Iron Man 3
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce
Directed by Shane Black
Some time after his adventure in New York with the Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is suffering from anxiety and can't sleep, but instead spends his time working his technology in creating different Iron Man suits, to the chagrin of his love, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Meanwhile, a man Stark blew off years ago, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) is back with technology that allows amputated body parts to be re-grown, and he has a score to settle with Stark.
On top of that, a maniacal terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is threatening the United States, claiming more attacks will come, especially on the President (William Sadler). To protect the President, the government calls on the Iron Patriot (Don Cheadle) - who used to be War Machine - to track down the Mandarin.
When a close friend of Tony's ends up in the line of fire, Stark goes on the offensive and threatens the Mandarin to fight him face-to-face, which results in an inward journey for Stark to find out who he truly is, and how far he'll go to protect the ones he loves.
The beginning of Marvel's Phase Two initiative starts off with a bang. The first film to not be directed by Jon Faveau, instead Shane Black ("Kiss Kiss Bang Bang") takes the helm and turns a typical superhero movie into a more grounded, more introspective film. Stark isn't fighting someone in a suit, but rather an ideology and past mistakes. That's not to say there's some insanely cool fight sequences and over-the-top summer blockbuster effects, but it's balanced by a human's journey of self-discovery and placement of priorities. Stark - literally and figuratively stripped of his suit - must decide what's best for not just himself, but the friends he has around him, without the help of the Avengers.
There are some holes in the plot near the end, but they're minimal compared to the brilliant acting of Robert Downey Jr., a man who, several years ago, would've been considered a has-been and someone who could never work in Hollywood again. But everyone loves a great redemption story, and for Downey Jr., it was Iron Man. And like his real-life counter part, Tony Stark also has a great awakening in the film, learning his identity and how far he'll go to protect the real love of his life - Pepper. Gwyneth Paltrow graciously receives a bigger role in this film compared to the other two, and her performance is none the more amazing. Unfortunately, Don Cheadle gets reduced to second-string back-up, but he works well with what he receives.
Overall, the first film of the summer typically indicates how the remaining sizzling months in the theater will fare, and with "Iron Man 3," this is going to be one scorching hot summer in the theaters.
Rating: A
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