Iron Man 3 Review

Iron Man was the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was a tricky film to get off the ground. Iron Man wasn't as iconic as Batman or Spider-Man or even Captain America. So it was possible that it could flop. Originally, Marvel didn't want Robert Downey Jr. in the title role. Downey was less known for his acting and more for his party lifestyle and drug usage. However director Jon Favreau convinced Marvel to give Downey a chance and now he is arguably the biggest star in the world. After a so-so sequel, Iron Man 3 returns with Shane Black writing and directing.

Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Iron Man 3 isn't a bad movie. It's just not good. Well it wasn't what Iron Man fans were expecting. Robert Downey Jr. is still fantastic as Tony Stark. The supporting cast is fine too. Except Gwenyth Paltrow. I never cared much for her and I still don't. The problem isn't the cast. In all honesty it's the story. The reason Iron Man fans hated this movie is because of the villain. Sort of. The Mandarin in the comics was a powerful villain and a skilled martial artist. Not a drunk washed up actor that the film portrays. It is understandable what the story wanted to do. It wanted to strip everything from Tony Stark to show that he isn't just a man in a metal suit. And he isn't. The script should have also been better. Shane Black is a smart writer who wrote Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the recent The Nice Guys. It is a smart script, but it doesn't feel like Iron Man. However with repeat viewings it does get better. I absolutely hated the movie when I first watched it. I loathed it. However I watched it a second and then a third time and it grew on me. I began to appreciate what the movie was trying to do, even though it could have been done better.