Gleefully Inconsistent

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2013)

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Everyone's favorite Avenger is back in his own film, and he is in no rush to get the dazzle going. Iron Man 3 opens with an untold backstory, just not the kind you might expect, given such a statement. After that, the movie takes the post-Avengers route, which is to say it shows one piece of the aftermath. The impact of these preceding events is apparent in the first act, but offers little more than a character roadblock, in the long run. Beyond that, the threat of a new villain is brought up consistently enough (through broadcasts) to warrant Tony Stark's curiosity. The rest is left to be seen first-hand.
Iron Man 3 returns much of what was missing from the second film: delight. The laughs and conversations can definitely get obnoxious, but even when they fall flat, there's still an odd gravitation to find towards it all. At least, with the very potential exception of the film's key plot twist. Spoilers will not arise, but those in charge of the script choices really jumped the shark here. This will be an experience-destroying moment for some, especially given what is initially built up. From there on, the plot begins to fade away as action is (finally) incorporated on a more frequent basis.
Like the laughs themselves, Iron Man 3 has tone shifts splashing left and right. To say the film loves leaping from detrimental threats to light-hearted scoffing is definitely an understatement. If it wasn't so brash--usually courtesy of Robert Downey Jr., you could almost pass it off as dark humor. Whether it works or not rests entirely on the viewer's emotional flexibility.
One certainty, however, is that the cast had a fun time doing this film. While there are some serious scenes, a lot of room is made for whimsical or play-along-with-it moments. Guy Pearce, Don Cheadle and Ben Kingsley get a lot of the latter. In fact, if there's anyone who gives Robert Downey Jr. a run for the suck-it-up award, it would have to be former series- director Jon Favreau, even with his brief screen time. There really aren't any weak points in the cast, although Gwyneth Paltrow could've had more footage during the second act.
Where Iron Man 3 shines the most, unsurprisingly, is in the action sequences. No, they aren't always plausible. Then again, neither is half the technology Tony Stark has at his disposal, so credibility is far from top priority. As Guy Pearce says in the movie, "ever since that guy came down with the hammer, things haven't been the same." Nonetheless, this leads to some pretty impressive stuff. The attack on Stark's mansion is as thrilling as you'd expect, while the climax almost feels like it got mixed up with The Adventures of Tintin in some spots. But given all of the style, it's tough to complain.
The final word on Iron Man 3 is that it's a very misleading film. Things start off quite serious before quickly turning comical. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but it isn't always for the best reasoning. Still, everyday audience members won't have a problem rolling with what comes around, simply because it means plenty of entertainment. Iron Man 3 is a worthy successor and inclusion to the franchise, but the first film has continued to prove a tough piece for Marvel to match.