By the time an action film franchise hits its third film, viewers
have a built-in history with its characters and world. It is not the duty
of any movie boasting a title that ends with the number three to be anything
but an invitation to spend time with some old friends, see some new stunts, and
of course, boo and hiss at some newly concocted villains. As such, I will
assume anyone interested in reading this review has not only seen earlier
episodes of the franchise, but enjoyed them enough to be interested in a third
go-round. For you Tony Stark lovers out there, have no fear – though this
film presents truly little in the way of plot, it presents more than enough
spectacle and humor to be a worthy popcorn-munching flick. The film’s
lack of innovation or thematic weight make it easily forgettable, but it
nonetheless is a brisk adventure and provides another dose of the cheap thrills
and wit fans of the franchise have come to love.
As with most summer blockbusters, this is undeniably a minor
affair, relying largely on CGI-laden set pieces, well-timed quips, angsty
glares, and harrowing scenarios. As a result, the majority of its
half-hearted attempts to build emotional ties to its plotting fall flat, as
they are simply used to provide excuses for the next battle. These
battles are fun, but not necessarily gripping, as we are not invested in the
characters enough to hold our thumbs at their apparent demise, and the central
villain is too broadly drawn to be spurned. Yet, as with the first film
of the franchise, it is the charisma of Downey’s Tony Stark that carries the
film, and while it is a much more vapid experience than our introduction to the
character five years ago, it provides enough variety in its action and plot
twists to be eminently watchable. (Including one sillier plot twist that
is altogether unexpected and thoroughly entertaining.) You may not
remember Iron Man 3 for long after the viewing, but as you watch, you
will find yourself smiling.
*** out of
****
Chelsea:
 |
| The Avengers |
One of the most remarkable things about Iron Man 3 is the way it
incorporates many of the elements from the past two films and especially The
Avengers. Although there is not real carryover plot-wise; there is a
lot of acknowledgement regarding Stark’s past adventures and how they have
affected him now. If nothing else, the people behind these Marvel films
will be remembered for building a world and a franchise that is absolutely gigantic.
It will be extremely hard to imitate.
And it’s fun. Contrasted to Nolan’s Batman franchise, which is
wonderfully dark, gripping, and serious, this movie is sugar-coated candy
pop. And you’re right, a lot of this has to do with Robert Downey, Jr.
who plays this character to an absolute tee, managing to inject humor and
timely one-liners into every situation he is in. He’s been perfectly
cast, and he’s quite good in both the big and small moments. The pacing
is effective, and there is plenty of exciting action to be had. I enjoyed
it, yes, and I smiled quite a bit. And, of course, it is light years
better than Iron Man 2.
*** out of
****
David:
One has to wonder what the lasting impact of the Marvel universe
will be. These films are intentionally difficult to understand without
having experienced them as a whole. For example, there are many
references to the events of The Avengers in Iron Man 3, and
without a frame of reference, some of the plot points would not make as much
sense. In this way, Marvel tells stories much more similarly to
television, in that you must “catch up” and see the last episode before moving
forward. It is, if nothing else, a brilliant marketing move that will
sell many movie rentals. (It is also why we see so many sequels to begin
with – people have an innate compulsion to see what happens next.) This
may cheapen the experience, as it guarantees some level of formality in
plotting, but in the case of Marvel, it also allows for the creation of a much
deeper world than one film, or even one franchise, could allot. In this
way, Marvel’s films have preserved much of what makes Marvel comics popular.
Perhaps we can learn something from comparing this film to Iron Man 2,
which I also found to be a trying experience. Weirdly enough, I found
that film to be weighed down by too much plotting and subtext. Its
attempts to crescendo into a final battle felt drawn out. Conversely, Iron
Man 3 presents a very simple conflict at its center and fills its plot to
the brim with twists and turns. In this way, the film subverts its
thematic hollowness and avoids being boring simply by presenting viewers with
enough shiny things to look at. When a film’s characters are broadly
drawn, there must be enough spectacle to pick up the slack, and unlike the
weaker aspects of its predecessor, Iron Man 3 doesn’t try to be anything
but a thrill-ride, and it is a more enjoyable film as a result.
Chelsea:
It is exactly like you said – long-form storytelling that has become quite
commonplace in this modern age of television, but is mostly unexpected when it
comes to film. And I kind of love it, regardless of if it was simply a
marketing ploy. Iron Man 3 was basically a return to form for Tony
Stark after the heavy, kind of boring Iron Man 2. Since the film
is essentially a long string of action sequences, I must ask: which was your
favorite?
David:
 |
| Pretty BA. |
That has to be the almost entirely superfluous skydiving stunt. There is
no reason for this scene to take up the time it does in the film, yet it is
such a ridiculous setup that it manages to subtly mock the superhero genre
while also maintaining a high level of excitement. Great stuff. How
about you – what was your favorite?
Chelsea:
I think that was probably my favorite stunt too – not only was creative and
exciting, but it also didn’t rely as heavily on CGI as other
sequences. Of course, there were a lot of really great set pieces in this
movie, and one of my other favorites was near the start – the attack on the
Stark home. Also great is Ben Kingsley’s
villain, The Mandarin. I had more fun
watching him than I have had with almost any super hero villain in recent
years. I think he’s my favorite
superhero villain since Heath Ledger’s Joker. Did you love this character as
much as I did?
David:
 |
| Really BA. |
Two-as-One
Rating: *** out of ****
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