Iron Man 3 (Shane Black)

[Winston*]

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2013/02/iron-man-3-mandarin-poster-kingsley-610x919.jpg

IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300854/)

[Winston*]

Enjoyed this a lot. Easily the best of the Marvel solo movies. Very much a Shane Black film: lots of explosions and one liners. Some really funny moments. Tony Stark is wisely kept out of his robot suit for the vast majority of the runtime. Ben Kingsley's character is great.

[Dukefrukem]

Sounds on par.

[Dukefrukem]

oh and


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R3muT5yE5Os

[Gamblor]

Even more a distinctly Shane Black film than The Avengers was a Joss Whedon film. Very enjoyable, and easily the best of its series for me, but I also never cared for the first film.

[number8]

That seems to be ALL anybody's saying from every one of the early reactions that's been posted and tweeted, that it's more a Shane Black movie than a "superhero" movie. That's really encouraging.

[Rowland]

That seems to be ALL anybody's saying from every one of the early reactions that's been posted and tweeted, that it's more a Shane Black movie than a "superhero" movie. That's really encouraging.Fo' sho. This next week looks like as good a time as any to finally unwrap my Kiss Kiss Bang Bang blu-ray... and maybe I'll finally give The Long Kiss Goodnight a look.

[slqrick]

What's the deal with this AMC/Regal shit...anyone know? The greed involved is kind of boggling my mind.

[Ivan Drago]

That seems to be ALL anybody's saying from every one of the early reactions that's been posted and tweeted, that it's more a Shane Black movie than a "superhero" movie. That's really encouraging.

With this, I've expected a generic superhero movie and nothing more. Hearing that is a very good sign.

[Skitch]

What's the deal with this AMC/Regal shit...anyone know? The greed involved is kind of boggling my mind.

Disney wants 60-65% of ticket sales from Regal/AMC/Cinemark. I hope the theaters don't let up. Let Iron Man3 sit. Disney can't afford to let it fail, they'll relent.

[Morris Schæffer]

Fo' sho. This next week looks like as good a time as any to finally unwrap my Kiss Kiss Bang Bang blu-ray... and maybe I'll finally give The Long Kiss Goodnight a look.

It's a fun action flick and quite funny even if the humour comes mostly from samuel l jackson.

[Winston*]

Even more a distinctly Shane Black film than The Avengers was a Joss Whedon film. Very enjoyable, and easily the best of its series for me, but I also never cared for the first film.

Loved the Mandarin reveal, after the character has been central to the film's advertising campaign. Pierce has a line about how he was created through focus grouping.

Also: 'I don't even like working here. They are so weird'

[Gamblor]

Loved the Mandarin reveal, after the character has been central to the film's advertising campaign. Pierce has a line about how he was created through focus grouping.

Also: 'I don't even like working here. They are so weird'

I imagine that twist is going to piss off a lot of the source material's fans, but it was fantastic. It was nice that all the trailers for the film, which I didn't like, turned out to generally be quite misleading in regards to tone.

[Dukefrukem]

So fucking good

[Watashi]

Not a fan of the villain (Outside of Loki, I haven't really cared about any of the Marvel villains), but overall it's very fun. The tone is very Shane Black. The film is pretty much Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang with Iron Man.

[Dukefrukem]

So yeh. This met and exceeded my expectations even more than Avengers did. I'm finding it hard to determine which I like more at this point.

Couple of other things.


1. So Stark had surgery and no longer has shrapnel near his heart? Is this a cannon story line? Why didn't he just do that in IM1?
2. The worst thing I saw in this movie was Pepper fighting. I don't care that she now has "powers". It looked forced and awkward. Although she looks great in a sports bra.
3. The death of Guy was very anti-climactic considering the several fight scenes between him and Tony.
4. I thought this movie was supposed to be the start of the next story arch? It didn't appear this was the case? After credit scene was weak.
5. Fantastic Mandarin reveal. So well done. "Olay olay olay olaaaaaay"
6. Jon Favreau got sooooo fat.

[Wryan]

Thought it was great fun. Nice use of Sir Ben. Though it does bring up a question: does this mean that actually using the "real" Mandarin is out for Iron Man or Marvel movies? Would be a little difficult to use now that this has happened.

Odd that the little Tennessee boy had no accent to speak of. Nice action and impressive effects. I thought Pepper fighting was great and convincingly done.

[max314]

Fun piece of utter nonsense.

[Winston*]

Thought it was great fun. Nice use of Sir Ben. Though it does bring up a question: does this mean that actually using the "real" Mandarin is out for Iron Man or Marvel movies? Would be a little difficult to use now that this has happened.


Well, it's revealed that Pierce is the 'real' Mandarin at the end.

I think it would be difficult to use the comic book Mandarin because that character seems racist as fuck.

[eternity]

Easily the best Marvel movie, and possibly the best superhero movie ever made, up there with Batman '89 and The Incredibles. Might even be one of my favorite Christmas movies too, along with Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Go figure.

[Dukefrukem]

Easily the best Marvel movie, and possibly the best superhero movie ever made, up there with Batman '89 and The Incredibles. Might even be one of my favorite Christmas movies too, along with Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Go figure.

And Die Hard.

