An electrifying but provocative comic-book film.

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2014)

Iron Man 3 is another solid entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's somewhat different from the two Iron Man films before because Shane Black replaced Jon Favreau as director. Favreau's influence on the film is evident, and he appears in his role as Happy Hogan, now Stark Industries head of security. Iron Man 3 offers just as much popcorn entertainment as Favreau's efforts. It's a more interesting film than Iron Man 2 (2010) because Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) has to rely on his smarts and innovation instead of his firepower as he faces forces beyond his control. Iron Man 2 is a solid, enjoyable sequel but it was a bit of a letdown after Iron Man (2008). In Iron Man 3 the screenplay by Shane Black and Drew Pearce takes unexpected turns for a superhero movie. Purists may be upset by the changes from the comic books, but the surprises are actually neat. The big reason why this works is because the new actors, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, James Badge Dale, Ty Simpkins and Stephanie Szostak, deliver memorable performances. Downey, Jr. is as good as ever, and he handles the humor just as well as in the terrific crime-comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). But Shane Black didn't bring only his clever comedy to Iron Man 3. He maintained the series' playful tone without neglecting Stark's struggle. He also delivered spectacular action set pieces in which Iron Man gets to put his abilities to good use, like in the dizzying action sequence involving Air Force One. Iron Man 3 is definitely the funniest Marvel film yet, but the drama involving Extremis is no less effective. The visual effects for the film were handled by 17 companies, including Scanline VFX, Digital Domain, and Weta Digital. Thanks to the excellent CGI we get to see the good-looking suits that Tony Stark has been working on. After the events of The Avengers (2012) he didn't spend all his time brooding because of his posttraumatic stress disorder. Brian Tyler contributed a good, bombastic music score for Iron Man 3. It features a memorable theme, and works well with the drama of the film too. I've seen all the Marvel films in a theater and, just like all of them, Iron Man 3 wasn't a letdown. The action, the comedy, the drama, the acting, and simply the intelligence of these films always make them enjoyable. Producer Kevin Feige was influenced by RoboCop (1987), something that makes it clear what his formula is. I definitely recommend Iron Man 3. It's a strong finish to a good trilogy.