My Review after the 2nd viewing

Rating: 7/10 (6 October 2013)

I wanted to review this film, but I felt I needed to wait until I saw the film a second time to pass final judgment. My score of 7 stands, but for different reasons than the first time watching.
Firstly, I was one of the people who were massively disappointed by the way Mandarin was handled. This was my main reason for waiting until a second viewing to review. But even before that letdown, I just felt like the film wasn't fitting in with the other Iron Man films.
After my second viewing, I focused some of my points. When it comes to The Mandarin, I accept the value of a good surprise in a film, which that was. I also understand that many people didn't know what a main villain the Mandarin was in the comics, so I can see how many saw this as a cool twist.
The second sitting also helped me articulate the main thing that makes this sequel not totally line up with the others for me. Basically, it's Shane Black. Shane Black is an awesome action writer, no doubt about it, and I love so many of the films he has written. That being said, so many of his themes from other movies are reused here and it makes it feel like more of a Shane Black action film than an Iron man film. Also, I kind of have a resentment toward having a little kid help the hero (it has been done way better in other movies, IMO). The young actor was good, I just feel that his part was a little...Shortround-y.
The action in this movie is great, all the actors put in good performances (especially 2013's go-to summer movie supporting actor James Badge Dale, this guy needs a lead role!) The plot , like I said has a huge twist. However, the "going back to where it all started" plot device is a bit tired, especially in a third movie. The story veered awfully close to Spider-Man 3 territory here. If one or two more coincidences from the past had been shoved in, it would have been really hard to buy. While it was a stretch, I am able to buy it this case, but just barely. The problem with reaching back and altering the past in a film is that you risk tainting the original story. The core Iron Man story did not get tainted here, but I'd be lying if I said the "revelations" in this film didn't make the past mythology murky for me. Aldrich Killian, briefly, was not a fully satisfying villain for me. I thought that Guy Pearce was great but since I wasn't really on board with the "enemy from the past" plot, I found him the least entertaining villain so far. Ben Kingsley, like the Mandarin or not, is hilarious.
The ending of Iron man 3 is very fitting, especially if it is the last time we see RDJ in a solo Iron man film. I think the 'arc' of Tony Stark's character is really dealt with well in the movie and the ending was very satisfying to me, even if the journey was a bit hard to swallow. Overall, I give it a c+. Easily my least favorite in the series and the only one that I feel I have any actual complaints about. Marvel's Track record is still pretty darn good in my book. Looking forward to seeing Iron man again in Age Of Ultron!!