[TGM]

So this is definitely the best Iron Man yet, without question. Trying to determine whether or not I liked it better than The Avengers, though. Hmm...

[plain]

Iron Man 3 was ridiculous fun, well paced and a good match for Shane Black -- it's ironically at its best when the action is minimized. Easily my favorite of the trilogy and loads better than The Avengers. The Ben Kingsley arc/reveal was soooo perfect.

[[ETM]]

I don't think I can compare it to The Avengers. This was fun on a completely different level, and almost all of it had nothing to do with it being a Marvel comic book movie. So, at the same time, it was more AND it missed that something that the kid in us loved in The Avengers.

[Dukefrukem]

So this is definitely the best Iron Man yet, without question. Trying to determine whether or not I liked it better than The Avengers, though. Hmm...

Heh, I said the same thing above. It's really really good.

[Dukefrukem]

;477427']I don't think I can compare it to The Avengers. This was fun on a completely different level, and almost all of it had nothing to do with it being a Marvel comic book movie. So, at the same time, it was more AND it missed that something that the kid in us loved in The Avengers.

It does feel like a one off- which is what distinguishes itself from Avengers. I was a little disappointed there were no cameos from the rest of the team... With the exception of the ending credits scene of course.

[max314]

Easily the best Marvel movie, and possibly the best superhero movie ever made, up there with Batman '89 and The Incredibles. Might even be one of my favorite Christmas movies too, along with Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Go figure.

Wow, see, I'm just not getting where all this high praise is coming from.

Money well spent? Sure. A Friday night well wasted? Absolutely. But "the best superhero movie ever made"?

I respect your opinion, of course. But I just can't get there myself.

[Dukefrukem]

Well it's either this is the best superhero movie ever made, or it's Matrix Revolutions.

[Dukefrukem]

Here's a question...

How did he get from TN to Miami? Are you telling me he drove that distance in that stolen car?

[slqrick]

I need to digest the movie a bit. Definitely wasn't what I expected, which was a very pleasant surprise. Loved all the quips and giving RDJ as much time as possible outside the suit, and Black's dialogue was mostly perfect throughout the movie. Thought the last act was kind of meh, especially with the money shots ruined in the trailer, but still enjoyable and some nice visual callbacks to stuff like Lethal Weapon. Definitely not as good as Avengers, but a significant improvement over the second Iron Man.

I think my favorite part about this was just how left field it felt for a Marvel flick...I hope this trend continues with their next few movies, and I really like that strategy to keep the genre from becoming stale.

[number8]

Yep. Far and away the best of the trilogy. It also eliminates my dislike of the first two movies' third acts, which were boring suit-on-suit slugfests. A Lethal Weapon-style shootout/rescue caper is much, much better.

The whole segment with Tony MacGuyvering into the Mandarin's palace and up to the reveal is probably the most fun sequence in all the Marvel movies so far. I'm so glad that they shifted the franchise's tone to fit Shane Black instead of the usual other way around with these movies.

Loved the post-credits, too.

[number8]

4. I thought this movie was supposed to be the start of the next story arch? It didn't appear this was the case? After credit scene was weak.


Not sure where you heard that. Kevin Feige's been saying since The Avengers came out that they listened to the criticisms of Iron Man 2 and so the Phase Two movies will all be more stand-alone.

[transmogrifier]

Better than the prior two, and all other Marvel movies of this cycle bar The Avengers, because it is funny and Kingsley is a hoot. But it is monumentally shallow (the panic attacks are a cheap, artificial method of character "development", and the final act is explosion fatigue mixed with a convenient deus ex machina).

Fun, but forgettable.

64

[Pop Trash]

Probably a minority opinion, but I don't really like Shane Black's film work to date. So all of these "it's a Shane Black movie!" responses do nothing for me.

[Sycophant]

I've only seen one Shane Black film, and it was alright, but at least no one's saying it it feels like a Jon Favreau movie.

[Watashi]

Does a Jon Favreau movie even have a feel?

[Derek]

Does a Jon Favreau movie even have a feel?

Jon Favreau movies exist.

[TGM]

My full review. (http://cwiddop.blogspot.com/2013/05/iron-man-3.html)

[Sxottlan]

Really liked this one. :)

[Skitch]

Does a Jon Favreau movie even have a feel?

That simple pair of sneakers that goes with anything, but always has a pebble within.

[Henry Gale]

I was taken aback by how mixed I felt about it despite not being able to shake the feeling that it was the best of the three. I just think the overall shift in expectations from the brooding epic it's been made out to be through its advertising and general build-up from the prior films versus the slapdash, low-fi identity it actually shapes for itself are such jarringly, though mostly refreshingly, different things to make sense of while it unfolds. The more I think about it, the more I like it, I'm just still a little stunned that it's the film it is.

I should point out that I regard Iron Man 2 much more highly than the first, and recent re-watches of both (about my third viewing of each) completely reaffirmed that for me. Favreau obviously has little to no discernible style as a director or storyteller, and both kinda hit a narrative wall about a third to three quarters of the way into them, but where the first one just sets out to introduce the character but then panics and realizes it should probably reveal a bigger villain to pit Stark against him for a weak finale, I genuinely find the second one is more consistently exciting, like seeing it map out more interesting thematic ideas, think it's way more hilarious than anyone seems to give it credit for (especially Rockwell and his scenes with Downey), more briskly plotted and contend that all of its action packs a much more tangible and well-staged punch (though the less you think about the logic behind what's going on, the better).

