Reel Reviews: Iron Man 3 (2013)

 

Magneto's Movies

 

Reel Reviews

 

I need an introductory statement here, I can't say if I'm disappointed or satisfied by what I just witnessed. One thing, there's no doubt Iron Man 3 is not a better film than The Avengers, is it better than IM2? for sure, better than Iron Man? not sure, for me the two movies have a difference of 9 viewings between them (yes I've watch Iron Man about ten times). Well for the sake of it, here's my fresh review; Oh and SPOILER ALERT!

Movie: Iron Man 3

Release Date: April 26th 2013 (UK/India/China)

Director: Shane Black

Cast: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, Don Cheadle as James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/Iron Patriot, Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian, Rebecca Hall as Dr. Maya Hansen, Stephanie Szostak as Ellen Brandt, James Badge Dale as Eric Savin, Ty Simpkins as Harley, William Sadler as President Ellis, Paul Bettany as JARVIS, Jon Favreu as Happy Hogan with Sir Ben Kingsley as 'The Mandarin'/Trevor Slattery and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner

Genre: Comic Book

Score: 8.5/10

Pros:-Superb acting all round

        -Black as a writer and director grasps the themes prevalent within the Iron Man comics; themes of inner turmoil, suicidal tendencies, heroic anxiety, the man inside the suit and desperation

        -Spectacular action set pieces and visual effects

        -A very personal story that wipes the memory of the tame Iron Man 2

        -Strongest climax action scene from any MCU solo movie

        -Seamless of the buddy cop and Christmas elements that are customary with Shane Black

        -Total subversion of the Damsel in Distress trope

        -Plausible explanation to the Avengers absence alongside some interesting references

Cons: -The butchering of the character of Mandarin

          -Murky and despicable conversion into 3D

          -The narrative lags in the middle portion

          -Too much confusion in the action scenes and scientific explanations

          

Best Scene: The attack on Stark Penthouse, Brilliantly shot and full on tense. Gives Pepper a sensational chance to suit up while also adds humor and provides the range with which the new suit can work.

Best Performance: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man

Best Dialogue: "You see, I am Iron Man!"-Tony Stark, not sure if this is the actual phrasing of the quote cause I just watched the movie 7 hours ago in the theater

Coolest Comic Book Reference: "I'm not that kind of a doctor."-Bruce Banner, once Tony has given him his story to be psychologically analyzed. While I expected Banner to give him the number to Dr Samuel Sterns (Betty Ross's ex-boyfriend in The Incredible Hulk) the fact that it's so cool is because in the comics Bruce isn't mentally all okay.

Story

Unlike the previous iteration Drew Pearce alongside Shane Black crafts a simple yet thrilling story. They use the acknowledgment that Tony Stark is an American James Bond, and play with it perfectly. As much as this is an Iron Man film, it's a psychological definition of the man in the suit. There is clear influence taken from the seminal Dark Knight Trilogy in the attempts to explore Tony Stark rather than his superhero equivalent. 

Here we have a Stark heavily affected from the events of The Avengers, it's fun to see as we realize that unlike his counterparts during that movie he (Tony Stark) was actually in the most happiest position. While Thor was battling his presumed dead brother, Cap was a fish out of the water, Hulk was mistrusted and Loki really wrenched Widow/Hawkeye's minds, yet Tony had been Iron Man and was in a healthy relationship with his girl. Then came the near death experience.

The writers make this an anxiety filled Tony Stark, possibly at his lowest point. His relationships are deteriorating and yet the ego still refuses any direct help or confrontations. Pearce and Black here truly capture the Iron Man themes from the comics (elaborated in Source). They also get the hang of the movie world and formula, the thriller style is slick. One better thing with the narrative flow is that it moves away from the boardroom, the previous two iterations had Tony facing business rivals here it's a scientist/terrorist organization. 

Here the narrative really ramps up. We get the quintessential detective noir storytelling style of Black. For the most part of the movie Tony is out of the suit, and it establishes that he is not Iron Man because of the suit but Iron Man because he built the suit. 

