Runtime: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Shane Black
Quick Impressions:
I was favorably impressed by Iron Man 3. It exceeded my expectations. Of course, here I should probably admit that going in, my expectations were pretty low. Don’t get me wrong. As far as I’m concerned, Iron Man 3 kicks off this year’s summer movie season, and like a little kid, I’ve been very excited about that. And—like most people, I think—I’m a fan of the franchise. The first Iron Man was great, and although 2 wasn’t quite as good, I still enjoyed it (and particularly liked Tony and Pepper’s dynamic which felt real). In some ways, I like Iron Man 2 better than the first one, in fact, though I’d never argue that the second installment is a better film. The first one is the best, but I personally enjoyed watching Tony and Pepper’s strained relationship fall to pieces and come back together again in the second movie.
To be brutally honest, the Iron Man 3 preview did not impress me at all (though I’ve been keeping pretty quiet about it lest my complaining result in my not being taken to see it. If you like doing stuff, it’s really best to keep everyone in the family as excited as possible about everything.) The Mandarin—as presented in the theatrical trailer—just seemed like a really pointless and repetitive movie villain. Didn’t we just see Bane talk in a weird voice
and hijack and crash a plane? Weren’t like all the movies last Oscar season either about terrorists or Abraham Lincoln? That’s how I remember it. And when I remembered that Ben Kingsley was playing the Mandarin, it all seemed even more bewildering. How in the world had he come up with such a stupid voice? Why would an actor of the caliber of Ben Kingsley need to resort to such a cheap, theatrical gimmick? Plus, the movie looked like it was all explosions and depressing music.
Fortunately—for me, others may feel differently—the movie was not much like the preview. In fact, this turned out to be one of my favorite kind of movies. The preview really spoiled only the first thirty minutes or so. The new trend in previews seems to be either (a) to spoil the entire movie or (b) to show us absolutely every important thing that happens in the first thirty to forty minutes. So Iron Man 3 happily turned out to be type (b), full of exciting moments that some canny filmmaker wisely hid from the spoiler-happy people in charge of making the trailers. The movie was funny, fast-paced, and focused. It’s hard to ask for more.
The Good:
What I have always loved about Iron Man is the fact that for an action movie, it’s surprisingly character driven. In fact, it’s basically entirely character driven—or at least kept afloat by Robert Downey Jr.’s star power and charisma in the leading role. Tony Stark is an interesting guy—when he’s bad, when he’s good, when he’s shallow, when he’s deep, when he’s selfish, when he’s noble, when he’s a mess, when he’s got it together—all the time. (In theory, all comic book movies should be character driven, but not all of them pull it off.) Who wouldn’t want to watch the misadventures of an unstable, billionaire, ex-playboy genius superhero, particularly when he’s played by Robert Downey Jr.?
In Iron Man 3, Robert Downey Jr. is in practically every scene of the movie. He’s not just the hero. He’s the star. He’s not just the star. He’s clearly the protagonist and far more interesting than any of the villains. (If Batman’s so rich, why doesn’t he hire Iron Man’s writers to come up with a part for him?)
Another nice thing about the Iron Man franchise is that Tony’s given a love interest who is actually a character in her own right, not just some pretty face or damsel in distress. Pepper Potts is a more interesting than average super hero love interest because she actually seems like a real person. On the one hand, she’s not some vapid, pretty face in distress who worships the hero and believes he’s perfect. On the other hand, she’s in love with Tony Stark and has the sort of relationship with him that would inspire a person to avoid taking internet quizzes and listening to friends’ advice. (I guarantee you, all her friends from college are shaking their heads in bewilderment, and she doesn’t go to lunch with them anymore.)
So when the two people who get the most screentime are actually interesting and also continue to get character development, the movie is entertaining. Go figure.
