Croydon.....Wherever that is.......

Rating: 9/10 (2 May 2013)

Tony Stark faces an enemy who knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a quest to find those responsible.
This journey, at every turn, will test him. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him.
As he fights his way back, Tony discovers the answer that has secretly haunted him.....The location of Croydon.....
So we all know now that Iron Man 2 wasn't the best movie around. But Downey Jr. was still awesome in it.
And it's a great move putting Black in the helmers chair. The man has written some of the greatest action movies of the nineties, and KKBB was a great movie with knockout performances from the two leads, so why not recreate the magic?
I can understand the concerns regarding The Mandarin twist, it's probably as damning as Stallone taking off the helmet in Judge Dredd, but in Blacks narrative, it works, and it throws everybody off guard.
Kingsley in these sort of roles, really hams it up, and going in blind, I wasn't sure of what what to expect, but it worked, and Kingsley really is self deprecating in his brilliant role.
stark is as sarcastic and as funny as he has ever been, and the one liners he has are not only funny, but really respect the faithful Sci-Fi and movie lover.
Set pieces are great and the Air Force One scene maybe a tad overlong, but the payoff really makes it worth the while. The rest of the cast are as good as always, and Pearce seems to be having a ball.
The original trailer for this was something of a curve-ball, I was honestly expecting some sort of Dark Knight type movie, but it's as bright and breezy as all the others.
Maybe in a few years time, I will like this movie less than I do now, but it really exceeded my expectations, and I had a lot of fun whilst watching it.
A really good, funny movie, with a lovely human touch, and a great post credit sequence.