Great movie in and of itself, but inconsistent with the lore of the other movies.

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2013)

This movie is great, go see it, just watch out and keep your mind a little more open, because the marketing makes the movie look completely different to what it actually is.
GO SEE IT Now, SPOILERS!!! The only real problem i have with the movie is inconsistency. The plot is inconsistent with the other movie.
For instance, the Ten Rings is an actual terrorist organization in Iron Man 1, but here, they just make the Mandarin a cover-up for the real villain, who you could see coming miles away when you first see him. The twist that (HUGE SPOILER) the Mandarin is actually an actor playing a role is a great twist, if it made sense. The only way that they could possibly redeem this twist is if the REAL Mandarin, aka. The Ring Leader (pardon the pun) of the Ten Rings terrorist organization, is the villain in number 4, otherwise there's this massive hole in the plot between 1 and 3.
Otherwise, in and of itself, this film is dramatic, funny and a really good time at the theatres. I'm not buthurt like some people over the sillification (that's what i'm calling it) of the Mandarin, but i get where they're coming from (imagine if they did that to the Joker. Even if the movie was otherwise amazing, people would hate it more that Batman and Robin).
Conclusion: Iron Man 3 is a great film that has a twist nobody saw coming, and therefore potentially ruined the film for some people. If you're a comic book fan, you may not like this film, especially if you're a fan of the Mandarin character.