"Iron Man 3"- A welcome return to form and a fine start to Phase Two of the ever-growing "Marvel Cinematic Universe."

Rating: 8/10 (12 April 2017)

After the misstep of the divisive but well-meaning "Iron Man 2" and the phenomena that was "The Avengers", Marvel kick-started Phase Two of their ever-growing "Marvel Cinematic Universe" with the trilogy- capping "Iron Man 3," now under control of the magnificent director and co- writer Shane Black of "Lethal Weapon" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" fame. While the film has suffered a slight bit of backlash due to some unconventional choices in the narrative, I personally felt the film was, if anything, a welcome return to form for the "Iron Man" saga. It reminded me of just why we fell in love with Tony Stark in the first place, and emerges as a generally stellar entry in that beloved franchise that Marvel has been building for the better part a decade now.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is at an interesting place in his life. After having thwarted evil on three occasions prior, he's finally finding some real purpose in life and making great strides in his development of newer and more complex armor... yet at the same time, he's also finally started to feel the repercussions of all he's been through, manifesting in the form of anxiety and panic- attacks. When his friend and colleague Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is critically injured in a terrorist attack orchestrated by a mysterious figure known as the "Mandarin" (Ben Kingsley), Tony goes into a rage and directly issues a threat against this menacing presence. As a result, he is attacked and left for dead, stranded in rural Tennessee, where he will find inspiration in the most unlikely of places- a precocious young boy (Ty Simpkins)... At the same time, Pepper Potts (Gwenyth Paltrow) investigates a corporate rival from Tony's past (Guy Pearce) who may be connected to the devious goings-on that have left her boss and lover stranded and presumed dead...
In my mind, the greatest strengths of the film are the very same risks taken with the story and development of character that some others take issue with. Black has woven a tale that serves as a near-ideal continuation of the saga while also subverting virtually every single expectation we have as an audience. We came in to see "Iron Man 3", and yet the film places the great portion of its focus on Tony as a man first outside of the armor, with the action making up only a small portion of the screen time. We came in expecting a dark and treacherous tale, yet the film is filled with heart and humor and a sort-of unconventional surrogate father-and-son story. We have pre-conceived notions regarding who will be defined as hero and villain, and yet nothing is quite what it seems. The film is a giant gamble, seemingly pushing the audience's buttons at every turn... and I think it was a great success. You won't know what to expect at any time, and it's a thrilling and enthralling experience as a result.
At the heart of it all is the cast, each and every one of whom continue to shine in their roles. Downey Jr., Paltrow and other returning actors such as Don Cheadle and Favreau all give in the same top-notch performances as they always have. There's nothing more that can be said in their favor that hasn't already been echoed a thousand times before. Newcomers including Kingsley and Pearce are a welcome addition, who provide further levels of intrigue and development to the overall universe. And I was quite taken by Simpkins in his supporting role as a young child who forms a sort-of begrudging relationship with Stark. I was familiar with Simpkins from his turns in the bone-chilling "Insidous" franchise, and he continues to stretch his chops as one of the finest child-actors working today here. He's definitely one to keep an eye on.
In terms of visuals and storytelling, the film is spellbinding and greatly builds off of what came before to magnificent results. While I did miss original director Jon Favreau's creative vision, Black is a fantastic replacement and very much incorporates what came before while giving it his own creative spin. With his quirky "buddy cop" sensibilities leading to some of the best banter of the series and his decidedly "80's" style giving the film a sort-of throwback feel at times, the film is definitely a great deal of fun and compliments the first two quite well. This feels like an "Iron Man" movie that had somehow gone back in time and was filmed in 1987, and I loved that about it. Even the musical score by Brian Tyler (who I'm honestly usually not a fan of) gets right into the mood Black established with some funky beats and amusingly kitschy themes that somehow work.
While the film might not be perfect with a few too many oddball moments and a slightly over-stretched narrative, it boggles my mind that anyone- let alone a healthy portion of people- dislike it. It's fast. Funny. Crazy. Old-school. And just a blast and a half. It's one of my favorite entries in the entire Marvel saga to watch and re-watch, and I think it's a darned good capping chapter to the "Iron Man" trilogy. I give it a very good 8 out of 10.