“Ever since the guy with the hammer fell out of the sky, subtlety kind of went out of the window.”
And just like that, Iron Man 3 had been summed up in one quote from Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine a.k.a. Iron Patriot.
My job was done. No need for a review. But, seriously, this one quote, delivered with expert comic timing by the cheeky Don Cheadle, had everything you need to know about Iron Man 3.
After the enormous success of The Avengers, expectations were high for Iron Man 3. Director Shane Black, new to the superhero genre, decided to respond to those expectations by going for broke. Black took his usual nineties buddy cop action formula and applied it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There were enough edge-of-your-seat set pieces to indulge any action junkie. All of the action scenes, along with Black’s trademark comedic touch, were not subtle whatsoever, which is exactly what this franchise needed to stand out after the massive box office haul and critical adoration of The Avengers.
Robert Downey, Jr. was his usual charismatic self as Iron Man, the role he was born to play. With an array of one-liners and an unexpected touch of feeling, Downey continued his winning streak as the most compelling on-screen Marvel hero. As it has come to be expected from the Marvel movies, the cast was rounded out by a group of highly respectable actors turning in more than capable work. Gwyneth Paltrow’s role as Pepper Potts was expanded to include more vital screen time in this segment of the trilogy, as was Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan. Paul Bettany continued to provide soothing voice work for his role as Jarvis.
The real treats from the supporting cast were provided by the performances of the newcomers. Rebecca Hall (who is quietly becoming a go-to actress for respected directors) shined as a welcome addition to the franchise in the role of Dr. Maya Hansen. Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce (one of my personal favorites) turned the typical villainous cheese all the way up for their roles as The Mandarin and Aldrich Killian respectively.
It has become somewhat of a staple for awards-worthy actors to come in and ham it up as the villain in the Marvel movies (think Hugo Weaving in Captain America or Jeff Bridges in the first Iron Man). Pearce and Kingsley add to this tradition with their enjoyable performances in the film. They are only outdone by Tony Stark himself (Downey Jr.), one of the few comic book crusaders who can match, and exceed, the charisma of his arch-enemies.
Without being too spoiler-heavy, I can understand why the fans of the Iron Man comics were up in arms about the changes made to some of the characters in their big-screen adaptations. I do think the changes, although straying far from the source material, were better suited for film. It would have been difficult to accurately portray the details in question without asking too much of the audience. (Yes, I know these are fantasy movies, but, still.) The changes made for the betterment of the movie, so it is hard to argue with the creative minds behind the decision.
Iron Man 3 is one of the better films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is a pretty big compliment given the critical success of those films. Although it doesn’t quite reach the exhilarating heights of The Avengers or the original Iron Man, it is an extremely entertaining and unexpectedly touching thrill ride of a movie. If they choose to end the Iron Man series with this entry, it would be an appropriate send off for Tony Stark.
I can’t wait to see what the world’s most entertaining superhero does next.