Monday, May 6, 2013

(Semi) Immediate Response: Iron Man Three

Well, I saw Iron Man 3 last night...and had to pretty much go to bed right away in order to get up this morning.  So let's break the whole thing down about 12 hours later...
The Good
* The Acting is top notch all around.  Downey Jr is, naturally, good at this role by now.  Don Cheadle and the rest play more subtle characters- well, save for Guy Pearce.  Pearce plays the role full-tilt, which really works here.

* The film is chock full of good jokes and one-liners.  They even throw in some obscure ones for people like me, such as referring to an Extremis user with red eyes by saying 'Hey, Westworld.'

* The new villains are unique, as they are not just some other form of armored villains.  After two films, it's nice to see them try new things.

* The action is very good and differing.  Without SPOILING too much, there is a lot of non-suit action in the middle.  There is plenty in the Climax though, which leads me to my next point...

* Downey Jr. commented in Interviews that they wanted to make the best Third Act of the series.  They achieved it.  Bravo to all involved.

* Lastly, the film makes great use of the previous films' themes and stories.  It all wraps up nicely, concluding plot points and leaving room for new films to come, with or without Robert Downey Jr.
The Bad
* The film can be a bit too 'in love with itself' sometimes.  I didn't mind, but others might.

* A lot of people are probably disappointed by the changes made to The Mandarin.  I don't disagree...but I liked what they did in the film with the one they had.

* And now, my case-winning question: Why the hell is he called The Mandarin?

In summary, if you liked the Marvel films so far, you owe it to yourself to see this one.  Shane Black- as Co-Writer and Director- brings a unique feel to the film, while not sacrificing the feel of the originals.  It's a really good film.  It makes me really curious to see where the Marvel films are going.  Will Thor: The Dark World give me more of what I liked in the first one?  Will a tonal shift change Captain America: The Winter Soldier for the worse?  What will The Avengers 2 be like?  I, for one, can't wait to find out.  Hurry up, November!

Oh and for everyone that got my Clerks: The Animated Series joke, I applaud you.  Good on ya!

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