in the plot was how the ending wrapped things up a little too quickly, other than that, everything was fantastic.

Some may try to compare it to The Dark Knight Rises because it is the third chapter of an epic comic book hero trilogy, but there are not that many similarities, except for a slightly darker tone. There is another comparison to a film that I will talk more about in the spoilers post.  

While the film does have some callbacks to The Avengers, which were handled well, however Iron Man 3 is its own film and basically the sequel to both the Avengers and Iron Man 2. When watching it with a friend who had not seen The Avengers and only Iron Man 2, he enjoyed it with only knowing a few minor plot details of The Avengers. However, if you have not seen The Avengers, I take pity on your poor soul, after reading this review, stop what you are doing and go buy the Avengers and watch it! Right now!

Action: 9.9/10- Although there was not a lot of action in the beginning, Iron Man 3 has some of the best action scenes since The Avengers! Surprising there were not as many pure Iron Man in the suit type battles, it was more gunfights or a combination of both. There was one scene in particular that reminded me of an espionage film more than anything and I loved it! It was so cool and fun to watch. The final battle was pure awesomeness! It everything that I wanted the final fight to be, couldn't have been better. Black's fight choreography and camera work was spot on; there was never a scene that was too dark or any use of shaky-cam.

Acting: 10/10- I know will never happen for this role, but Robert Downey Jr. should a freaking Oscar! He was beyond fantastic as Tony Stark. Downey mixes the witty/sarcastic humor with deeper character problems perfectly. His PTSD is clearly validated from his experiences in The Avengers. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts was perfect as always and her banter with Downey was often humorous and had a sense of realism. She could have been in the film a little more, however absent was given due reason. Don Cheadle as Rhodey/War Machine was the surprise of the film to me. His role was expanded and there was a buddy cop type relationship between him and Tony, similar to Lethal Weapon.

Ben Kingsley killed it as the dastardly Mandarin, proving yet again why he is one of the best actors in the business. Guy Pearce was great overall, there was one scene where may have been a little over-the-top, however his character was given enough depth. Rebecca Hall’s role was very minor and was not intended to be more than a plot device, yet she was still solid in her role. Former director Jon Favreau was given more character depth and more to do than just be a stupid comic relief, although he was often hilarious. The villain’s henchmen played by James Badge Dale and Stephanie Szostak played their role well considering their minor part in the film. Ty Simpkins as Harley was surprising great for a child actor. He was never annoying in the slightest and only added to the film.

Special effects: 9.9/10- How does Marvel do it? The Avengers’ special effects looked so ridiculously realistic that you almost forgot that there were any effects used and Iron Man 3 does the same. Many of the effects were probably practical effects and some of the others had to have been digital, all of which looked amazing. Since the first Iron Man, everything has been so convincing in his movies it is difficult to tell when CGI is actually used anymore, it is that good.

Soundtrack: 9.9/10- Brian Tyler’s score is incredible! The soundtrack perfectly fits the tone of the film, particularly the main theme, which is used throughout the film in multiple variations. Also the track played during the credits is one of my favorite film tracks since The Avengers.

Comedy: 9.7/10- While definitely not a comedy, Shane Black’s witty script and cast’s adlib dialogue is often hilarious. Robert Downey Jr. is funnier than ever, and his banter with Cheadle created some great humor. I only wish Tony and Pepper could have had more humorous dialogue together like the first Iron Man film.

Would I Watch This Again: When will the Blu-Ray be available to pre-order? I am buying as soon as it is released or when an Iron Man trilogy box set is released, because I cannot wait to see it again!

Overall: 9.9/10- Iron Man 3 takes big risks that you will either love or hate, but to me Iron Man 3 is everything I wanted and then some. Basically, do yourself a favor and watch Iron Man 3, even if you do not love it; it is a blast to watch.

 

Closing comments: Obvious Iron Man 3 is no Avengers; however it is the perfect conclusion to one of the best film trilogies ever made.

 

Recommended for: Everyone, Comic Book fans, Action fans, Robert Downey Jr. fans, Action Adventure fans, Sci-Fi fans, Anyone how watched The Avengers,

 

I encourage spoilers in the comments, so beware if you have not seen the film.

 

Note: For this review I have elected to remove my usual plot summery as to not spoil the plot and because the trailer gives away enough already.

Please check back tomorrow for more on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Friday for a Wreck-It Ralph review and maybe next week for a full Iron Man 3 spoiler discussion.

 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.