Stark Embarks on Top Marks and Malarkey

Rating: 7/10 (21 May 2013)

Only can I truly express my feelings towards Iron Man 3 by spoiling the plot, which 'iron'ically spoiled the film for me. To not do so would simply be an insult to my own opinion.
Iron Man 3 initiates what many have categorised as the second phase in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leading up to Avengers 2. It picks up from where the Avengers left off in 2012, though Tony Stark himself is having difficulty picking himself up following the events of the hugely successful collaborative superhero film. One of the great features of Iron Man 3 is seeing Robert Downey Jr. portray a broken character, whose psyche has been damaged seemingly beyond repair, despite his ingenious ability to create and repair machines of inconceivable abilities. While albeit a convenience in the film's concluding chapter, the manner in which Tony Stark occupies his mind still makes for an intriguing character, played by an actor who has developed in each of his cinematic appearances so superbly that it is unimaginable that any other performer regardless of talent, would dare step into the Iron Man suit following Downey Jr.
Undeniably entertaining, you don't have time to contemplate on whether it may be vaguely indulgent and forced due to how compelling the action sequences really are. The IMAX experience just emphasises the captivatingly choreographed superhero set pieces so exhilaratingly that you feel so far on the edge of your seat, you'll probably end up a few rows ahead of where you were originally sitting. However, our attention is only preoccupied by pure entertainment in part. The other element of our conscious captivity regards the film's primary villain, The Mandarin. Ben Kingsley's fear inducing antagonist provides a contemporary and terrorising villainous milestone, yet to be achieved by any Iron Man, and perhaps even Marvel cinematic adversary. Unlike its predecessors, Iron Man 3 appeared to have succeeded in creating a phenomenal opponent that matched the intellect of Tony Stark and the power of Iron Man.
Oh, but then an instance of exposition at the core of the film explodes disastrously as it turns out, The Mandarin is a fictional creation of the film's secondary villain, Aldrich Killian, played by Guy Pearce. What is devastating about this unforeseen, illogical and excitement crushing plot twist, is its unnecessary contribution to further complicating narrative matters. Not to discredit Pearce's performance, which is terrific, but Kingsley's interpretation of The Mandarin (before the revelation that he is just an actor, portraying The Mandarin for Killian: the 'real' Mandarin) is nothing short of exquisite; if that term can be used to apply to a perpetrator of terrorism. The marketers sold the film to us in a manner that presented The Mandarin as an antagonist to fear, but once Kingsley is quite abruptly replaced by Pearce in the foreground, the essence and prowess that the character had for the initial hour of the film, is lost amidst an superfluous twist that feels like a dreadful parody of The Incredibles (2004) and Batman Begins (2005).
While the above mentioned revelation is something one wishes they could forget throughout the remaining portion of the film, unfortunately it stays with you like Kingsley's performance had the potential to stay with us had it been given the opportunity to flourish in its entirety. As if this is some sort of Iron Man tradition, the filmmakers somehow manage to strike out by producing three consecutive Iron Man films, which all share a similar demise of disappointing second halves, primarily due to the adaptation of the villains.
Despite my disdain for an infuriatingly dissatisfying story, Iron Man 3 does indisputably offer an array of action-packed mayhem that is almost, but not quite, enough for you to forget your dislikes of the film. Shane Black additionally incorporates a wonderfully appropriate comedic element to the franchise that only further enhances our enjoyment from start to finish (exempting the middle). As a jolt for the much anticipated summer film period, Iron Man 3 certainly kick-starts the season with a feature with great replay value, primarily due to some, definitely not all, characters, action and comedy elements.
Even with its abysmal twist, which I am unable to fully articulate my displeasure for, as well as an overall quite crowded narrative that becomes nauseating as it attempts to pack too much iron into our diets, Iron Man 3 is irrefutably entertaining. Unlikely to please the hardcore Iron Man fanatics, Shane Black's first endeavour into the character is more 'suit'ing for those that just want to be thrilled for 135 minutes. Not as a comic book reader, but as a cinemagoer I was disappointed in part by Iron Man 3's inexplicable indulgence into unnecessary narrative territory, though I would only be lying to myself to argue that I was not consistently enjoying myself throughout the (almost) entire Marvellous experience.
Oh, and do stay for the post-credits scene.