But Shane Black has taken all of what I like most about the first two films, realized the potential of this character and his world, and he's improved them by completely uprooting the foundation for how to make them work onscreen and making it entirely his own, often beautifully offbeat little universe. It's an unexpectedly bold shift, but I don't see how future viewings won't let me see past the initial surprise recalibration of the world of Tony Stark & Friends and reiterate my best feelings about it, while leaving me wishing they had all been made by Black, this way, all along.

***½ / B+

[Boner M]

Jon Favreau movies exist.
http://www.daveberlin.com/images/blog/movies/zathura.jpg

[Morris Schæffer]

175 million

[number8]

By the way, can we say, most misleading trailer for a comic book movie ever? Watch all the trailers again and look at how night and day their dark, serious tone are compared to the movie's actual lighthearted tone.

[slqrick]

By the way, can we say, most misleading trailer for a comic book movie ever? Watch all the trailers again and look at how night and day their dark, serious tone are compared to the movie's actual lighthearted tone.

Yeah, so great. It calibrated my expectations for Kingsley so much that it made his later scenes amazing.

[Dukefrukem]

Not sure where you heard that. Kevin Feige's been saying since The Avengers came out that they listened to the criticisms of Iron Man 2 and so the Phase Two movies will all be more stand-alone.

I guess I mistook what "Phase 2" actually stood for then.

[Henry Gale]

By the way, can we say, most misleading trailer for a comic book movie ever? Watch all the trailers again and look at how night and day their dark, serious tone are compared to the movie's actual lighthearted tone.

For sure. A huge portion of my feelings while watching the film unfold just involved trying to correlate what I'd been forced to expect compared to what the true tone and shape of the story actually was. It's the main reason I assume I'll enjoy it even more on repeat viewings, knowing its full intentions going into it for a second, third time.

But I still loved the bait-and-switch they managed to set up for themselves with so many major elements of it. Definitely not the sort of thing we see very often with properties as big as this.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Definitely a fun film. Completely silly and ridiculous plot, but the film doesn't take itself seriously, so that's easily ignored in favor of having a blast with the chemistry of the cast and the sharp dialogue. Anxiety attacks seemed like a forced mechanism for tying the story together with The Avengers, and should have been ditched. Served no purpose outside of that, and had no impact as an arc or as an addition to the narrative. Still, I laughed a lot and the time flew by. Also, love the post-credits sequence. Great way to explain the narration.

[Dukefrukem]

Why exactly isn't being taken seriously?

[Dukefrukem]

I guess the scene where Tony is being held captive in Miami, and he uses his gesture moves to summon his suit in TN, I guess that isn't very serious now is it?

[Dukefrukem]

In fact, that whole scene is really stupid. The arc reactor is on Tony's chest. How the fuck do those flying suit pieces operate? Not to mention, operate over 1000 miles?

[number8]

I'm guessing that the anxiety attacks were an easy substitute for the original script's alcoholism, which Black said they played with but Disney objected to. It sort of fits if you think about the depiction in the movie. It makes more sense if he started drinking more heavily after discovering how small he is in the universe after The Avengers, and the alcohol affects him in his sleep as well as pushing Pepper away (having her storm away to sleep elsewhere after he woke up in the middle of the night with panic attacks was a little weird, even with the sentient suit threat).

[Raiders]

I think Black would have been better having the brush with the infinite and his own mortality in The Avengers turning him into a richer, more charismatic version of Mel Gibson's Riggs from Leathal Weapon as opposed to tacking on silly anxiety attacks that seem solely intended as plot devices and not any actual character study.

But yeah, blah blah blah... fun film.

[Fezzik]

I am actually quite surprised at how well the scenes with the kid were handled. Those usually are a kiss of death, but a lot of the funniest stuff was during Tony's time with Harley.


"Dads leave, don't be a pussy about it."

"You know, I was just thinking. Where is my Tuna Fish Sandwich?"

"...Because we're connected."

[number8]

"You're just gonna leave? Like... my dad?"
"Yes."

[EyesWideOpen]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/05/06/iron_man_3_china_hollywood_con descends_to_chinese_viewers.ht ml

[Dukefrukem]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/05/06/iron_man_3_china_hollywood_con descends_to_chinese_viewers.ht ml

I like the idea of the Chinese being the only medical facility in the world to perform the surgery on him.

[Skitch]

I'm going to be really disappointed if we don't get to see this Chinese cut at some point.

[EyesWideOpen]

It will almost certainly be included on the dvd/blu-ray. According to that report it's only four more minutes and basically a commercial.

[number8]

Yeah, the full description in the Kotaku article is hilarious.


There's also this extra long shot of Dr. Wu awkwardly pouring a glass of Yili brand Chinese milk. But it's pure product placement. Before the movie starts, there are two China specific ads: One of them is a Chinese milk commercial that, as The Hollywood Reporter points out, asks, "What does Iron Man rely on to revitalize his energy?" (The answer is a Yili milk drink.)

Here's the kicker: the reason why everyone's saying the Chinese scenes looked out of place is because Shane Black had nothing to do with them. They were written, shot and edited without him.

