A Fleeting, Inessential Little Skirmish That Fizzles Out Quite Early

Rating: 5/10 (29 May 2014)

Badly in need of a spark after an underwhelming second installment, this series has swapped directors and imported a major villain from the comics for its third. Frankly, it doesn't fare any better for the effort. That's partially due to the Tony Stark character hitting a wall - his arc has been stagnant for a while now - but I found more culpability in the icy set of cold feet developed around the plot's halfway point. In the blink of an eye, the whole tone of the picture changes from a topical dash of political intrigue (and a pointed metaphor for the US's approach to terrorism) to just another struggle between Stark and the latest in a long line of bland, suit-wearing, self-enhanced business rivals with an eye on one of his inventions. That the Mandarin is downplayed doesn't necessarily bother me. Actually, I found Ben Kingsley wonderful in the role and enjoyed the sudden wheel-jerk of his change in course (those upset about his blasphemous take on a sacred character need look no further than the short follow-up film All Hail the King for vindication). But that sudden, accompanying leap from a new path to a tired, over-familiar formula is a development sour enough to curl toes. This character needed a blast of fresh air, some momentum to carry him through the next phase of Marvel's plans. Instead, he's simply planted his feet deeper in the same vat of quicksand. Despite all its intentions, it's really no better than Iron Man 2.