One other thing of worry prior to the movie was the dark and depressing trailer. Fortunately all that was a hoax, Pearce and Black use their own brand of comedy that feels unique but also in tradition with the Marvel movies. Buddy cop elements are the norm, surprisingly the comedy has never been better or more in quantity in any other Marvel film (yes even the Avengers).

About characters. Stark is written brilliantly, Black who had a hand in RDJ's career revival (with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) realizes that post-Avengers, Tony's snark and wit works better with fellow heroes. He adds pathos and a whole new dimension for Downey to work with. Yet he still has his typical ego and arrogance, it's good to see that Tony is still himself even after his Avengers heroic turn and still learning about heroism.

  

The best of writing though is reserved for Pepper Potts, she gets tons of action and drama to work around. One particular point makes it feel great to see how far the writers of all Marvel Studio (basically The Avengers franchise) movies have created strong female characters. Pepper is no Mary Jane (from Spider-Man Trilogy),she can save herself and get involved as much as Iron Man. A character that caused change (Pepper was the first female love interest to not be a damsel in distress in CBM's) and flew under the radar through this trilogy, but deserves special mention. I am glad to report that her scene alongside Maya Hansen passes the Bechdel Test.

Rhodey is written with much more in mind, his and little Harley's characters give way for the buddy cop style of writing that Black is famous for thanks to Lethal Weapon 1-3 and more. Unfortunately for a time being James Rhodes is made a butt of many jokes, still it would be a fun way for him to get into the Avengers as even Thor and Cap are also victims of Tony's wit.

Aldrich Killian is given epic scope in the film, but it's the performance that deserves better mention than the writing for this one.  Not to say that the writing was bad, it was great. The character is specifically constrating to Tony Stark, he is a weaker scientist who gets bulied by the bigger ego. Yet the writing not only provides sympathy but is tailored to Guy Pearce's acting with the obnoxious and slimy yet rage fueled undertones as a villain.

Unfortunately Maya Hansen isn't as fleshed out and her death neither resonates well or the surprise reveal regarding her allegiance. Its a part especially bogged down due to the half baked explanations regarding the plot device of Extremis and the science within the film plus her constant shifting. The only saving grace is that like Killian she is a character best reflected with Tony. She is what Tony could have been, had he not lost and regained his heart metaphorically. 

The dialogues are splendid, there are tons of pop culture references that are reminiscent of the Stark style in The Avengers. Mandarin and Killian get a host of impact full words to play with, while the dialogue brings the inner struggle regarding Tony to the forefront. When the first trailer pooped up, there was fear that the comedy would be gone but there is tons to laugh about. Speaking of the trailer, it also creates a deception on one specific character

The Mandarin. Apart from the butchering (detailed in Source), the concept of the character is splendid. Not many will see it coming and it really adds a dimension for Kingsley to work with, in some ways it fits brilliantly with the tone of the movies. But, and this is a big but, the change takes away from the climatic scene and coming after what is a lagging middle, can make a viewer want to leave the theater. This and the ambiguous end take from the Dark Knight Trilogy, but confusing explanations and a comedic (rather than serious like Batman Begins with Liam Neeson) twist make it a pathetic writing device. Warning, this negative may be due to fan-boy bias. 

 

From this image I might be inclined to see why Black changed Mandarin, still there's a bit of fan-boy rage left.

Unfortunately the end seems a bit rushed (not spoiling this), it seems to be done since all the actors part of this franchise are out of contract (although Cheadle and Downey are being touted for Avengers 2). Even then I wont count this as a negative, since I have a theory for this.

Overall the story is superb and the dialogue is witty, crafty and emotionally appealing. The utilization of Stark out of the suit may put off casual fans, but the movie really adds to character that third parts rarely do. Black knows how to make action stories come to life, his addition of a typically Shane Black darker edge makes this a unique piece of the Marvel movie family. 

A second viewing makes sense of the twist. Also Killian's motive is slightly understandable, if you take into context that the comic book Mandarin is also a petty and narcissistic individual. Shane Black's comedic tone is also far much more appreciated. A lot of people mentioned the suits being to weak making Stark look incompetent, I agree but not as much. He has made 35 new suits in relative short time with a constant trauma hanging over his head. Its a stupid explanation, but it works for me. 

