So
how do you make an Iron Man movie
without Iron Man? Well, if you have the man behind Iron Man, Tony Stark, it
seems that’s all you need. In The
Avengers when Captain America and Tony Stark clashed, the former asked the
latter what he would be without his suits. Well in Iron Man 3 we find out. Turns out Tony Stark still pretty much
stays a genius, billionaire, philanthropist, this-time committed-boyfriend and
proves it as he spends most of the movie out of his comfort suits. Oh he has
suits all right, tons of them apparently since the incidence in The Avengers that involved him going
through a wormhole and realizing there were beings more powerful than him. This
movie might divide most Iron Man
fans, while we generally liked the first one, we loathed the second, but
appreciated the effort the folks at Marvel put into especially Downey for going
down with an almost sinking ship. Then The
Avengers came along and even though it redeemed some of the features of Iron Man 2, it made us realize further
how much we disliked it, but at least it wasn’t Green Lantern! So now we’re here at the threequeel: Iron Man Three.
As you’ve probably heard by now, Iron Man 3 plays out more like a sequel
to The Avengers than that half-baked,
but still appreciated Iron Man 2 movie.
Tony’s new enemies (there’s more than one as usual now) come in the form of demons
he planted years ago by himself and a new terrorist known as The Mandarin
(comic book purist should not expect the Chinese caricature that was Marvel’s
metaphor for British rule over Hong Kong, the comic book Mandarin was a
half-Chinese, half-British bad guy. Instead this Mandarin is a mixture of all
things anti-American, justifiable and non-justifiable-ish. If it’s any
compensation to the purists, he’s acted by a half-Indian, half-British screen
legend, still makes him half-Asian, half-European, so there).
The Mandarin unlike Iron Man’s
previous enemies has no known weaknesses and no prior issues to really avenge, but
to apparently correct America’s past transgressions by creating more of his own
(reminds me of Boko Haram). Meanwhile Tony also has to deal with a former
scientist turned nemesis in the form of Aldrich Killian (who gets like fifteen
minutes top in the whole movie), a crumbling relationship with Pepper due to
his anxieties of “New York” and a hate for pal Rhodey’s new costume, the Iron
Patriot.
By far the most engaging part of the
movie is when Stark meets a young genius in the making in the form of Harley
(played well by Ty Simpkins). Something tells me one day that boy is going to
wear an Iron Man armour. This by far makes Iron
Man 3’s second act the best in any superhero movie I’ve seen. While most comic
book movies wobble in the middle, Iron Man 3 is saved that problem by engaging
Tony with a young inquisitive boy who’s just as sharp as him and looks like he
just might be a superhero one day.
The third act like in all superhero
movies is where the good guy faces the bad guy. What separates Iron Man 3 from the usual routine is the
twists and turns involved. The fight isn’t just straight, it’s… well, you’ll
have to see it for yourself. No amount of explanation can do it justice. Robert
Downey Jr, who made a fortune of The
Avengers ($50m) can afford not to return to the character that has been one
great metaphor of his acting career and not worry about messing up his legacy
as Tony Stark. It would be hard to find another Tony Stark. As the character
says in the end, just like he did in the first movie, “I am Iron Man” and
Downey is Tony Stark. You can’t replace him… not just yet! See you for Avengers 2!
Speaking of which, many have asked why
Stark never calls any of The Avengers,
well I just got word that Asgard has no telecommunication services, so no you
can’t port to the bifrost, that colourful bridge that transports Asgardians, not even if your name is Saka and
Captain America just got a Blackberry 10
and is too busy learning how to use it and Nick Fury has to pay for damages
done to the helicarrier! So there you have it, they were all busy!
Rating:
3.8 stars/5
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