IRON MAN 3 *Spoiler FREE*

Rating: 8/10 (9 May 2013)

It's Robert Downey Jr.'s possible swan song to his role of Tony Stark, how does it hold up?
To make it easy for everyone: Iron Man 1 > Iron Man 3 > Iron Man 2.
I doubted from the start that a final film in a trilogy could ever top the first (if it was good) film and I was right. Still, Iron Man 3 was a surprise, a pleasant surprise luckily. Its complexities lie even deeper than what meets the eye. It deals with a lot more modern day anxieties than its Avengers/Shield subplot heavy predecessor and its funny. Funnier than any of the other Phase one movies. Don't let the dark, edgy trailers fool you, because you'll be (extremely) unpleasantly disappointed if you were seeking a dark or serious movie(or anything like the Dark Knight series).
Despite this, Iron Man 3's tone is consistent so expect an Action Comedy. Does the comedy sometimes compromise the drama? Yes. But it works and never feels too cheesy. There's a part of me that wished Tony would get in his suit more often and do Iron Man stuff. But that was the point of the movie, to show that the man made the suit, that showed that Tony Stark is Iron Man no matter what. On the bright side, it shows that Tony's real power is his brain, so you'll get to see neat McGuyver-like stuff.
The only real negatives that show in my opinion is the CGI. I know everyone will scream plot holes or the twist but if you watch closely enough (or visit IMDb forums), most of the the former will be answered. The latter, unfortunately, is subjective. Those who see the movie as an insult to their dedication to the lore, or those who want/prefer a more traditional villain, will leave the series with a bad taste in their mouth. They maybe even be done with Marvel for good. Others who aren't really comic fans, like movies that have unusual surprises, and can see the movie for what it is (an Action-Comedy) can roll with it just fine.
Overall Iron Man 3 was a great film, especially for taking the risks that it did. It did a good job of connecting all 3 films together (with cameos, pivotal references, etc.) and tying up Tony's story arc with a neat bow. While future Phase two films look promising, it will be a difficult task for them to be as unique as Iron Man 3.