Score: 8.4/10

Direction

 

This is Black's second film as director and I have to say he handles the job well. Coming from the experience of screenwriting multiple action blockbusters, means that Black has the handle on working such a film. He gives each action scene it's own unique feel and adds interesting aspects to the heroes struggle and prevalence. 

One of the problems with Favreau was his slight inexperience with stellar thespian actors, at times as a director he was unable to rein in Downey and as such Iron Man 2 felt to much like RDJ playing RDJ. While Downey is a gifted actor when improvising, a movie can only run for a short time on just wit. Black who as above mention revitalized Robert's career, helps him carry through the dramatic chops even if there might have been ad-lib involved. 

Camera angles are superbly framed, While lighting and sound usage is stellar. Only complain is the post converted 3D, it makes the film murky and isn't of much use. Plus alongside the pathetic glasses given at the theater I went to, it became worse.

After watching Thor: The Dark World (review coming later), its great to see in Iron Man 3 that Marvel left Black to his own devices. The film has the complete artistic vision of Black, it isn't compromised by the studio's in house style. This creative stamp makes the film really great and much less generic. 

Score: 8.8/10 

Performances

First the small bits, James Badge Dale is stellar as Eric Savin. He gets to play around a lot as the muscle of the villains, he looks menacing and cool when just chewing gum and blowing fire. Alongside him Stephanie Szostak also leaves an impression. Their involvement and menace in action scenes ramp up the middle portion of the narrative for a while. Young Simpkins fits perfectly with the playful banter written by Pearce and Black. 

Rebeca Hall really does well with her part, its easy to see that she's a great actor but her body language shows that she isn't too comfortable in the block buster setting. Worse is that she is written poorly and the pacy explanation regarding her allegiance makes her come of two dimensional even though she is three dimensional.

Don Cheadle gets a hefty amount of screen time to work with. He pairs greatly with the writing style of Black, having done a half-homage film to the writer in 'The Guard'. He also works well to the comedy. Alongside him Paul Bettany as JARVIS is splendid as ever.

What can you say about Ben Kingsley that hasn't been said, this is the case of an actor working with a slightly poorly written character and doing it justice. For the beginning he is menacing and boiling, already laying claim for a sequel appearance. The second half twist makes it even better, the utilization of Kingsley's comedic chops is smart by the director and the actor doesn't disappoint. 

Kudos to Guy Pearce, he's been building up his performances as a villain for the past year. His small but stellar work in both Prometheus and Lawless went underrated, here he channels Killian superbly. This is a building of a character who had none, and thus just puts the stamp of approval on Pearce. His work is a wonder to watch, and the contrasting alongside Stark as a man who we should like (or at least pity) but we hate due to his obnoxious attitude is presented perfectly in look, dialogue and actions. 

Paltrow gets a lot to do in this film, though only in the beginning and end. She excels in the dramatic scenes, and her banter with Stark still reminds you why as Pepper she is in control as much as Tony in the relationship. Her work including body language is once again top notch. Her comedy still falters though. Action wise there is huge scope, and Paltrow takes the opportunity with both hands. Even at her age she looks stunning and fit.

Eventually though this is an Iron Man film, or more like a Tony Stark film. The man behind the mask concept allows Downey to add the dramatic layer to his work. His script doesn't let him down like it did in the previous movie, thus Downey channels his true talents as a thespian. Due credit must go to Shane Black, but Downey also. I was heartbroken at the end, once I realized that this might be the last we ever see of RDJ as Iron Man (bar The Avengers 2).

 

This is the best Tony Stark we get yet, RDJ is in fine form with the character that defines him. I am still in tears as this might be the thespians final showing in the Iron Man films.

Plus Mark Ruffalo is funny in his surprise but still expected cameo.

Overall these are some superb performances that work alongside and also transcend the characters on paper. Unlike the previous two films, heck every Marvel Phase one film this one is flawless in the acting department.

Score: 9.1/10

Score

The Christmas setting (another trope in Shane Black films) being utilized means a festive score. Gone are the AC/DC and Black Sabbath soundtracks, it sets perfectly with Tony's own mellow mood and ties into how each track is present according to Downey's in character mood. Still the film feels out of its place without the rock music. 