[eternity]

Wow, see, I'm just not getting where all this high praise is coming from.

Money well spent? Sure. A Friday night well wasted? Absolutely. But "the best superhero movie ever made"?

I respect your opinion, of course. But I just can't get there myself.Granted, "best superhero movie ever made" isn't exactly a tall order. I don't have anything against the subgenre, but superhero movies are almost as dubious as video game movies most of the time.

[Thirdmango]

My favorite Iron Man film but not my favorite Marvel film. Loved the Mandarin reveal and I actually really liked the final fight sequence. Hated the kid stuff though. Really could have done without that.

[megladon8]

Loved it. Great fun. Not as wonderful or heartfelt as the first in the series, but an enormous step up from the second and a worthy successor to The Avengers.

Shane Black elevated the material, for sure. Fanboy crybabies need to shut up and appreciate some smart, witty writing and plotting. I couldn't care less how much the Extremis and Mandarin stories stray from the source - Black et al took ideas from the books, twisted them to fit his mold, and it worked beautifully.

A few small misgivings here and there...

...such as the Vice President's involvement coming out of nowhere, and one or two little lines that felt a little too ham-fisted, like Pearce's "I AM THE MANDARIN!" at the end.

But these are small potatoes when talking about a movie that was easily the most fun I've had at the theatre since...well...The Avengers.

Props to the team for pulling off the scenes with Stark and the kid so well. They could have easily been movie-ruining, but they ended up being some of the strongest, most memorable stuff there.

"Yeah your dad left you, that's what they do. No reason to be a pussy about it." :lol:

[Irish]

Fun profile on RDJr in the May issue of GQ:

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201305/robert-downey-jr-profile-may-2013

Interesting that Marvel said there were no circumstances under which they'd hire him. He had to fight for the "Iron Man" audition.

[eternity]

Loved it. Great fun. Not as wonderful or heartfelt as the first in the series, but an enormous step up from the second and a worthy successor to The Avengers.

Shane Black elevated the material, for sure. Fanboy crybabies need to shut up and appreciate some smart, witty writing and plotting. I couldn't care less how much the Extremis and Mandarin stories stray from the source - Black et al took ideas from the books, twisted them to fit his mold, and it worked beautifully.

A few small misgivings here and there...

...such as the Vice President's involvement coming out of nowhere, and one or two little lines that felt a little too ham-fisted, like Pearce's "I AM THE MANDARIN!" at the end.

But these are small potatoes when talking about a movie that was easily the most fun I've had at the theatre since...well...The Avengers.

Props to the team for pulling off the scenes with Stark and the kid so well. They could have easily been movie-ruining, but they ended up being some of the strongest, most memorable stuff there.

"Yeah your dad left you, that's what they do. No reason to be a pussy about it." :lol:

Oh yeah, the life of the President and the safety of the Republic is worth less than his daughter (I think?) growing a new leg. Hysterical.

[Dukefrukem]

Fun profile on RDJr in the May issue of GQ:

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201305/robert-downey-jr-profile-may-2013

Interesting that Marvel said there were no circumstances under which they'd hire him. He had to fight for the "Iron Man" audition.

Yeh I think 8 posted that article in the first IM3 thread. Great read though, deserves a repost.

[number8]

I remember when people saying RDJ should be Tony was more of a joke about his going to rehab than a serious suggestion. I mean, they had Tom Cruise attached as Stark for years at one point.

[Sven]

Bare minimum, Kingsley nets the film a letter grade bump. His presence alone makes 3 a better time than the first two.

[Dukefrukem]

Bare minimum, Kingsley nets the film a letter grade bump. His presence alone makes 3 a better time than the first two.

Yet Nay??

[Sven]

Yet Nay??

Just trying to stay positive.

[number8]

I wrote about the Mandarin. (http://www.artboiled.com/2013/the-great-xenophobia-bait-and-switch-in-iron-man-3/)

[Wryan]

I wrote about the Mandarin. (http://www.artboiled.com/2013/the-great-xenophobia-bait-and-switch-in-iron-man-3/)

Really good.

[Skitch]

I remember when people saying RDJ should be Tony was more of a joke about his going to rehab than a serious suggestion. I mean, they had Tom Cruise attached as Stark for years at one point.

That's bizarre. When I first heard RDJ, I thought it was perfect, his personal stuff I just considered ironic and life experience that would help in his character creation. Its not like an actor being an addict is some oddity.

[Sxottlan]

Kevin Feige's been saying since The Avengers came out that they listened to the criticisms of Iron Man 2 and so the Phase Two movies will all be more stand-alone.

I'm actually disappointed to hear that. I enjoyed the continuity and build-up in Phase 1. The Shield subplot of IM2 was detached, but I enjoyed the set-up. I loved that Thor established the realm from which the tesseract came from without actually mentioning it. The film's setting essentially acted as background information for the viewer and then Captain America did its own thing (although I loved seeing the same town in Norway in different time periods in the two films).

I hope with The Dark World that we'll start to get a little more of the push towards Avengers 2.

[Dukefrukem]

I guess the scene where Tony is being held captive in Miami, and he uses his gesture moves to summon his suit in TN, I guess that isn't very serious now is it?

