Iron Man 3

The third instalment of the highly-successful Iron Man franchise goes off in a different direction to its predecessors. I'll assume that 'part 3' (not including the Avengers) won't be people's first helping of Iron Man lore and they'll probably have a shrewd idea of what to expect from the previous episodes.

However, the film-makers have decided to go in a slightly different direction with this one. I can see their point. It may have felt a bit 'samey' to have yet another villain wearing a suit of armour to battle our sarcastic hero Tony Stark, so they decided to downplay the suits of armour for the better part of the movie. Instead they focused more on 'the man' himself, utilising his deductive powers, rather than just blasting baddies with his lasers.

And, to be blunt, while some people loved it, others hated it. So if you're looking for yet another superhero movies with larger than life baddies and plenty of high-tech, suit-wearing, destructive action, you may feel a little cheated. There is plenty of action (and a suitably explosive climax), but a lot of it involves more hand to hand fighting from Stark.

Personally, I thought it was quite a refreshing turn for a superhero film. Tony Stark always has been and always will be, Iron Man. If I just want to see him in the suit itself, I have parts 1 and 2 to watch. Nice to see something different. Roll on part 4 (and the Avengers 2).

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Iron Man 3 is a fast-paced, entertaining sci-fi action thriller that turned out better than its disappointing predecessor.

This time around, there's no distracting Avengers subplot and the main focus goes to the main character instead. Once again, Robert Downey Jr. is at his best and fits his role perfectly as the arrogant, smart-ass Tony Stark by delivering sharp witty dialogue that make the film downright hilarious. Great round of applause for the people who's responsible for thinking up the various ways Tony can put on the suits in the film, well done!

However, the film crossed the borderline of science fiction and science fantasy. There are things in the film that's simply could not happen in reality under any circumstances, which some movie-goers might find it hard to accept. As a person who knows the cartoon and comics, the direction the film took for the characters and the "Extremis" story arc is questionable. Some Marvel fans/purists will find it unacceptable, but for casual movie-goers, the plot is great and it's really a personal story about the titular hero.

Iron Man 3 showed that it's not just a superhero film, but a smart comedy film as well. So, in the end, does the suit make the man or does the man make the suit? Well, you damn well know what the answer is after finish watching this film.

After being totally thrilled by The Avengers, I didn't expect exactly the same amount of greatness in "Iron Man 3", yet I still needed a solid story to keep me interested. There were two things that I was certain were going to satisfy me: Robert Downey Jr. 's performance and the special effects. Granted they did not disappoint, however aside from that, I either accepted all other aspects or felt they were done in a messy fashion.

The plot consists of a terrorist called the Mandarin threatening America's safety and teaching its president and people a lesson. After his friend Happy Hogan is put into a coma thanks to one of the Mandarin's attacks, Tony vows to strike back. But after an attack from his enemy leaves him homeless and weaponless, Tony must find a way to stop his foe's plans while reevaluating his troubled existence. Downey Jr. hits the ball park once again with his Stark character showing his usual playful charm, but also his vulnerability at times. The events that took place in The Avengers take a heavy toll on the character and RDJ plays it quite professionally. Other characters were sort of a bore to me with Pearce's Killian as an exception. The plot once again fails to make sense, making it more comparable with the second rather than the first. Overall the film entertains and the visuals combined with the leading man's appeal make for an enjoyable time, however when it comes to the story it doesn't come close to Marvel movies like the first Iron Man and The Avengers.

Rating 8/10

There is a moment in Iron Man 3 which will be a big influence on whether you enjoyed the movie or not. At the time of its release, this midway twist proved to be quite polarising, with many critics and fans revelling in the clever direction of the story, whilst others despaired at a Hollywood mishandling of an iconic character. Either way, Iron Man 3 will have you talking about it by the end.

And so you should; because, even setting aside the divisive twist, this is a hugely entertaining comic book movie infused with a wonderful sense of humour, a breakneck pace and some truly spectacular action sequences.

The story revolves around Tony Stark/Iron Man facing a new threat known as The Mandarin whilst juggling his relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts and keeping Guy Pearce's creepy scientist at bay. It seems like there is a lot going on but by keeping the focus squarely on Tony, director Shane Black is able to keep the narrative from becoming incoherent, and more importantly, retain its sense of fun.

Downey Jr. is completely at home in the role of Tony Stark. He throws out one liners and insults with such ease yet achieves a sense of vulnerability not yet seen in the character. It is his most assured performance as Tony and one can only hope that he doesn't stop here. But it is not just Downey Jr. on form here, as Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and most notably Ben Kingsley deliver fantastic performances

With the success of Avengers Assemble, and the decision to make this movie the first of Marvel's 'Phase Two', it would be understandable if Black was feeling any pressure, but it certainly doesn't come across on the screen. It may have been tempting to try and better Avengers Assemble by going bigger, flashier and louder; but wisely, Black chooses to rein in the more ridiculous aspects of comic book movies, and delivers a film which is more concerned about the man inside the suit, not just the suit itself. That is not to say there is not a lot of action; there is and it is eye popping, but in between the explosions and stunts, we get a chance to spend time with Tony and see what makes the snarky billionaire tick. The fact that it proves to be just as exciting and interesting as the segments with the suit is a testament to both Black's script and Downey Jr.'s performance.

A bold and surprising take on one of the most popular movie characters since Jack Sparrow. Filled with exciting action, hilarious one liners and one or two unexpected plot turns, Iron Man 3 will have you grinning throughout its 2 hour runtime.

The first time I saw this movie I really didn't like it, I had just come off the high of "The Avengers" and let me make it clear, this one isn't as good. That said it is significantly better than Iron Man 2 and that's because the story is deeper and direct. There's a lot less focus on explosions and fancy effects (although there is plenty of that) and more on dialogue and character development.

One thing I like about this movie is that you get to learn more about Tony Stark, as much as I loved his arrogance in IM1, 2 at the end of Avengers he was humbled and that continues in this one. On the one hand I love the suits and the fancy technology but it's Robert Downey's sarcasm and wit that make him so great for this franchise.

Yes there is a big plot twist but it by no means ruins the movie and while I was not a fan of the ending, you can see where things are going towards Avengers 2.

It may not be for you, my only advice is to make sure you watch it again. I was angry the first time I did and thought the movie was a joke, each additional time I've watched it I take something more from it and enjoy it a little more.