Brings the action; lacks the depth. Ironman's getting rusty.

Rating: 7/10 (25 April 2013)

Analysis of the film's pro's and con's.
Pro's:
1. The action sequences were beautiful. The final battle on the ship was very nice; the way it ebbed and flowed was very well done. Real suspense was built which shouldn't be taken for granted as that's very difficult to do when you basically KNOW Ironman won't die.
The appearance of Ironman's "back up" was a stroke of genius also. It's too bad we couldn't get more into his ability to control suits remotely. I felt like we had just begun to touch the tip of the iceberg in regard to the vast potential technology.
2. Robert D. J. is always good ... he's authentic. What more can I say about him; he loves the character he's playing and there's never a moment you see him phoning his performance in. I get the feeling he reads the books, knows the source material, etc. Genuinely loves the character.
3. Ben Kingsley was wonderful - absolutely taken by surprise by him in this film and he's hilarious. I really felt like he stole every scene he was in. Original, creative - that entire angle was innovative.
4. We may be seeing the groundwork for the future of Ironman - he ends the film with an interesting dialogue which can be construed in a number of ways. I was hoping it indicated it was going to continue following the story arc of the comic book (he and the AI merging).
5. Don Cheadle is a gifted actor and he actually DOES have chemistry with RDJ (you could envision them being good friends). This entire angle was poorly explored in favor of more and more of Pepper. Ugh
6. Innovative use of the technology behind the suits - we're really beginning to see the fuller Ironman technology/potential take some shape. The way the suits merged, reconfigured, had an almost independent intelligence was impressive and creative. We all go to the movie to see the suit and it doesn't disappoint. Tony is all about technology and they made sure to drive it home.
Con's:
1. Weak villain. The most important villain in the Ironman world was presented in a very poor way. Some effort was done to provide background and motivation at the beginning of the film but it was fleeting and superficial (he got embarrassed). This doesn't explain his desire for unfettered violence and vengeance. It's a weak presentation, derivative and boring.
I'm saying this in spite of being a huge Guy Pearce fan. He's a tremendous actor.
Villains are more interesting when they have a complex personality and REAL motivation (grey area). One good example of this is the Joker in TDK - his philosophy was palpable and believable; you could BELIEVE someone might live this way.
2. Lack of explanation of the source of the villains power/technology. We're introduced to him as he demonstrates some technology for pepper. It's extremely vague, though, and the notion of controlling the brain didn't exactly explain people regenerating body parts, breathing fire and tearing iron man's suits apart like paper.
3. G. Paltrow/Pepper Potts. It's difficult to believe Paltrow reads or is even vaguely familiar with Ironman. Never get the feeling she enjoys the role or even knows anything about her character.
She's meant to be spritely, ingenious in her own way, etc. She doesn't convey it. It goes so far sometimes that you seriously can NOT take their relationship seriously; total lack of chemistry. This is sad because a massive amount of the film relies on their relationship.
I can't convey it thoroughly enough the extent to which I think she drove this movie into the ground.
4. The PTSD angle. The root of this film was meant to be RDJ fighting his "demons". Alright - so he has PTSD from flying a NUKE INTO A WORMHOLE. The director did not sufficiently justify this angle with an appropriate amount of attention – comes off as bizarre.
5. Ironman's suits being tore apart like paper by fire breathing dragon people.
6. Warmachine/Iron Patriot may have well have not even been in the film. Was waiting to see him kick some butt in his suit. Disappointing.
7. A lack of the presence of the other Avengers in any regard. Yes yes I know the explanation is they're off doing other things ... still. A brief appearance, a shot of them doing whatever it is they're doing would really help to weave this universe together.
This film was much more engaging than Ironman 2 but was not as good as the first film. There are definite signs of wear and tear on many of the films more "relied upon" imagery and themes.
Paltrow's character was relied upon HEAVILY in this film and I discovered it was an extreme turn off. I found her repulsive and thus I could not empathize with Tony's excessive motivation to go to any length to protect her (which was the basic premise of the film).
The other important aspect of any comic book film is the villain. Believe it or not I found Loki to be the more compelling villain than this version of the Mandarin. He has no real motivation or philosophy; he's just "getting" people back.
The third leg then is RDJ himself. He succeeded mostly - unfortunately the fact that he constantly relies on Pepper as his supposed source of emotional stability and motivation is not believable.
The action sequences were superior to the previous two films so if you're going to the movie for that you'll be rewarded.
I recommend the film but I can't talk about it in as effusive a manner as some others have.