Can One Bad Twist Ruin a Movie?

Rating: Null/10 (14 November 2018)

After the smash hit of "The Avengers", it was without question Marvel would continue the franchise, starting with the third movie for its most popular character. With a change of director "Iron Man 3" was met with lukewarm response, mostly thanks to a twist that made fans furious. But how is the movie really, and was the twist even that bad?
"Iron Man 2" was met with mediocre reviews, so Marvel decided to hire Shane Black to direct the third entry in the franchise. Black had only directed one other film up to that point, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" but Marvel thought he could bring something to the table. The presentation was quite well done, with rock music and scenes from the previous movies in the credits. But presntation can only get you so far.
The cast is great, as to be expected with these movies. Robert Downey Jr. adds a whole other layer to Tony Stark, who is dealing with PTSD from the Battle of New York. Gwenyth Paltrow is great as Pepper, and it was cool seeing her wear the suit. I like Don Cheadles performance, but War Machine is way cooler than Iron Patriot. Guy Pierce is fine, just another forgettable Marvel villain. His Extremis soldiers were all fun though. While he doesn't direct, Faverou returns as Happy Hogan, and is entertaining while he's there. The big point of contention comes from Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin, I mean Trevor Slattery.
The big twist in this movie is that the Mandarin, one of Iron Man's most famous bad guys, not actually the bad guy, but an actor playing the Mandarin. This pissed a lot of people off, including myself. But, it is a decent twist, and very well executed. Plus Kingsley is very funny once the jig is up. I just wish they had someone better than Guy Pierce to back him up. The writing throughout the film is very tight, with Stark's quips being some of the most entertaining yet.
The effects are really good, with the 42 Iron Man suit final battle being the highlight. Seeing an army of Iron Men charge into battle is a real spectacle to see. Each one has a unique design, with the Heartbreaker and Igor being my personal favorites. The limb regeneration is also done quite well.
In conclusion, I really do like Iron Man 3. That twist in the end throws you off the first time you watch the movie, but once you know it's coming and can just enjoy it for what it is, it's much better. The movie ends with Stark getting the Arc Reactor surgery, proving he really is more than the suit, and proving that he is Iron Man.
7/10