Not perfect but risky and enjoyable throughout

Rating: 8/10 (26 June 2013)

Ever since the release of the first installment back in 2008 I've been a big fan of the series, I caught the first flick on the big screen 3 times and it's sequel twice, so my anticipation was high. I'd intentionally avoided most of the trailer, TV spots and early reviews as I tend to find too much exposure to pre-release hype diminishes the actual viewing experience, but I had a general idea of the direction. I'm also a big fan of director Shane Black and specifically Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, an action/comedy/buddy flick, set at Christmas featuring Robert Downey Jr, so I also had a general idea of what to expect in terms of artistic tone and I was not disappointed with what I saw.
Easily the best Iron Man movie so far, the movie finds itself in an unusual position, not only is it the direct sequel to Iron Man 2 it also follows the events of The Avengers which plays a big role in the character development of Tony, who finds himself suffering from severe panic attacks which is understandable for a guy who just flew a nuclear weapon in a giant worm hole in the sky above New York opened by an army of evil intergalactic space aliens. So how do you create an appropriate threat for the man of Iron now that he's fought Avengers level threats? The answer is to cripple Tony's confidence, take him back to basics, essentially fighting himself back out of the proverbial cave with a bunch of scraps.
What Shane Black has achieved is the funniest Iron Man movie that also features stunning action sequences, something that was somewhat lacking in the previous installments. As always the dialogue is witty and expertly delivered by Downey, but what really had me laughing out loud was a particularly inventive sequence featuring a not quite complete Iron Man suit.
The big third act finally has been pretty much spoiled by every single trailer they put out but it still manages to deliver in terms of sheer 'ZOMG' awesomeness.
I loved the relationship between Tony and the little boy and was genuinely touched by the heart warming ending. I've seen a few reactions by people wondering how Tony will feature in future installments specifically Avengers 2 now that he has removed his chest piece and destroyed all his suits, I would point out that it the chest piece isn't required to use an Iron Man suit, War Machine uses one, Iron Monger used one in IM1, Whiplash used a suit in IM2, Pepper Potts uses the suit briefly, so Tony will still be able to use an Iron Man suit when required. As to the destruction of his entire arsenal, He's Tony Stark, come on, of course he's gonna make more suits. He even says right at the end of the film, I am Iron Man. And essentially I always will be no matter what happens to me. And in case you had any doubt at all, the movie even spells it out for you in the end credits, Tony Stark will return. Speaking of end credits the stinger, the amount of people who stayed glued to their seats in anticipation of the now famous Marvel stingers was really a testament to their appeal. I really enjoyed this one, the relationship between Tony and Bruce was something I really enjoyed in The Avengers and I'm really glad they've decided to build upon that.
Now just as few things I do have an issue with, The Ten Rings? As revealed in this movie The Madarin was nothing more than a tool used to manipulate the public, created by Aldrich Killan, that in itself I have no problem but it does raise one important question, what was going on in the first movie when the Ten Rings kidnapped Tony? Are we to now believe that Aldrich Killian was behind it all along? Or has Shane Black just created a pretty sizeable plot hole in the entire Iron Man series?
That being said I really dug the movie and I'm super excited for the future of the Marvel cinematic Universe.