I also loved the way they used the additional characters in this movie. In Iron Man 2, I thought the characters they added didn’t work together very well. I mean, Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell are great actors (and now that I mention it, Scarlett Johansson’s not half bad either), but that story seemed pulled in so many directions. But in this movie, Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley just fold right into the story. And Rebecca Hall is particularly good (and yet relatively unobtrusive). None of the new characters feels like a distraction or a tangent.
In terms of keeping the story interesting, I thought it was a great decision (a better course than I expected) to pair Pepper with Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) and Tony with Harley Keener (Ty Simpkins). Each pair had fantastic chemistry and produced interesting scenes that really worked and kept the story moving forward in an interesting way. (I like Scarlett Johansson and the character of The Black Widow, but she felt like an intrusion in the last movie, even though she was a welcome diversion.) After the enormous spectacle of the ensemble piece, The Avengers, this movie is much smaller, quieter, more intimate, and I think that really works in its favor.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved The Avengers, but this isn’t The Avengers 2, it’s Iron Man 3. It’s a movie about Tony and Pepper (mostly Tony) not about everybody in the whole entire universe (and any other universes that might be lurking around out there). I think it was a good choice to make Tony’s companion a child instead of another woman (or even another male hero). That way, he has someone to play off of (someone who can be genuinely helpful to him, pragmatically and psychologically), but that relationship doesn’t pull focus from the plot or from his relationship with Pepper.
Sometimes I like Guy Pearce, and more often I don’t. (There’s just something about him that I don’t like.) But he’s really good here. He’s not overacting or overdoing the make-up at all. (Maybe he gets all that out of his system in the first few minutes.) He’s really pretty great, and so is Ben Kingsley. I’ve heard a lot of people reacting negatively to his character, but I was pleasantly surprised by what this film did with the Mandarin, and I truly enjoyed Kingsley’s performance.
Also, while far from being the deepest movie I ever saw in my entire life, this one does do its best to encourage the audience to think. It definitely has something to say, and in my book, that’s much better than being pointless and empty.
Basically, the movie is just incredibly fun to watch. The pacing is great. It never drags. It hits the ground running and just keeps going, but it never feels rushed or incoherent (because it relies on the character development from previous movies, though a little too much in the case of War Machine).
It’s so fun to watch in part because it features a bunch of big shock moments, and it really makes the most of them. About three minutes before the shock arrives, you’re suddenly given all kinds of clues—or just enough hints to give you a feeling—that it’s coming. So then when it comes, you feel a tiny tingle of surprise and at the same time a swelling sense of pride in your own perceptiveness because boy did you see that plot twist coming you’re such a genius! (You don’t pause for breath. That’s how overcome with pride you are. And you’re pleased that the movie threw in a little plot twist.) Iron Man 3 does this again and again, with all the panache of a magician at a child’s birthday party. (And I mean a good magician, not like the kid’s weird uncle pulling handkerchiefs out of his pocket as a pointless prelude to cupcakes.)
I won’t pretend to be an expert on director Shane Black, but I will say that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang displayed similar storytelling methods. As an audience member, you’re primed to react to the things that need a reaction, and you feel pleasure at the little “surprises.” Black seems to direct Robert Downey Jr. well. But Downey is always good. And the script provides him lots of great lines (quips, basically, but quips in character) that he knows how to deliver perfectly.
Best Scene:
I loved the scene on the bed between Rebecca Hall and Gwyneth Paltrow, basically because I wasn’t expecting it. What I mean is, the film didn’t have to include this scene. The story could have worked without it. I liked the fact that Hall got to play a character who got a small bit of development yet didn’t distract from the plot. And I think the two women play that scene so perfectly. It’s really a showcase for Hall’s acting talents, and it’s nice to see Paltrow acting opposite someone besides Downey.
That’s one of the rare scenes that doesn’t feature Robert Downey, Jr. But all of his scenes are good. Maybe it’s a cop-out, but it’s hard to single out just one. I suppose my favorite moment with him was his escape scene fairly late in the movie, the scene in which he first negotiates at length with his guards. That was good.
