Director Shane Black is already one of high expectations, the UCLA alumnus also having written the first “Lethal Weapon” film. Add on the impact of opening the summer movie season with the first feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon since “The Avengers,” and he has an unprecedented quota to meet.
Robert Downey, Jr., as Tony Stark, recalls a brief moment in time before the chaos began, during a party at the turn of the millennium. Two scientists he has brief encounters with, one-night stand Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) and ruthlessly ignored nerd Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), reappear in the present day, conveniently coupled with the rise of a new terrorist villain, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). After many attacks both overseas and in the United States, Stark feels the need to call to action, particularly after a strike too personal for comfort.
After the traumatic events of “The Avengers,” via near death by black hole, Stark is a troubled man. Constantly worn by stress and anxiety, he isn’t sleeping, instead choosing to tinker with his mechanical toys – to the disdain of girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). With a shaken government still recovering from the otherworldly damage of “The Avengers,” Stark, along with Col. James Rhodes as the rebranded “Iron Patriot” (Don Cheadle), is fighting a more distressing fight.
“Iron Man 3” takes a darker turn than its predecessors, focusing significantly on the humanization of its protagonist. Stark, at heart, remains the witty, snapping hero he always was, often riding his wealth and intelligence to the top of any pillar he sees fit. However, in the presence of his true archenemy from the comic books, it becomes tougher to cope while living so close to the edge.
Otherwise, the film’s tone often varies to extreme parallels. The threatening videos of The Mandarin sent to the government, portraying him in shadowed bin Laden-style, give a more Nolan-inspired viewpoint of the superhero battle. Killian, who controls most of the movie’s science fiction attitude, proves to be more mad-scientist than past “Iron Man” adversaries. But Stark’s prominent segment of using a child sidekick named Harley (Ty Simpkins) recovers the family friendly feelings that many audiences have come to expect.
The screenplay, based off the “Extremis” story arc from the comics, is similarly overblown, giving many characters more power than they can bargain for even in the Marvel world. The flow of the film’s quickly building plot line is occasionally stinted by director Black’s satisfied use of his “jumping the shark” button. But the total strength of the film’s source material, including an amended plot twist executed in masterful fashion, keep it on par with the best of Marvel’s catalogue.
Fans of “The Avengers” boosted it past the $1 billion grossing marker not because of the craftsmanship of an award-worthy storyline but the purity of theater entertainment that its superhero cast brought to the screen. “Iron Man 3” is no different, giving actors such as Downey, Jr. and Kingsley a slew of dramatic and comedic moments to show their talents. Although the 3D addition doesn’t get many specific moments to shine, the visual splendor of “Iron Man” history and action on an extreme scale will make any anticipatory moviegoer squeal with excitement at least once.
“Iron Man 3” doesn’t veer very far from the overall expectations many viewers, who are anticipated to have some prior knowledge of the Universe going in, will have. Downey, Jr., who relied heavily on Black’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” at a point in his career where the media was put off by his substance use, once again defines himself as an actor to notice.
It’s hard to distinguish between Downey, Jr. playing Tony Stark and the reverse as a charismatic man learning from his experiences, leading the superhero genre by storm. If this does end up being the last of Iron Man’s solo outings, it will be on a satisfyingly high note.