Here’s the thing about The
Avengers – it was a perfect. Okay yes I’m biased but it was pretty much
everything I wanted out of a comic adaptation. The problem is that it has set
the bar pretty blood high and I was starting to worry that the next round of
Marvel films just wouldn’t live up to it… I was wrong. Iron Man 3 has renewed my excitement for Phase Two and here’s why.
Warning Spoilers!
Everyone’s favourite genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony
Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is recovering from the events of The Avengers. There were actual aliens – that’s a difficult thing
for anyone to wrap their head around. Rather than sleeping or fixing his
relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) – Tony’s spending his time
creating new and improved versions of his Iron Man suit.
Meanwhile a terrorist calling himself The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley)
claims credit for a series of bombings. Despite the fact that Rhodes (Don
Cheadle) insists that this is not a superhero problem Tony decides to get
involved after his faithful bodyguard turned Stark head of security, Happy
Hogan (Jon Favreau) is injured in an attack. Looking for some “good
old-fashioned revenge” Stark gives out his home address to the general public
goading The Mandarin to come out and play… it doesn’t end well.
His home is destroyed and Tony is believed dead when really he’s
just hanging out in Tennessee with a wise-beyond-his-years kid named Harley (Ty
Simpkins). Meanwhile Pepper hangs out with one of Tony’s ex’s Maya Hansen
(Rebecca Hall) who is working with geneticist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) on a
project called Extremis – a method of hacking into the human brain and
reprograming it so it can repair and regenerate limbs. Basically they’re the
bad guys.
From there Tony has to overcome his issues, save the girl and figure
out once and for all whether or not it’s worth hiding behind the Iron Man suit
(both physically and metaphorically) forever.
Confession time - I’m a Marvel girl, and there is not much I love
more than a fantastical comic book inspired action film so I was predisposed to
like this film. Even though The Avengers
raised the bar Iron Man 3 would have
had to have been Spiderman 3 level’s
of horrible in order to disappoint me. That said, outside of my fangirling
predisposition, Iron Man 3 is actually
an excellent film.
Sure it doesn’t take any risks; it generally follows the successful
formula of the first two films but considering it’s the third film in an action
adventure series it does what it does well. It’s fast-paced, fun and everything
a superhero film should be. I’m not an expert but I thought the 3D conversion
was unnecessary and overall it didn’t add much to the experience. Otherwise the
visual effects were well done and the action sequences – especially the
destruction of Stark’s Malibu home – are extraordinary.
Shane Black’s signature style – as showcased in the brilliant Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) – shines
through but doesn’t overpower the world established in the previous films in
the Iron Man franchise. Black and Pearce’s script is for the most part witty
and intelligent but falls down in the presentation of Pepper and Tony’s
tempestuous relationship. It often felt forced as if Tony was playing at being
a superhero in love rather than actually being in love.
Without a doubt the best part of the film is Ben Kingsley. I’m not a
purist so Black’s controversial depiction of one of Iron Man’s biggest foes,
The Mandarin didn’t really bother me but I knew the success of this storyline
hinged on Kingsley’s performance and boy did he pull it off. Robert Downey Jr.
is brilliant as usual, Guy Pearce always plays evil well, and Rebecca Hall adds
a little depth to a character that is essentially a cliché.
Pepper Potts storyline has me divided. Gwyneth Paltrow is not my
favourite actress but so far I have enjoyed her performance as Tony Stark’s
assistant turned girlfriend Pepper Potts and this film is no exception. At some
times I wanted to punch the air and scream girl power but at others I was
slightly disappointed that a female character that had managed to avoid the
trap of being a uniquely-empowered-woman had finally succumbed to the cliché. The
movieverse depiction of Pepper Potts, while not without her problems, has been
one of my favourite parts of these films and I’m not entirely sure this film
truly understood her.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved this movie – I will definitely be making
another trip to the cinema and I can’t wait to add it to my Blu-ray collection.
It is well worth checking out even if you’re not a massive Marvel fan like me. Iron Man 3 works and a stand alone film,
a brilliant sequel and an excellent addition to the Marvel cinematic universe
(the references to the events of The
Avengers were just enough to connect the film to the wider world without
alienating casual viewers).
All in all this was a fantastic film and a great way to begin Phase
Two of the Marvel cinematic adventure… seriously the road to The Avengers 2 never looked so good.
