Iron Man 3 movie review- All kinks ironed out

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2013)

Expectations from Marvel were high after last year's excellent Avengers, and the disappointment that was Iron Man 2. While it seems to be the last of a trilogy, the good news is that it ends with a bang. Iron Man 3 is full of thrills, verve and humor- a big budget summer blockbuster firing on all cylinders.
"Ladies, children, sheep. Some call me a terrorist. I say I am a teacher" - Mandarin
Feeding on jihadistic impulse, the Bin Laden styled Mandarin seemingly emerges out of nowhere as the biggest terrorist threat the world has seen, coordinating random attacks across the world, and hacking his way into the homes of ordinary Americans. when Happy Hogan gets injured in one of the Mandarin attacks, Tony Stark, who is still suffering from anxiety issues after his epic defense of New York in The Avengers Movie, issues a challenge to the Mandarin and promptly gets bombed out. Flashback sequences talk of Adrian Killich requesting Stark's help for a new technology that reanimates destroyed limbs. while Stark declines, Killich rises over time to become a magnate in his own right developing the Extremis virus, which can make human bombs out of subjects, creating a new world of terror.
Ironically, Iron man 3 is more about Tony Stark, and less about the suit. the movie has two distinct parts- the first is more of a detective adventure, the second is balls out VFX extravaganza. After the initial reversal, Stark connects the dots between the Mandarin and Killich, and then brings them down in a dizzyingly spectacular finale where an army of remote controlled Iron Man suits take on an army of Extremis virus powered super soldiers, at the same time rescuing the US President and Virginia "Pepper" Potts. The party trick this time round is the self assembling suits that add to the fun and unpredictability.
Iron Man 3 is an all out Robert Downey Jr show- he completely at home as Stark- Marvel has revived Downey's career the same way as Downey's act as Stark/Iron man is unparalled by any other star playing a super hero. He is spot on as the boy genius who does grow up, he makes everything look so easy whether rescuing people mid air, bantering with friends and enemies or dishing insults. Guy Pearce as the nerd turned terrorist is delightfully campy- after all this is a comic book, while Ben Kingsley's Mandarin is the funny twist no one will see coming. Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow reprise their roles as Cody Rhodes and Pepper Potts. Having written the Lethal Weapon movies, Director Shane Black has impressive action movie credentials, best exemplified in Iron Man 3's script- every frame left me either awestruck or guffawing. Full of liberal doses of humor, with not a single dull moment.
"You know, it's moments like these when I realize how much of a superhero I am"- Tony Stark
I agree you are the best Marvel can offer, Mr. Stark. After watching Iron Man 3, happy to report that the state of the superhero film industry is in good health. Iron Man 3 builds on its traditional brand values of visual effects, humor and technology showcase, along with a smashing performance by Downey and a script that is fast, funny and whimsical. Good for two-time watch- 9/10