Thursday, May 2, 2013

Iron Man 3 is a movie and a half!

Iron Man 3 – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie May 2, 2013, 15:54 GMT
Marvel Studios\' "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy\'s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts ...more

Can you imagine a terrorist strike on Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in the heart of Hollywood? The symbol of the film factory that creates the product that the world loves so much, the one thing everyone loves about America?

There’s that but what really got my attention is that it is a little soon to show the bombing of crowded public places jammed with celebratory crowds, and to show the building of a homemade bombs.
But Iron Man won’t be stopped or the terrorist win. We love it for the fights, effects and super-heroism, but the best thing about Marvel’s smartest franchise is Robert Downey Jr.’s zingers – and this one’s so zinged it could explode in a second. Downey knows the act, he created it, and with his signature sly deadpan delivery and ballet dancer moves, Iron Man / Tony Stark proves again he is the coolest superhero of all time.

Stark’s still feeling the weighty effects of the events of The Avengers and staying close to home to recuperate. He’s still messing obsessively with his Iron Man drag, creating news specimens, admiring himself in them, testing their mettle and basically being near them.
Gwyneth Paltrow returns as perpetual second fiddle Pepper Potts who also knows the game. They’re lovers and share a home, but sometimes he’s too haunted to pay attention. That’s okay because she’s brilliant, hardworking and self-sufficient.
Maya Hanson shows up at their mid-century jewel of a beach house, asking Tony if he remembers her. Long ago, they spent a night together after a party in Switzerland. So why is she on his doorstep? In a weird show of female solidarity, Potts befriends her and over shares details about Tony which later come back to bite her.
Hanson has news. The attack on the Chinese Theatre was the work of The Mandarin. The world is under imminent threat. The Mandarin jacks the airwaves to send threats against America. And Stark feels the truth of his statements as bombers attack his home, reducing it to smoking rubble, Iron Ma gear and all.
Stark sets off on a journey that takes him down strange roads. On the positive side, he meets and befriends a young boy who’s a science fan. Together they work on inventions in the privacy of his small town American garage. Tony teaches him how to protect himself which comes in handy in the last act. And then trouble comes a callin’.
No more. No spoilers.
The stunts are incredible; there’s a spectacular scene early in which the human contents of Air Force One are hurled from the plane mid-flight and free fall towards Miami. Tony / Iron Man pulls out all the stops to “catch” them, all thirteen of them, at the last possible second in a triumphant and truly creative show of might.

Ben Kingsley’s Chaplin-esque performance as an unmasked bad guy is hysterical. His slacker booze and broads- fuelled lifestyle may or may not hide uglier truths. His character underlines clichés about American celebrity and media. From the sublime to the ridiculous, and we’ll leave it at that.
You’ve heard the rumors – someone other than Stark will indeed wear the Iron Man gear and own the power. And yes, there’s a funny sequence following the end credits.
Black goes a little heavy on the noise and effects; it’s tiresome and the battles are good times to reflect. There is also a formula feel to it, but no matter, it’s a big bang of a fun time at the movies.
Visit the movie database for more information.
Fantasy adventure
Opens May 10
Written by Drew Pearce, Shane Black et al
Directed by Shane Black
Runtime 130 minutes
MPAA: PG
Country USA
Language English


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