Sometimes less is actually less

Rating: 6/10 (3 May 2013)

For the last year I've felt that the massive success of The Avengers—and I mean its artistic success, not its box office—was a double-edged sword for Marvel. After all, wouldn't the individual character films feel a bit... small after that? IM3 attempts to use that to its advantage by making it smaller on purpose. It's a character study with a bit of spectacle slapped on, and I do mean "bit". While the third act does follow the standard "Stuff go boom!" formula, the first two thirds of the film keeps the action rather conventional (with one notable exception). To make this work you need an actor who can hold the audience's attention. Thankfully IM3 has the ultimate ace in the hole in Robert Downey Jr. But even his unmatched charisma can merely Spackle over the film's many flaws. The story is weak, the stakes feel small and it just never builds any momentum. There are a lot of things to like here. The aforementioned RDJ, some sharp dialog, a scene stealing turn by Ben Kingsley and a jaw-dropping twist. Unfortunately the sum of IM3 is less than its parts.