Iron Man 3

Rating: 6/10 (30 April 2013)

Arriving before its North American landing, IRON MAN 3 pulls off a momentous debuting in its international market, I saw it in a plain 2D version and, about this franchise, IRON MAN (2008, 8/10) is a left field coup, a middle-aged superhero to clinch the youth-dominated market, only Robert Downey Jr. could nail it with dapper openness and wisecracking debonair. So within six years span, a fourth cranked-out (if one counts THE AVENGERS 2012, 5/10) comes on strong this year to ignite the summer powder keg. Personally I skipped IRON MAN 2 (2010) though I still possess the DVD, and the only reason why IRON MAN 3 interests me is the Chinese element, reportedly three Chinese actors are on the slate of the cast, Xueqi Wang, Bingbing Fan and Jing Wu, but it turned out to be an utter scam, only Xueqi Wang appeared in about 3 seconds in 2 fleeting scenes with one line "Nihao" ("hello" in Mandarin) and so is Ben Kingsley's "The Mandarin", the ostensible ringleader of the terrorists (more Al-Qaeda than mandarin).
So what this new episode has offered to its devoted fanboys apart from the cookie-cutter template of the mega-Superhero action flicker? Since there are no succour from his fellow The Shields' teammates, Iron Man 3 perfunctorily opts to mass-produce the iron-clad robots to rescue the world (perish the undying human mutants), a lame and opportunist move to simplify the mess it creates and spurn any logistic plausibility (at least notify us how to kill mutants for good since they can regenerate themselves under any terms of damage), not to mention the cliffhanging twist of Pepper Potts, maybe it is all written in the next sequel.
Fans will never get enough of raking and levelling, it is undeniable that the demolition of Stark's mansion is visually stunning and apocalyptic, and the esprit-de-corps of the plane-wrecking rescue is also worth the wait (thanks to the telltale trailer), but in the end, the inevitable face-off is a kill-joy, compared with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012, 8/10), IRON MAN 3 looks as feckless as a light-hearted comedy, and its success can mainly be indebted towards Mr. Downey's omnipotent appeal, a rakish fop who owns everything and is sternly faithful to his partner (although a certain degree of promiscuity is a requisite), and more alluring, he can create superheroes.
Paltrow has more action sequences demanding out of her gaunt physique, and also shoulders a turnabout climax in the end, but still a trophy secretary-lover. Guy Pearce is a common-or- garden villain here (not as remotely interesting as in LAWLESS 2011, 8/10 last year), Ben Kinsley on the other hand, is the comic relief (besides Tony Stark) here, wackily inconsequential but a timely buffer from the intensified situation. Don Cheadle is ham-fisted as the other iron fighter and Rebecca Hall does evince cursory nuances for her expendable character. Among others, James Badge Dale (from SHAME 2011, 9/10 and FLIGHT 2012, 7/10) finally found his stepping- stone into mainstream showbiz, his indestructible henchman even makes his boss pale in comparison.
A puff of fresher air comes from the interaction between Stark and a fatherless boy (Ty Simpkins) at a rustic Tennessee setting, with jocular ripostes and a paternal bond affectingly enriches Tony Stark's personality and one plainly wishes this part would be more to offer. However, as the turnover rate has been accelerated dramatically these years in the superhero assembly-line, IRON MAN 3 is a serviceable vehicle to appease its core audience's anticipation, and if put into a larger picture, it is not innovate enough to be a game-changer as its prototype, it is just another helluva sequel, trite but lucrative. But it will be a sad sack if Mr. Downey keeps churning out the persona into his fifties, it could be a grand farewell for the trilogy, and future cameos are warmly welcome.