Iron Man 3 (2013) Mini-Review — The Analytic Critic
Finally: a solo Iron Man film that’s not bogged down by Tony Stark’s arrogance and an underwhelming, predictable plot. As Stark evolves past his archetypal, insufferable personality, he’s a lot more interesting to watch. But how much better is Iron Man 3 than the first two films? Let’s take a look.
WRITING:
Iron Man 3 begins just before Y2K, illustrating how Stark’s meeting with an experiemental regenerative doctor and a disabled scientist have led to chaos in his present. While dealing with PTSD from his near-death experience with the Avengers, Tony develops a number of Iron Man suits to help him cope. At the same time, Stark is forced to deal with a significant threat that brings a new form of terror.
Iron Man 3 attempts a new form of storytelling, increasing Marvel’s limited repertoire. By creating a unique link between three different villains, the story is actually able to surprise the viewer.
The characters are a lot more interesting to watch this time around, especially the villains; there’s an undeniable energy in the script that was missing in Iron Man’s previous solo outings.
The dialogue is also pretty solid. Lines are crisp and usually flow well together. That said, Iron Man 3 does falter quite a bit, particularly due to its uneven pacing. It slows down quite a bit in the middle. On top of this, the humour in the film is absolutely abysmal. But as a whole, the story is really quite decent.
CAST:
The cast is really strong in this film besides a couple of forgettable performances from Don Cheadle and Rebecca Hall. Oh, and don’t get me started on Jon Favreau as Happy; he literally ruins every scene he appears in.
On to the good. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow preprise their roles as Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.Both have really become one with their roles, and they have strong chemistry with one another. You can also see hints of greatness in RDJ thanks to his sharp delivery.
Little known actor James Badge Dale stars as one of the film’s primary antagonists. I wouldn’t say his performance is great in any way, but he does deliver where it counts.
The best actors in the film, however, are definitely Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley. Both are utterly fantastic, bringing a level of conviction and theatricality that even manages to overshadow RDJ.
PRODUCTION:
Finally, Jon Favreau’s mediocre and safe direction has disappeared. Replacing him is Shane Black, writer of the ’80s action hit, Lethal Weapon. Black’s darker tone and unique visuals are far superior to Favreau’s, helping keep me immersed throughout the film.
The lighting’s magnificent, notably during a scene at Stark’s beach house, and the cool colours and decent editing lend themselves to the film’s overall tone and main theme. There are even some interesting Christmas scenes, an obvious homage to Shane Black’s first film. This is a far cry from a Christmas film, all the same.
The music is where the movie falters. It’s not nearly as bad as it was in Iron Man 1 and 2, but I can’t help but feel something lacking after listening to The Avengers’ captivating main theme.
SUMMARY:
While I dislike the first two films, Iron man 3 is a pleasant departure from what I consider Disney’s “safety net”. It’s fun, full of twists and exciting action sequences that actually make it worth owning. I can’t say the same about Iron Man’s previous solo outings!
Iron Man 3 gets a 6 out of 10.
