Review: Iron Man 3

This summer appears to be chock-full of blockbusters. One of the first out the gate is Iron Man 3 and if I’m being honest, my enthusiasm for this movie was greatly tempered by the previous entry in the series. However, the announcement of Shane Black coming on board as a writer/director piqued my interest. His previous work with Robert Downey Jr., Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, was hilarious, fun and one of my favourite movies of 2005. Could he bring that same cheeky humour to Tony Stark’s latest?

Iron Man 3 picks up where The Avengers left off, with Earth’s mightiest heroes having returned to their lives. It becomes apparent though that the attack on New York has affected Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) – his near-death experience leads to him having sleepless nights and becoming more protective of his now live-in girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Similar to the first two movies of the series, this reevaluation of priorities sparks Tony’s creative side. By the time we meet him, he has been holed up in his office/lab/Fortress of Posttraumatic Stress for so long, he has built forty-two different suits (the last suit we saw him with was the seventh iteration so he certainly has been a busy bee). When The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), a terrorist and warlord, arrives on the scene (or rather the screen) to cause mayhem, Tony throws caution to the wind and decides to pick a fight.

This may sound like the series has taken a turn for the ‘serious’ but worry not, Shane Black is here. The writer/director behind the Lethal Weapon series and The Long Kiss Goodnight knows how to weave fun into every aspect of a script. Like Joss Whedon, Black is able to give each of the main characters their own moment to shine. Numerous gags litter the script, ranging from quips about Downton Abbey to digs over password choices. Early in the film, we are introduced to a child who becomes a form of sidekick to Tony. Black’s witty and irreverent dialogue ensures that the ‘annoying kid’ pitfall is avoided. Unfortunately, while almost all of the jokes land, there were times when I felt that the scene was not necessarily asking for them and this upset the tone once or twice.

The action scenes are not just spectacular but clever. Each set piece serves a purpose, either progressing the plot and allowing for character/relationship development. This makes a welcome change from the ‘transplantable’ action scenes seen in other big budget movies. One point both Black and Downey Jr. mentioned in their interviews leading up to Iron Man 3‘s release was they wanted to take Tony ‘back to the cave’ from the original film. They wanted to take away the money and the flash, forcing Stark to use his genius and ingenuity to get out of the sticky situations he so often finds himself in. My favourite scene involves Tony having to make an escape with only an arm and leg of armour available to him but he channels his inner MacGyver and makes it work.

To be honest, Downey Jr. simply has to be on-screen for a smile to cross my face. His portrayal of Tony Stark is pitch perfect. He is ably helped by Don Cheadle, reprising the role of Tony’s best friend James Rhodes, and the dulcit tones of Paul Bettany, returning as the deadpan AI Jarvis. Guy Pearce is also suave and convincing as Aldrich Killian, a rival of Tony’s. One weakness in the film is the lack of time we spend with the minor characters. For instance, they get a fantastic actress in Rebecca Hall to play a former girlfriend of Tony’s and a brilliant scientist in her own right, but fail to utilise her in any meaningful way. While not to the same extent as the recent Spiderman movie, there is a sense that a lot of her scenes (and those of James Badge Dale) were left on the cutting room floor.

The midnight showing I attended was a lot of fun. The audience was packed with fans who laughed and gasped at all the right moments. The Black/Downey Jr. partnership seems to have created yet another hilarious comedy-thriller. Long may this trend continue. Finally, I don’t think it should need to be said given Marvel’s track record in this regard, but make sure you stay until the credits finish…