Best Scene Visually:
I like the moment when Tony first arrives at his unexpected destination and then drags the suit through the snow. (It’s a very brief scene. In fact, it’s actually two incredibly brief moments, almost back to back.) You even get a glimpse of it in the trailer, but it didn’t seem as powerful there as it did in the story.
Another great and memorable visual is the moment with Aldrich’s brain. As I watched the shimmery spectacle, the thought, “Mind of God,” lew into my head. Watch it, and you’ll see what I mean.
Funniest Scene:
Opposite young Harley (Ty Simpkins), Tony Stark delivers some of his best lines. He has a great working relationship with the kid, and though his interaction style is unorthodox, it still seems to benefit both parties.
The part in the back of the van with the other Iron Man fan is pretty amusing, as well.
Best Action Sequence:
The last big action sequence is pretty spectacular, though it feels a little bit too much like a
magic trick (particularly in the way that it ends. It pairs with the opening flashback just a little too perfectly. I keep vacillating between liking the effect and thinking it’s too much).
There’s something to be said for Tony’s fight in Tennessee. I’m also a fan of his escape from the lair. And that bit with the airplane certainly ends with a bang.
Actually, I enjoyed all of the action sequences, which is unusual for me. I found them quite easy to follow. I didn’t feel overwhelmed or lost in them.
The Negatives:
I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the fact that the Mandarin isn’t exactly like the Mandarin in the comics. Some people are very upset about this misuse of the Mandarin. And believe me, I get it. I’m an Elizabethan history buff. Fun historical fact, Elizabeth I never once met her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots in person. But guess what? In practically every single movie about one or the other of them, they always have a big scene together. In fact, have you seen Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth? Cate Blanchett is great, but the director isn’t even pretending to make things historically accurate. In fact, he’s pretty much going out of his way not to be historically accurate. Basically all the events of her reign are conflated into one year or something. It’s crazy! And then she’s not supposed to know that Robert Dudley is married to Amy Robsart? I guess that wedding she attended was pretty forgettable! And while I’m on the subject have you seen that old Robert Taylor version of Ivanhoe where Elizabeth Taylor dresses up like a boy and absconds with her mother’s jewels? (Was the screenwriter thinking of The Merchant of Venice, maybe?) Has anyone ever seen a movie version of The Count of Monte Cristo that is faithful to the book (all the way through)?
I guess my point is that if you expect to find a theatrical adaptation of anything that is exactly like the book then I hope you like Pride and Prejudice (and then just because you have better odds of success. I’m not saying that you’ll ever find a perfect fit, but odds are you’ll die trying and never know for sure)! My advice is, if you’re really that emotionally invested in something, just skip the movie (or watch with lowered expectations). I’ve never read the Iron Man comics myself, so the misuse of the Mandarin wasn’t a problem for me. I’m not saying that fans don’t have a right to be angry and disappointed. But the movie’s use of the Mandarin works in the movie, and it worked for me.
But if you want to talk about characters that the Iron Man movies messed up, then I do have something to add to the discussion. Colonel James “Rhodie” Rhodes was an interesting character when played by Terrence Howard in the first movie. Then (and there’s no room to get into why) they replaced Howard with Don Cheadle. The character just never recovered from the switch in actors. And I’m not sure why. Howard is a great actor (and better for the part in my opinion), but Don Cheadle is a great actor, too. I think his part in the second movie could have been better written (though he does get a lot of screentime there). But this time around, it’s absolutely ridiculous. Colonel Rhodes just shows up sometimes when the story needs him to be there. And to Cheadle’s credit, he makes the most of his screentime, but in Iron Man 3, they really don’t give him much to work with.
At one point, I thought, It’s nice that since this is the third movie, they don’t need to take the time to introduce Colonel Rhodes again and give the audience a feeling for who he is. How convenient for the filmmakers that it’s not necessary to do that!
But then I mulled that over in the back of my mind for a few minutes and finally decided, What? That’s ridiculous. Pepper still got a fresh introduction. Even Happy got a fresh introduction, for crying out loud!
