Iron Man 3 is great conclusion to the trilogy

Rating: 8/10 (25 April 2013)

In 2008 we were greeted with one of the best comic book movies which is Iron Man, then in 2010 a sequel happened and it kinda felt of a mixed bag. So is the latest installment in the Iron Man franchise able to live up to the awesomeness of the original or will it be the worst film among the three? Read on below.
Story: The story is a continuation of 'Marvel's The Avengers' and I must say that the story for this movie is probably the smartest story that Marvel has ever told. The ideas and plot points were completely fleshed out and the story was told in a way that can get you entertained while thinking at the same time. This movie didn't have the need to add any more aspect to make the story better, the plot points was just perfect and was explained well, and also it also just stick in telling one story.
Acting: The performances of the actors here is very authentic, it felt like you are just watching something that is in front of you. It was nice to see some more action from RDJ's Tony Stark without wearing the suit and the same thing goes with Don Cheadle's James Rhodes. I also liked the performance of James Badge Dale, Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley, Dale played a very menacing 'right hand' and both Pearce and Kingsley played their role excellently. Despite my praise for the performances of the actors, I also have my gripe with the development of the characters, some of them felt like they was just there for the sake of being present in the movie and I also think that some characters even got over-hyped. This is where this latest installment failed in, the development of characters because some of the characters felt really rushed and sometimes inappropriate. It was also nice seeing Jon Favreau back as Happy Hogan, good thing their is no bad ties in there and I felt really glad that I didn't get irritated by the kid (Ty Simpkins) in here, though his performance was not great, it wasn't bad either.
Action/Violence: This is an action-packed film, plain and simple but even though it has straight action, I don't think it was all that violent. In my opinion this installment has more action scenes than its predecessors and also each action scene was executed well, it kept the film at brisk pace and more importantly it was an aspect in the film that made it a whole lot entertaining.
Visual FX: Hands down, the best effects I've ever seen in an Iron Man film. It looks very natural and authentic and you can clearly see that a lot of work and effort has been put in this movie to be visually stunning. What I liked with the effects in this film is the usage of both CGI and practical effects, I mean practical effects is still the best way to go but when someone is falling you probably might want to add some CGI in it (I know senseless rant).
Music: I didn't bother much with the music but all I can say is that it helped the scenes to be much more meaningful and it added some depth into it. I miss hearing AC/DC in this film though.
Cinematography: This movie also delivers on being the best shot Iron Man movie (well, for me though) and with a little help from a CGI it was good overall.
Direction: One of the best aspects in this film is having Shane Black working behind the camera. I am a huge fan of all his films and seeing him take on this character was very exciting. It is not hard to tell that this is indeed a Shane Black film because, one, despite the seriousness of it in every trailer, the humor is very present in this movie and is probably the funniest Marvel film to date. Two, the buddy-cop formula is also present, you can sense this chemistry within the partnership of Tony Stark and James Rhodes. And lastly, three, the dramatic depth, even though this was a humorous movie, there is some depth in the dramatic scenes as it felt very moving and you will cheer up for the leads.
Overall: I will say that 'Iron Man 3' is not better than the original Iron Man but it is definitely on par with that and definitely surpassing its predecessor. To top it with great performances from the leads and villains, the amazing visual effects, and the very entertaining action scenes and smart lines, this movie makes it the perfect conclusion of the Iron Man trilogy. I am positive that this is surely one of Marvel's best efforts and I give this a 4/5.