In all honesty, this soundtrack really didn't have a big focus in the film. A few songs I remember were the I'm Blue (Da ba dee) tune during the flashback sequence, then there's obviouslly all the Christmas tunes playing around the settings. 

All in all this is a bit which is hard to give a score to, I have only watched the movie once and my big focus was on the story at hand not the music in the background. So I'll just deduct one point for missing the hard rock/metal tunes that added character depth to Tony Stark, although that was back when he had a huge ego.

Update: I actually went and listened to the previous film scores and with my increasing love for AC/DC and Black Sabbath it felt a poor transition of music even if it suited the setting for this film thus deducting the score.

Score: 7.8/10

VFX

Like with Iron Man 2, I believe these are some of the special effects that could hold up in the long run like Iron Man and The Avengers didn't. The new suit is rendered perfectly. When the parts move around I had a sense of giddiness. Even the full blown Iron Legion scene isn't distracting, the suits may seem confusing but there is small bits that make each one unique if watched closely. Even the Iron Patriot looks vastly improved yet nodding to the original.

While the fiery Extremis showing dazzled, I was hoping to see different subset of powers. I felt that Extremis could have been utilized to make unique powers for each villain, thus making them identifiable and also giving the main villain something unique. This could have built future villains if Iron Man 4 is ever put into production.

Loved the end credits with its comic book style and nod to all the bits of the trilogy.

Score: 8.2/10

Source

The source at a surface level is quite butchered this time round for better and for worse. Small things to note; we get Pepper in an Iron Man suit like in the comics where she became the hero Rescue. The Extremis infected individuals all have fire based powers. Maya Hansen dies, but it isn't clarified so she could be alive. She also double crosses Tony. The Iron Legion is an actual part of the comics. 

Wrong adaptations but unnecessary to think about; Ellen Brandt while an agent of AIM and scarred doesn't have fire powers, Eric Savin is not an extremis powered villain. 

The biggest issue is a spoiler filled one; It's Mandarin. While the good thing is that Black didn't make Mandarin a yellow face Chinese stereotype as he was conceived in the comics. The bad? this isn't the bad ass Mandarin that the character has become. 

I understand that Black hated the racist overtones this character came from, yet he also takes a shit on those creators/writers/artists that tried to make the character more viable than the product of his times. Mandarin has become a bad ass and literally menacing character for the armored Avenger. We could have easily done with a terrorist who comes from other cultures and uses iconography around the world, I liked the facade nature of the movie but as a comic reader it pissed me off. 

The best thing I can say about a still building franchise is that they can fix mistakes without having to go against what happened before. Example the Mandarin could actually have been another shadow character that was funding both AIM and Ten Rings while also having Killian use his name for the Mandarin facade in this movie. Thus a future sequel could establish the real Mandarin. 

While one villain was shortchanged, another got a make over that was epic. Aldrich Killian in the Extremis comics commits suicide after having sold Extremis to terrorists. His guilt consumes him where Maya doesn't feel it. Here expanding the Killian role and altogether changing it was the best move. We get a compelling villain. Also he did nearly suicide. 

As I said on the surface its up and down. Going to the deeper logic within Iron Man comics, Iron Man 3 perfectly adapts the themes of isolation, desperation, inner heroism, rising against odds and the man in the suit. With Stark being Iron Man cause he's a genius not because he wears a suit, the comics have always had that all out danger and technological problems as a norm, this is also done greatly by Black and co.

Overall Black understand the themes prevalent within the comics perfectly, he brings his own sensibilities and influences to the table that at times fell shockingly great and at time fall flat. 

 

Once again, no scoring for the source from now on. A second viewing makes me appreciate both the Mandarin twist and also Killian's odd motive for the film.

 

Still holding on to the hopes for a 4th installation of Iron Man

A final thought. Most people will leave the cinema thinking that there wont be another Iron Man film. I think so to, but only till Phase 4 if not Avengers 3. This end feels like the end of one arc like in the comics and heralds a new beginning for Iron Man. Even in the comics, once technology catches up Tony Stark has his shrapnel removed but he still continues to be the golden Avenger. After all he is Iron Man!

Avengers Assemble!

Aneesh Raikundalia