So no one else thought this felt off?

[transmogrifier]

The actual plot is as dumb as a sack of hammers.

[Sven]

So no one else thought this felt off?

As in, it is something that could never happen?

[Wryan]

As in, it is something that could never happen?

Wolfram Alpha says that even at 550 mph (aircraft), it would take about 1.5 hours...and I'm sure those little suit pieces weren't flying even that fast.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+far+is+miami+from+Tenne ssee

Teehee.

EDIT: Generously, I input 100mph for those little suit pieces' travel speeds. Estimated time: 7 hours and 50 minutes. Tony Stark is now dead.

[number8]

I kinda wish they'd kept Warren Ellis' biological explanation for Extremis from the comics, 'cause I love a good ol' crazy technobabble. The movie (probably because they didn't want expositiony technobable) just kept the whole Extremis thing so vague.

[Irish]

This wasn't clusterfuck terrible like "Daredevil" or "Green Hornet," but it was a shit movie.

It repeated all the mistakes of the second film (boring villains, uninspired set pieces, too much talk) and tacked on a bunch of socially relevant plot points from the first movie.

The entire thing rested on RDJr's shoulders, and he's much as he always is. But he's got no one to match his energy level, nobody to play off of. And most of the plot revolves around malfunctioning tech, bad suits, prototypes, and this takes the choices out of his hands. That makes for a boring hero.

Kinda wish you hadn't said that part about the alcoholism subplot, 8. I wouldn't now be imagining just how good this might have been instead of the milquetoast effort that it is.

For all gripes about Nolan, at least he tries to say something with his characters and his stories. This movie doesn't even bother to make the effort. The whole thing feels like it came right off the end of an assembly line.

I'm surprising you guys had so much fun with it. I found this really, really dull and completely uninspired.

[Irish]

Also: The post credit scene was funny, but REALLY not worth sitting through the names of every living visual F/X artist on the planet.

I also thought this whole solo-hero thing felt weird after the "Avengers." I guess cameos could be cheesy or trite, but would it have killed anything to have Thor or Caps swing by Malibu just to say "hi"?

[megladon8]

Complaints of "too much talk" make me think you're probably just not on the wavelength with this series. The dialogue has consistently been the best thing about the Iron Man movies.

[EyesWideOpen]

Also: The post credit scene was funny, but REALLY not worth sitting through the names of every living visual F/X artist on the planet.



I stopped staying for those and just watch them online later. If it was just after the first run of credits then I wouldn't mind but they keep it till after they run the credits a second time which is usually 10-15 minutes.

[amberlita]

Yeah, I really wasn't impressed with this. Aside from a few more clever gags and witty one-liners that gave the feel of a Shane Black script, it was otherwise 90% the feel of the standard (and stale) Marvel comic book movie we've been getting for years. It only successfully left me wishing I was watching a more interesting Shane Black movie rather than a Shane Black Iron Man movie.

Bored now.

[number8]

I read that a bunch of the names in that wall of VFX people were fictional. They did it as a joke because they knew that the fans are sitting through them. One of the names of the FX artist was Gwyneth Waltrow.

[Rowland]

It's better than the second film, but not by nearly as much as I was expecting. I'm tired of these comic book movies. The trailers before this were depressing.

[Dukefrukem]

Bored now.

What excites you?

[Sven]

What excites you?

Staying in hotels.

I'm happy others have concluded that the movie is pablum. I won't feel so crazy/alone vocalizing my dislike.

[Sven]

It repeated all the mistakes of the second film (boring villains, uninspired set pieces, too much talk)

... though I do disagree with this. Pearce:boring::Kingsley:not boring, the climax was a snoozefest but the skydive sequence is legit, and I'm not sure I measured more dialogue in this than any other movie of its ilk ("too much boring talk," I agree with).

And I don't know how you figure that alcoholism makes for a less milquetoasty subject than anxiety attacks, which are very real and also relevant to the character's situation. Poorly integrated and amounting to little, but they were well performed.

[Irish]

... though I do disagree with this. Pearce:boring::Kingsley:not boring, the climax was a snoozefest but the skydive sequence is legit, and I'm not sure I measured more dialogue in this than any other movie of its ilk ("too much boring talk," I agree with).

I agree that the skydiving sequence was inspired. The rest of it .. Not so much. The attack on Stark's house was particularly boring. It mostly seemed like an exercise to "blow stuff up read good" and strain the theater's speakers.

Kingsley was great, but the problems with the villains here is that both of them were too far removed from the action. It takes a good hour or so before we actually see Kingsley onscreen and "in the flesh," and not in some faux-video news feed. Since both Stark and the audience are ignorant for most of the picture of what Pearce is actually doing, there's no urgency or tension around that character.

I called the movie talky because, outside the jokes, most of the dialogue was unnecessary. There were whole scenes here that could have been done silently. If the dialogue didn't aid the characterizations and didn't advance the plot, then why were people talking so much? Worse, the movie doesn't fill in the details about what The Mandarin's evil plot is, or bother to explain why the hell the bad guys are running around looking like they've swallowed too much Gatorade and are lighting shit on fire.


And I don't know how you figure that alcoholism makes for a less milquetoasty subject than anxiety attacks, which are very real and also relevant to the character's situation. Poorly integrated and amounting to little, but they were well performed.

