Iron Man 3 - Movie Review

Who's in it? 

Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Gwynnies Abs.

What's it About? 

Tony Stark has been off the superhero scene since Aliens invaded New York, distancing himself from everyone and struggling with his inner demons. As he deals with this completely out of character crisis of confidence he’s suddenly faced with one of the greatest terrorist threats mankind has seen, The Mandarin.
 

Any Good?

Tony Stark is swagger personified and that’s why it’s so refreshing to see him struggle a little this time around. He has certainly upped his inventor game though, spending all his down time tinkering with and perfecting his Iron army, to the detriment of his relationship with Pepper, her abs* and his own marbles.

The most surprising element of Iron Man 3 though, is just how funny it is. Dry wit and banter from every character make the 190 minutes whip by and manage to lift the mood in almost every scene. RDJ is on top form this time out with the script having the audience laughing loudly and continuously throughout.

While I don’t agree with typecasting an actor, Guy Pearce should only be allowed to play smarmy villains in future. He proves once more here that he can easily hold his own and even elevate the secondary character to the fore with ease.

But I couldn’t mention the spotlight without a nod to Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin. He gives a darkly unsettling performance and manages to prove once more why he’s a master of the craft. Once he’s on the screen, Pearce or even RDJ can’t steal his thespian thunder.

Certified 12A I had concerns that the peril seen in the trailers might be too dark for little ‘uns but in the midst of the ridiculous mayhem my 6 year old niece turned to me, gripping Iron Bear, with a huge smile and said ‘This. Is. Awesome!’ That’s that question answered.

There are enough Marvel references to keep stalwart fans happy, including the obligatory Stan Lee cameo and the post credit titbit (though that wasn't as revolutionary as previous ones have been). While the trailer may have been a little misleading with the tone of the film it’s still easily the best of the three and without doubt the funniest Marvel movie to date.

As with all big releases, Iron Man 3 is available in 2D, 3D and iSense, I’ve seen it in both iSense and 2D and honestly there’s nothing to warrant the extra spend, unless of course you prefer the 3D format. Whatever way you choose to see it, do see it; it’s set to be one of if not THE blockbuster of the summer.

*Seriously, WOW.

Rating:

Psst: If you’ve seen it already, I’d love to hear what you thought?...