"Who's the hot mess now?"

Rating: 7/10 (3 April 2014)

After one year following the events of "The Avengers", Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is trying to live a quiet life with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). But a series of panic attacks and escalating threats from a maniac called the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) threaten to tip him over the edge.
Jon Favreau is not directing the third entry of the "Iron Man" movies, and instead has passed the mantle to Shane Black. Though it's not as good as the original "Iron Man", the third entry of the series is still funny, and character driven on Tony Stark.
In this film, Tony Stark loses his flash car and big house. He is also, for a sizeable stretch of the movie, deprived of his super-suits. This is a new, vulnerable side to the playboy-philanthropist: he's on the run, in the corner, pausing between quips to suffer breathless anxiety attacks. And I like that because know we get to see Tony Stark mostly outside the suit; moreover, it shows that he can get around without the suit.
However, there are problems with the film. Even though I did like the first movie, I will admit that all three movies have a common problem: the villains aren't interesting. So far, Iron Man has faced a bald Jeff Bridges, Mickey Rourke and a cockatoo. While The Mandarin was an improvement from the second films' villain, it's still the film's weak point. In this film, Stark goes up against a squad of mutants that can mutate and regenerate at will. And while that's all cool, it's still unmotivated, murky, and unconvincing. Suffice to say that people will be talking about Ben Kingsley's performance for ages to come — it's a tricky, delicate role, handled beautifully.
It's a good comic book movie with lots of action, funny lines, and great interaction of characters. However, some of the characters seem to be a little off-key in this movie and are a bit bland. However, it's still a fun movie to watch. And if this does turn out to be Downey Jr.'s final solo outing, it's a very strong exit.