The panic attacks are insular events, completely removed from everything else in the film, and only reference events from another movie. They have zero impact on the character and don't actively prevent him from achieving any goal whatsoever. (Hell, during the sequence with the kid, Stark freaks out in the alley and then 2 minutes later he's making glib remarks again as if nothing happened.)

I don't know how Stark's alcoholism is presented in the comics, but it seems that disease could have offered an interesting, and very grounded, arc both to the character and the story in this movie. Imagine a story where the hero isn't limited by malfunctioning prototype suits and shortness of breath, but by an addiction which cripples his ability to do anything at all.

[megladon8]

I called the movie talky because, outside the jokes, most of the dialogue was unnecessary. There were whole scenes here that could have been done silently. If the dialogue didn't aid the characterizations and didn't advance the plot, then why were people talking so much? Worse, the movie doesn't fill in the details about what The Mandarin's evil plot is, or bother to explain why the hell the bad guys are running around looking like they've swallowed too much Gatorade and are lighting shit on fire.


Really? The movie explained all this pretty clearly.

Did you sleep through some of it or something?

[Irish]

Really? The movie explained all this pretty clearly. Did you sleep through some of it or something?

For the bulk of the movie, you barely see the villains and the "plot," such as it is, is barely explained beyond "glowy people go boom."

[Sxottlan]

For that live truck scene, I was kind of chuckling at how fire and EMS personnel were at a beauty pageant. :D

Obviously that was meant to be a crime scene from the fight in the town and they turned it instead into a separate scene.

[megladon8]

Easily the best Marvel movie, and possibly the best superhero movie ever made, up there with Batman '89 and The Incredibles. Might even be one of my favorite Christmas movies too, along with Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Go figure.

Just read this now and I find it curious that you consider that one of the greats.

Despite liking the visual style of Gotham and the two lead performances, it's a pretty cruddy film.

I remember back when I was first really getting into movies, this was the first time I noticed how poorly a movie was edited and paced.

To this day I find it one of the best examples of editing's power to destroy a movie.

[Derek]

It's better than the second film, but not by nearly as much as I was expecting. I'm tired of these comic book movies. The trailers before this were depressing.

This.

*hugs Sven*

[Ezee E]

It's fun, and an improvement over the second movie, but I'm kind of getting annoyed at these $100+million movies where the best parts are between characters talking. WHen was the last truly good ACTION movie? With that, there actually some action sequences worth being excited about. Stark's "new inventions" to break into the Mandarin's house and the skydiving scene. Heck, the whole movie after the Mandarin reveal is pure action, just not as energetic as something like Spielberg or The Matrix..

I was very amused at the reveal. Surprised as I avoided this thread. The thing is, that Mandarin is so much more intimidating then the real Mandarin. Kind of bummed by that.

Downey and Paltrow kill it as usual. Paltrow's character is easily one that could be annoying as hell if it weren't for a good actress. I wonder if they'll use her in The Avengers.

Also, I know they use some of The Avengers, but it only seems like it's used by force. Luckily, they didn't throw in Captain America highfiving Iron Man just because they feel obligated too.

I'm looking forward a lot more to Lone Ranger after seeing those previews. That looks impressive.

[Rowland]

Downey and Paltrow kill it as usual. Paltrow's character is easily one that could be annoying as hell if it weren't for a good actress. I wonder if they'll use her in The Avengers.
.She was in The Avengers, and they had strong chemistry there too. I remember her being barefoot too, which was hot. [/fetishist]

[[ETM]]

WHen was the last truly good ACTION movie?

I'm having high hopes for Pacific Rim.

[[ETM]]

She was in The Avengers, and they had strong chemistry there too. I remember her being barefoot too, which was hot. [/fetishist]

She could have burned through alien robots or something with her feet in Avengers 2... cha ching?

[Rowland]

;478801']She could have burned through alien robots or something with her feet in Avengers 2... cha ching?They should have let her keep her powers at the end of this film. My girlfriend was all excited when she kicked ass during the climax, only for Stark to cure her or whatever in the next scene.

[Ezee E]

;478800']I'm having high hopes for Pacific Rim.

In Del Toro we trust?

Not a fan of his work from Hellboy outside of his creative monsters, but Blade 2 had some terrifying sequences... I'm looking forward more to his Crimson Peak next year.

[Morris Schæffer]

Yep. Far and away the best of the trilogy. It also eliminates my dislike of the first two movies' third acts, which were boring suit-on-suit slugfests. A Lethal Weapon-style shootout/rescue caper is much, much better.

The whole segment with Tony MacGuyvering into the Mandarin's palace and up to the reveal is probably the most fun sequence in all the Marvel movies so far. I'm so glad that they shifted the franchise's tone to fit Shane Black instead of the usual other way around with these movies.

Loved the post-credits, too.

I thought differently here. Here's a man plagued by panic attacks and a dude who's clearly in dire need of his suit whenever there is peril. And what does he do? Casually stroll into a heavily armed complex, suitless, and dispatch a dozen of foes with nary a thought.

