We couldn't have asked for a better sequel...

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2013)

Tony Stark suffers from anxiety and insomnia. He spends hours and days developing prototypes because he is insecure, now that he has someone to care about. With that and other references to the New York incident, Ironman 3 follows 'The Avengers' rather than its previous installment. Shane Black's version depicts the vulnerabilities of Tony Stark, his intelligence as a mechanic, his powers as Ironman and his heart as a lover boy. Essentially, Black exposes our hero to a ruthless villain, leaves him without his suit and tech to reboot him and puts him back into his armor, to cause mayhem with explosive action and shocking visual effects. We couldn't have asked for a better sequel.
The Mandarin has exposed himself on American television through videos of his terror acts, causing much concern in the Pentagon. Tony Stark is restless, sleepless and anxious after barely escaping the wormhole in New York. While his love life seems quite balanced, his real focus is on his R&D of prototype armor suits. When his bodyguard, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is critically injured after an attack by the Mandarin, he issues a public challenge to the terrorist and declares his home address..... arrogance is thus topped by overconfidence. The charming Malibu home is destroyed in a brutal attack by armored helicopters but there are no casualties as Pepper is saved by Tony's automated suit while Jarvis flies him out in his unconsciousness to the mapped destination in Tennessee where he was to investigate a prior Mandarin-related explosion. With his armor's power now depleted, Tony seeks help from a local fatherless kid who keeps his secrets but nags him about the New York incident. There is no paternal relationship forming here. In fact, Tony is as unkind and indifferent to him as he could be. Together with the newly painted Iron Patriot (Don Cheadle), Tony finds the Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), only to realize that Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) is the real villain who simply used a theater actor to create a terrorizing figure. His partly successful experiment was the Extremis virus, that could regenerate limbs, provide super strength and generate heat upon desire. The only flaw was that the subject could randomly self-explode.
After the recharging of his suit and himself, the Ironman rescues passengers who are in flight towards Earth, off Air Force One in a heroic 'barrel of monkeys' formation. What follows thereafter is an engaging showdown above an oil tanker (that had its own tale) between Aldrich's self-exploding specimens and Tony Stark's army of quickly summoned Ironmen prototypes. Even though the Ironmen fall as disposable droids, it is their arrival onto the scene of battle, in formation, that draws the bells and whistles. A definite, epic cinematic moment.
While the story might be incongruous at times with other characters walking in and out without much background or conclusion, it strays from driving Tony Stark into self-imposed darkness.Tony Stark, behind the mask, is too proud of himself to become an introvert. As a result, Shane Black's writing and direction is aimed at building up from one action sequence to another.
His writing also reflects Stark's self-referential, witty and pompous attitude which couldn't have been delivered better by any other than Robert Downey Jr.
The stunning visual effects around some novel, thrilling sequences are the highlight of course. Notably, the explosive attack on Malibu, the Air Force One rescue scene and the climactic mayhem are simply astounding. The background score blends well with the pulsating action while the technology depicted in almost every scene is deliciously futuristic.
What makes Ironman the most loved superhero on the big screen is Robert Downey Jr. The personality he infuses into Tony Stark is uncannily the one you will ridicule for being arrogant but silently, it is the one that you wish you had. The charm, wit and swagger of the rich, resourceful genius is delightful to watch and when all this goes inside the suit, it adds a dimension to a metallic superhero that couldn't be possible without such an actor. Downey Jr. is so awesome at being Ironman that we might mistakenly expect Sherlock Holmes to summon his suit rather than Watson. Gwyneth Paltrow is a great balance to Downey Jr as a beautiful, mature partner who loves the metal face as much as she loves the flawed billionaire. As Pepper Pots, she has more vitality in this film than she did in the past. Don Cheadle spends more time outside his suit this time and he makes us feel sad when none of the prototypes were programmed for him in the midst of the climax. Sir Ben Kingsley depicts a chilling villain when required and a comical actor when he can, with equal finesse and credibility. Guy Pearce brilliantly portrays another fine villain who can confront the likes of Ironman (which isn't easy). His menacing plans and apathy to those around him make him an easy villain-to-hate.
Ironman 3 brings an entertaining jolt to the series and does so in grand style. Along with Downey's knack at being the armored hero, the exemplary visual effects enhance the film's thrilling action sequences. The story is paced well enough to keep the entertainment up and the witty dialogues make things all the more enjoyable. Ironman will become a billionaire at the box-office and Tony Stark is the reason because even if you take his house, his love, his toys and wealth away from him, he is still Ironman.

9.003 on a scale of 1-10.