Now to be fair, they do mention War Machine’s name change early on, and they do show Rhodie in an early scene having dinner with Tony. But those moments don’t seem to belong to Rhodie. They don’t give him a chance to show who he is—unless who he is is some guy who’s not very important but just shows up for the convenience of other characters. I guess he is in the military, so he follows orders. But come on.
Maybe Don Cheadle just isn’t right for the part. That could be most of the problem. I can’t decide. But something is wrong with the way they’re using that character. They’re not making the most of him. Everybody else gets an identity and problems apart from their professional work. Not Rhodie. Towards the end of the movie, he actually spends a really long time outside his suit and does some commendable stuff. But he just doesn’t have as much character as Tony. He’s not showcased as he should be. He does important things, but he doesn’t feel important. Personally, I think the franchise went astray with the way it presents his character a long time ago.
Now that I’m done with that little rant, I’ll also say that the final action sequence (while awesome and refreshingly easy for me to follow) is a little too deus ex machina (or, in this instance, machinae ex machina) for my liking. I don’t object to the fact that Tony has such resources at his disposal. But really, if you had a trick like that up your sleeve, and then your sleeve got blown to smithereens, wouldn’t you go ahead and reveal the trick at that time? Why does Tony wait so long? (Now, obviously, the timing isn’t completely implausible because of Tony’s personality. He doesn’t always behave very rationally, and he (perhaps justifiably) has more confidence in his own abilities than average). But I still think the timing of that big reveal is just a little too convenient, too cute, too pause-for-gasp-here. (Does he know he’s in a movie and they need a big finale?)
Another thing. With no spoilers, I would like to say a word about dragons. They’re pretty cool. Now there are all kinds of things that make them so amazing. But probably the biggest thing that all sources of dragon lore have in common is that the dragons breathe fire. This kind of thing is a big draw. Usually in dragon movies, the dragons get to terrify their victims (and dazzle the audience) with the menace of this fearsome skill all throughout the story. Then at the end, some brave knight (or whoever) finally kills the dragon after he’s breathed fire all over everybody for a good sixty minutes (in total). Just an observation. I won’t say any more about that here.
Also James Badge Dale was amazing in Flight, and his character here has the potential to be extremely awesome. I think he and Stephanie Szostak get shortchanged a bit in terms of character development. It’s forgivable, but it’s kind of a shame.
Another tiny complaint that I have is that Tony and Rhodie should be a little smarter than they are. When you find out there’s some kind of huge conspiracy, you don’t just tell one person. Also, why would anybody think Tony’s present to Pepper would be a good present? He’s rich beyond belief. Don’t get me wrong. I certainly appreciate the “I love you, but I’m distracted with my insanity” defense, but still. And based on the post credits scenes Marvel has given us in the past, this one, while funny, feels too inconsequential.
I have all kinds of little quibbles like these, but most of them don’t matter much. Honestly, I enjoyed the movie from start to finish.
Overall:
Why isn’t every popcorn flick as good as Iron Man 3? Every popular movie should have the same level of quality as a big summer release. There are enough people with enough talent to make that more than possible. (I guess the answer is that people like me will pay to see inferior movies. I suppose it’s all my fault. If only I weren’t so fond of sitting in the dark and eating popcorn. If only I were satisfied to sit at home in my darkened living room and stare at the giant flat screen on the wall. But we just can’t get the popcorn right! Plus I’m on a diet right now, and if I’m going to sit around not eating popcorn, I’d rather do it at the movie theater!)
Iron Man 3 exceeded my expectations. It was funny, entertaining, and well-acted. As Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. is captivating and fun to watch, and he’s in practically every scene, so how can you go wrong? The movie features witty banter and action aplenty, and—for a popcorn flick—raises a number of thought-provoking questions. It was good, and my whole family enjoyed it (except my daughter who fell asleep during the endless previews and missed the entire thing). Maybe we’ll get to see it again!