I'm not sure where this scene came from, but saying it's in sync with the helmer strikes me as incorrect here. The dockside finale was better in that regard. Stark wasn't alone at least, The President and Pepper were in direct peril and he was shown as a doofus afraid to peek out from under cover as well as a lousy shot. Although perhaps this was Stark being funny.

[transmogrifier]

I thought differently here. Here's a man plagued by panic attacks and a dude who's clearly in dire need of his suit whenever there is peril. And what does he do? Casually stroll into a heavily armed complex, suitless, and dispatch a dozen of foes with nary a thought.

Plus he has a bazillion suits in reserve he can call on whenever he wants anyway. As I said, a plot as dumb as a sack of hammers.

[Morris Schæffer]

Plus he has a bazillion suits in reserve he can call on whenever he wants anyway. As I said, a plot as dumb as a sack of hammers.

Yeah, it's a real pity they're not determined to get all of it right. That said, this is the best Iron Man and I had a lot of fun.

[Dukefrukem]

She was in The Avengers, and they had strong chemistry there too. I remember her being barefoot too, which was hot. [/fetishist]

She was specifically barefoot in that scene so she wouldn't seem so much taller than RDJ.

[Dukefrukem]

Plus he has a bazillion suits in reserve he can call on whenever he wants anyway. As I said, a plot as dumb as a sack of hammers.

I looked at his Iron Man army more as an indication of little sleep he was getting after the Avengers. He had all this time so he worked on 42 different versions of the suit. He wasn't planning to use the whole army. He didn't even have a working suit through most of the film. It just kinda worked out that way.

[number8]

Plus he has a bazillion suits in reserve he can call on whenever he wants anyway. As I said, a plot as dumb as a sack of hammers.

I believe the thinking was that he couldn't call the other suits because he was cut off from JARVIS since he was in the middle of Tennessee with a broken suit. And since his house with all the computers and networks were gone, he couldn't just call them with a phone or a laptop. He needed the kid to recharge the JARVIS in his broken suit first.

[megladon8]

The entire point of his arc in the movie was that he's still Iron Man even out of the suit, so no, I don't see the palace seige scene as out of sync with the rest of the movie.

[Fezzik]

The entire point of his arc in the movie was that he's still Iron Man even out of the suiy, so no, I don't see the palace seige scene as out of sync with the rest of the movie.

What I took from that entire sequence is that its kind of a rebuttal answer to Captain America's question in Avengers asking "take you out of the suit, what are you?"

This movie answers vehemently answers that. Tony Stark is still Tony Stark. He's a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist...all of which we see on display in the movie at some point.

Even without his suit, he's still formidable. He has moments early in the film where he wonders about his place in the new world order, even with the suit ("I'm just a man in a can") but then says that the suits are "a part of me" when Pepper insists that they are just machines.

Part of him, yes, but they don't define him. He is able to still formulate a plan and build trinkets and devices to get him into the compound because, as the kid says, he's a mechanic. For a while, it appears that Tony forgot how to be Tony because he was so obsessed about the suits and being Iron Man...stripped of his cocoon, he was forced to remember what else he is capable of.

Iron Man is Tony Stark more than Tony Stark is Iron Man if that makes any sense.

[DavidSeven]

A pretty typical Marvel climax. Chaotic and boring low stakes destruction. The level of ridiculousness was ratcheted to 11 with the way Starks and Rhodes were maneuvering around sans super suits. Fake-out death was lame and deflating.

The rest felt kind of par for the Iron Man series. A lot of Downey Jr.'s riffing salvaging some pretty average blockbuster filmmaking. Do people really find this to be better made than the Nolan films? I'd say, as a whole, it's a step above Favreu's installments in every facet, but hardly appreciably so. Not even close to Whedon's The Avengers in terms of drama, style or wit, and I'm not even the biggest proponent of that film.

But there are things I liked. The skydive setpiece is probably the best action sequence in any Marvel film -- tremendous execution, real-life feel and palpable stakes. I also thought the home invasion was pretty thrilling, and Potts getting a turn in the suit was fun (though it sort of diminished the novelty of her third act heroics). The reveal of the Mandarin's true nature was a pleasant surprise, but part of that certainly had to do with how utterly lame the character seemed initially. The stuff with the kid generally landed well. I liked when he told him to stop being a pussy.

[Grouchy]

This was a whole lot of fun. I still think the first Iron Man was the best movie, but this is clearly the funniest.

[MadMan]

I actually like Iron Man 3 a little more than The Avengers, which I thought was merely good. And no I don't find any of these movies to be better than the last two Nolan Batman's, even though I like Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, etc.

Guy Pierce made for a pretty good villain, I loved Ben Kingsley (the reveal was a surprise, and I'm glad I avoided the thread until I saw the movie). I was amused that Stark and Rhodes sneaking around was very Lethal Weapon like. The mansion scene was cool because it was Tony being forced to improvise instead of relying on the suit, which would have been boring.

Also some of the jokes and one liners were really funny. I think I watch Batman for the serious/complex/brutal reality and then I view Iron Man and The Avengers for fun and entertainment. Although I'm sure that the next Avengers will probably be more darker and bleak instead. It wouldn't shocked me if they killed one of the characters off...

[Lurch]

I also enjoyed Iron Man 3 a lot. Much better than 2, and just a shade inferior to the original.

