Third Time Is The Charm!

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2013)

As superhero spectacles rate, "Iron Man" qualified as an instant classic. Sadly, "Iron Man 2" was pretty scrappy. Happily, "Iron Man 3" surpasses its lackluster predecessor. Although it cannot top the original, "Iron Man 3" still ranks as remarkable. The narrative is easy to follow, and the villains are a lethal lot with a secret about them that enables them to initially gain the upper hand against our hero. Not only does "Iron Man 3" serve as a sequel to "Iron Man 2," but it is also a follow-up to "The Avengers." Everybody who played somebody in "Iron Man 2" returns for this entry. Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Lieutenant Colonel James 'Rhodey' Rhodes (Don Cheadle) are back, too. Colonel Rhodes has his own Iron Man suit and he is called 'the Iron Patriot.' Nevertheless, only one Avenger makes a cameo, but you'll have to bide your time until the end credits to catch a glimpse of him. Similarly, neither Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) nor Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) turns up for this threquel. Jon Favreau, who helmed the first two "Iron Man" epics, has entrusted the franchise now to "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" director Shane Black. Previously known for his violent contemporary crime thrillers, such as "Lethal Weapon," "The Last Boy Scout," and "Last Action Hero," Black imparts a palpable sense of momentum as well as a sense of purpose to this installment. He scored a hit with the Mel Gibson movie "Lethal Weapon," while the other two feature-films languished at the box office. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the obnoxious but heroic inventor Tony Stark who constantly worries about his romantic interest Pepper Potts. As it turns out, Downey starred in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" for Black when the actor was struggling to rekindle his career. Prepare yourself for a lot of humor this time out, especially where Tony Stark is concerned.
Basically, "Iron Man 3" feels like an invigorating gust of fresh air. Downey cavorts about in several scenes without his Iron Man armor, and he delivers one of his best performances as the billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. "Iron Man 3" occurs after the celebrated New York adventure in "The Avengers." Although allusions are made to "The Avengers," Black and freshman scribe Drew Pearce reveal nothing new about that brouhaha. As if to silence anybody who poses questions about the Big Apple showdown, Tony Stark cringes in agony. Presumably, in an effort to keep him down to Earth, Tony must suffer acute anxiety attacks to make him more sympathetic. Although he wrestles with these anxiety attacks, Tony doesn't shirk his duty to save lives and thwart evil. Fortunately, nobody plays an idiot like Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer in "Iron Man 2." Most importantly, "Iron Man 3" doesn't provide us with a finale where men in cans square off against each other for a do-or-die showdown. Interestingly enough, the premise of "Iron Man 3" reminded me of Dr. Curt Connors' obsession in "The Amazing Spiderman" (2012) with growing back amputated limbs. The villains in "Iron Man 3" engage in a modest variation on this skulduggery. One turns out to be one of Tony's girlfriends from the past, Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall of "The Town"), a botanist who has grown plants that can grow back severed stems. The other is Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce of "Lawless"), who founded a think-tank company called Advanced Idea Mechanics with the acronym AIM. Later, Killian hires Maya after Tony dumps her to see her research become a reality. These two are no match for the chief villain, an Osama bin Laden stereotype known only as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley of "Gandhi") who jams the airwaves with his threatening ultimatum broadcasts and commands an army of suicide bombers. Since Iron Man's identity has never been an issue, the real issue in "Iron Man 3" is how quickly Stark can suit himself up in his armor. This lively, exciting, third installment makes it even easier for our hero to don his outfit. Remember that idiotic looking suitcase outfit in "Iron Man 2?" "Iron Man 3" accelerates the wardrobe change time for our wisecracking hero and does it in a way that amuses us but appears cinematic. If you've seen the trailers for "Iron Man 3," you've seen the incredible scene where three attack helicopters blast Tony Stark's palatial residence atop a mountain into the California coastal waters. Actually, Tony brings this disaster down on his head when he challenges the Mandarin to visit him. The other scene that stands out finds out hero trying to rescue more people than he can carry while airborne after Air Force One is blown up.
"Iron Man 3" will keep you glued to your seat with some surprises to keep things interesting. Black and his co-scribe look like they have managed to bring the Marvel Comic book character full circle from the original. This raises the question if Robert Downey Jr. will keep on playing the role. If box office figures are anything to go by, the Marvel people won't let Robert go down the tubes.