A great start for the 2013 Blockbuster Season

Rating: 9/10 (5 May 2013)

May is the starting month for summer blockbusters. "Iron Man 3" is the first one for this season and it does not let down. Rather than being a tie in to the other "Iron Man" films and "The Avengers," this Iron Man stands out completely on its own in merit. To summarize the overall plot of the new Iron Man, it is basically about the champ down on his luck who needs a comeback. Tony Stark's new nemesis is a mysterious terrorist known as the Mandarin, played in an out-of-character role by Ben Kingsley. After obliterating Stark's home and crippling his iron suits, Stark is forced on his own to survive and try to figure out a way to thwart the enemy's plans. We expect Stark to win and we know he willhe's Iron Man after all. Nevertheless, we want to see how he will triumph over his foes. A frequently overused plot device, it still somehow works and makes an intriguing movie.
Things are often predictable (as in most superhero flicks), but there are also some nice surprises. I thank Shane Black for his contribution as both writer and director for the movie. Jon Favreau is still in the picture as producer and Stark's trusting bodyguard Happy Hogan. Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow reprise their roles as Colonel Rhodes and Pepper Potts. Paltrow particularly breaks the norm from the typical damsel in distress and makes a stand with a fiery intensity. Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall step in as new characters, and both seem to be just having fun with their roles (perhaps too much in some scenes).
The film moves at a steady pace. The action and humor is abundant. The VFX is meticulously impressive. The characters are solid. There is nothing more I can ask for in the big budget Super hero flick. "Iron Man 3" kicks off the summer season so far with a smashing success. I hope that "Star Trek Into Darkness" does as well later this month.