Thrilling movie for fans of the Iron Man franchise

Rating: 8/10 (6 May 2013)

Ever since Batman Begins in 2005, cinema fans have been living in a world ruled by what I have termed Dark Knight Syndrome: Action-adventure and comic book movies nowadays are expected to be cerebral and dark, and not in the way of the noir-ish, theatrical Batman films of Tim Burton.
While action movies have always had a high body count and buildings exploding, the consequences weigh heavier on today's mainstream movie hero: Loved ones suffer and die. The hero is put in a situation where he is stripped of his power, all his secret weapons, and forced to literally fight for his life. Themes run throughout of revenge and atonement, facing inner demons and past mistakes. And while such themes are powerful, all that brooding weighs as heavily on the audience as it does the characters. Which is why, for as much as I love the complexities of films like the now-completed Dark Knight Trilogy and the rebooted James Bond, I truly enjoy Iron Man for its ability to keep the pulse racing, but also to laugh at itself and its over-the-top situations, and keep spirits high.
Iron Man has been framed from the outset as the story of Tony Stark's path toward redemption. Like Batman, he chooses to use his wealth and power for good, but rather than fighting crime as the result of a personal tragedy, he becomes a hero in the hopes of cleaning up his act, while somehow never losing his hedonism and arrogance. This third film continues the theme of reckoning for past sins, opening with narration from Tony himself featuring the usual old hat about the past coming back to bite you in the ass, and inner demons and so on. We see Tony focused on his own vulnerability and mortality in a much more believable way than the previous film (where, ironically, he was actually dying), as he throws himself into creating more mech suits, sleep deprived and plagued by nightmares. The focus here is on the man, not the mech, as the two are treated as almost separate characters, especially here, with the suit being able to move on its own (or dragged through the snow like a sled when de-powered). Also similar to The Dark Knight Rises is the film's interpretation of the Mandarin, an all-too-familiar mishmash of foreign affectations and over-the-top mannerisms, and the inevitable twist reveal of who really holds the power.
Where this film differs from, and is in a certain way superior to, other blockbusters of a similar nature, is in the humor and high spirits it has throughout. Iron Man as a film franchise has always had a quirky, out-of-left-field sense of comedy, which can hit its target or miss completely, and come even in dramatic or intense scenes. Even though the films' attempts to make connections with the War on Terror and the Iraq War can frequently seem crass, if not downright exploitative, I believe that, if this film is any evidence, the effort was to heal, rather than to traumatize. The theme throughout is one of healing and reconciliation (Tony's anxiety attacks are all related to the alien "terrorist" attack in New York that occurred in The Avengers), and suspension of disbelief is stretched far enough that it's hard to call BS when the main players all get happy endings.
As a serious movie, Iron Man 3 is uneven, to say the least. In this case, though, I'd say being an entertaining and interesting movie is more important. The action scenes are absolutely brilliant, with shining moments for the supporting cast. Gwyneth Paltrow's scene in the Iron Man suit is sadly brief, but she gets a few great moments later on; meanwhile, Don Cheadle as Rhodey gets some truly impressive action stunts sans armor. Though some may find it repetitive, I loved the innovation of the coded armor, which flies through the air and assembles piece by piece. If nothing else, it made the fights more interesting, and was certainly better utilized than the suitcase-portable armor from the second film.
Overall, coming from someone who's a fan of fun, interesting movies, even when they don't know the source material very well, I give Iron Man 3 a solid thumbs-up. If a movie has you jumping up and down in the aisle after it's over, it's doing something right. The first movie, I felt entertained; the second, I felt nothing. Third, I was grinning like an idiot. "Tony Stark will return," the stinger promises, and I'll be quite excited to see what he'll do when he does.