[megladon8]

I also enjoyed Iron Man 3 a lot. Much better than 2, and just a shade inferior to the original.


Sums up pretty well, I'd say.

[transmogrifier]

The original is the most overrated of the Marvel movies. I actually think they have progressively improved, the three Iron Mans, though they are hardly awesome or anything.

[Sven]

The original is the most overrated of the Marvel movies. I actually think they have progressively improved, the three Iron Mans, though they are hardly awesome or anything.

Sums up pretty well, I'd say.

[Derek]

The first Iron Man is easily the best. It's the tightest of the three films with the least amount of silly distractions. You get plenty of Tony Stark as well as a relatively compelling origin story. It's far from being a great film, but at least there are no annoying little kids or ridiculous panic attacks.

[dreamdead]

Boring and oddly edited for the most part--the pacing for tension felt oddly off. Like there was too much time between suggesting Pepper's torment and the actual rescue attempt, to say nothing of Favreau's recovery. Still like Downey in this role, but it's revealing less rewards each time. Downey with R-rated dialogue is exciting. This is not, despite Black's talents at dialogue. I really want Downey to do something non-superhero-Sherlocky soon.

[Dukefrukem]

Boring?

[dreamdead]

Boring?

There's just little temporal continuity and care across the film. Happy's injured and off-screen, yet there's never really any concern given to him afterwards. Pepper disappears off with Rebecca Hall's character, but seemingly that exists outside the chronology of the rest of the film, as the amount of time between this narrative and Tony's narrative aren't concurrent. Then, when Pepper's kidnapped, there's too much time elapsing before her ordeal is reconciled.

Kingsley has mad fun with a great comic role (and gets the film at least one point higher a rating), but the best parts of the series (Tony/Pepper) are sidelined too often. The kid and Tony stuff was bland, and the Mandarin's henchmen were too boringly conceived, without any differentiation.

[Skitch]

This finally made its way to my dollar theater. I'll check it this week.

[Skitch]

Shocked that so many MCers have given this approval. When I left the theater I was just indifferent to it, but hate is growing.

[Scar]

Enjoyed it for the most part. Loved the Mandarin reveal, and operation 'House Party' or whatever he called it. The Mandarin's reasons for the terrorist attacks were a nice touch.

I wasn't drawn into the house getting blown up, just felt kind of, eh, whatever.

And in regards to him having 40 suits in stockpile and not bothering calling them earlier, as has been already stated in this thread, he was cut off from Jarvis until the kiddo recharged the suit. No Jarvis, no remote access.

[Gizmo]

so much silliness and suspension of belief to try to take this seriously. Lame kids and corny one liners. Aaah anxiety attack, nope, I'm good, ready to roll into a complex and take everyone out with some ornaments.

Also, clearly this exists in the world of the Avengers, but with crazy superhumans threatening the president, none of them show up to help?

The literal deus ex machina finale had me rolling my eyes. Good thing for the fireworks show so that the next iron man movie starts off with just 1 suit again, would be boring if we know 50 iron mans could attack the issue while Tony's in bed with Pepper.

Also, glad there's an immediate cure for the unknown fire people infection, otherwise Pepper couldn't go back to just being the damsel in distress.

It did have it's moments, and was partially entertaining, but not much more than a mind numbing superhero movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Pepper should've kept her powers. Fun banter. Neat flight scene. Appreciate the effort at continuity with the anxiety attacks, but they feel removed to the action. Kingsley was a hoot. Pearce was dull, nary an arc, but he felt convincingly ferocious in the final act. About equal to the first film, which I also enjoyed without loving. Will continue Phase 2 soon with a viewing of "Thor 2: Into Darkness."

[megladon8]

While overall my favorites of the MCU are the Cap movies, rewatching Iron Man 3 last night has solidified it as top tier MCU. Top 3, actually.

It also is the only Marvel movie thus far with real thematic depth and meat to the character(s). We actually see substantial growth and change in Tony throughout, and real insight into his character. Way above anything else that MCU has churned out, and impressive even when viewed outside of its superhero trappings.

Brilliant work incorporating the questionable Mandarin.

The writing is fantastic, both dialogue and plotting. The Shane Black-isms fit Stark and his world so well.

The weakest parts are when it gets superhero-y, which is kind of expected since Black's films are often weakest when they try to be action movies.

The journey Stark takes culminating in him repeating his signature "I am Iron Man" line before credits roll, imbues the line with so much more weight and a whole new meaning.

Great stuff. Doubt we will ever get a Marvel movie like this again.

[Dukefrukem]

I went back and read my initial reactions and had the exact same outcome as you at the time. I even thought it was better structured than Avengers. Over time, I felt even though the Shane Black stuff is much more fun and interesting, that the first Iron Man movie might be a tad better with RDJ's performance, raising the bar. Don't get me wrong- he carries this film too, but the ending finale ends up becoming part of the cookie-cutter structure of all MCU films moving forward.

Also the continuity stuff in this film really bothers me (for whatever reason). I'm not sure why everything has to happen so far away from each other.


I haven't watched IM3 in a while, but I should to see if it replaces IM1 in my rankings.

[Ezee E]

I'm looking forward a lot more to Lone Ranger after seeing those previews. That looks impressive.

HAHAHAHAHA