Film ReVue: Iron Man Three

Warning: This blog post mentions some storyline plots from the previous Iron Man films as well as The Avengers (Avengers Assemble). Spoilers for Iron Man Three are kept to a bare minimal with major plot-lines and twists not mentioned.

Tony Stark has returned to town for the third film in the Iron Man series and the fourth overall but is it better than the mediocre second film.

Who is in it?
Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley Don Cheadle, James Badge Dale.

How long is it?
Just over two hours.

What is the BBFC ratings?
12A. Meaning if you're under 12 years old you must be accompanied by an adult.

What is the film about?
The film is based on the Marvel characters of the Iron Man comic strip with Tony Stark being the man behind the suit. The film is set after The Avengers (Avengers Assemble in the UK) where Stark confesses he cannot sleep and to keep him busy continues to work on his Iron Man armour suits, he also suffers from anxiety due to the events that took place in New York (you will need to watch Avengers Assemble to see why). The film begins with Stark either talking to someone or producing a monologue. He explains how past events can bite back with the film beginning on New Years Eve 1999. Fast forward 13 years to where The Mandarin is terrorising the world, With the US under threat, War Machine (seen in Iron Man 2), worn by Rhodey Rhodes gets a revamp and is now known as Iron Patriot.

How was it?
I would say it was definitely better than the second Iron Man film which had a weaker plot and a weaker villain with Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko (Whiplash). Iron Man 2 was more of a prologue to Avengers Assemble since Nick Fury and Black Widow had major roles rather than cameos. This film is more focused on Tony Stark making a journey with no-one helping him, even his Avengers pals are not around to assist He has not got the safety and security around him but he always finds a way to fight back by certain methods. Similar to the first film where he tries to escape from Afghanistan. There are a lot of things I would like to say but it will spoil the storyline for those who have yet to see it. Fans of the comic books will know the character backgrounds from the comics. Ben Kingsley is totally unrecognisable in this film as The Mandarin, you wouldn't know it's him until a certain point in the film shows you know it's definitely Kingsley. I cannot explain how, you will need to watch it to see what I mean. James Badge Dale plays Eric Salvin. You might recognise him as he was in the third season of US TV drama 24 as Chase Edmunds. The regular characters, Pepper Potts (Paltrow), Rhodes (Cheadle) and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) also return in respective roles but I won't say how Hogan fits into the plot, you need to watch it for yourself. Jon Favreau passes the director baton to Shane Black for the third instalment but remaining as Executive Producer. Black does a superb directing this since he has worked with Downey Jr. before on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Early on in the film we get flashbacks of Stark entering the wormhole from Avengers Assemble but it doesn't spoil those who have yet to see the billion dollar grossing film. There are also little mentions to the other members on the Avengers team. Where I mean little, I mean little. I would say the final confrontation is on par with the finale of Avengers Assemble on how it played out. Definitely better than the first film finale (Tony Stark vs Obadiah Stane) and the weaker second film (Tony Stark & Cody Rhodes vs Whiplash and the War Machine drones). For some reason it was more action packed, although a bit far-fetched but it is suppose to be based on the comic book. Giving the reader a new imagination.

One criticism I would give that the first 30-45 minutes did drag along but when the attack on Stark's Malibu home (as seen in the trailers) happened, it all kicked off from there and moved a brisk pace. The ending of the film does see closure of the Iron Man franchise in some form but with Avengers Assemble 2 in the pipeline, you never know.

As with all previous Marvel films, you will need to watch to the post credits scene for the extra bit. I will confess once the credits started rolling only two people left the cinema, everybody else stayed behind. Also thumbs up to the seventies style end credits as it features bits from all three Iron Man films.

Looks like Iron Man Three  is going to be another runaway success with box office takings over $300 million after the first week. I won't say it will beat Avengers Assemble with $1.5 billion but it's likely it will match and possibly beat Iron Man 2 with $623 million.

Would you go to see it?
Definitely as it could be the film of the year. Only the likes of Star Trek: Into Darkness and Man of Steal could trump it. Definitely one for the Marvel fans and those who have never read the comics or the previous Marvel films.

I rate Iron Man Three with a score of 5 out of 5 and is the film of the year so far*

*Where I say film of the year. We have yet to see how Star Trek: Into Darkness, Man or Steel (Superman revival) and The Lone Ranger fare but Iron Man Three is the one to beat.

Oh and if you're wondering why I keep calling it Iron Man Three and not Iron Man 3. This is because the certificate clarification before the film and the credits clearly states the film is called Iron Man Three.