Incredible

Rating: 9/10 (25 April 2013)

The events of New York(think "team-up") changed things. Gods and aliens exist... how do you deal with that? Well, the President(Sadler, as a passionate, protective man) feels the US needs its own hero, and repaints War Machine with Captain America's color scheme, calling it Iron Patriot(and the first person to ask why it isn't Norman Osborn in there will be slapped silly), and having it work directly for the government... and yes, it's still piloted by Rhodey(Cheadle, truly engaging the buddy dynamic), whose loyalties are thus split between his job and his long-time best friend.
And Tony(Downey Jr., completely game, with the charm and snarky arrogance fully intact) has to face the love triangle between him, his obsession with tinkering with his tech, and Pepper(Paltrow again with personality, not a mere fantasy object, a strong female role, toying with the "damsel in distress" trope)... the one that matters most to him. He also has to deal with the anxiety he's feeling after fighting off an outer space invasion(and yes, the trailer is accurate: for much of this, he has to rely on his wits, improvising in order to make due... often the best type of story about someone who has enormous responsibility and/or skill. We again have something from his past, yet it feels original again).
And from the outside, there is the threat of The Mandarin(Kingsley granting him immense charisma, leading to a presence that is felt whether he is on-screen or not; and yes, we finally have a villain who is there from the very start), who blows up and threatens targets, yet leaving no traces to follow(thus we get comments on the War on Terror, and in general this has the feel of a Tom Clancy thriller, and feels politically relevant, current... without cramming a viewpoint down your throat). Killian(Pearce, an ambitious businessman that can be hard to get a read on) emerges from relative obscurity with the Extremis virus, a substance able to regrow lost limbs, that will become integral to the plot.
This is the best of the trilogy. Shane Black brings his style to it, with several elements reminiscent of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and melds them well with this universe - narration, quirk, etc. This rejuvenates the gotten-stale series(note that the overall film franchise did not need it), and clearly, that enthusiasm grips all the actors, as well, who do impeccably, several of them having to span a lot of the spectrum, and doing so flawlessly. The side characters are memorable and credible - be it Happy(Favreau, putting all his energy towards the portrayal of the now chief of security of Potts, with greatly increased paranoia for our amusement), a kid(who gives a truly believable performance)... I could go on.
Somehow, this hits the gas on humor even more than they were already doing, and it is hilarious and infinitely quotable. The dialog is fresh, organic and smart. This has a ton of twists and unexpected developments, and rather than confuse matters, they add complexity to otherwise seemingly straightforward endeavors and keep you guessing. The action is huge(cemented by the epic score), exciting(and in spite of the scope, you never lose track of what's going on or become overstimulated) and effectively raises the stakes - the climax is stunning, funny and a fantastically constructed pay-off to everything that has been set up along the way.
This is paced immensely well - it has you right from the opening seconds and through the two hours it runs until the ending credits start(and yes, you will want to stay after them!). The 3D is post-conversion, and it's good, not mind-blowing... if you're on a budget, you can forgo that.
There is some bloody, tense violence(usually not graphic), a bit of moderate language and a little sexuality in this. I recommend this to everyone who is enjoying these(and yes, you will have to have watched the two first ones, as well as The Avengers... on the plus side, there is a lot of respect for continuity between them). 9/10