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Iron Man 3 (3D)

Marvel
What it's about:

Brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, is pitted 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.

What we thought:

When we got the first Iron Man film way back in 2008, did we really think that it would only be the beginning, that only a few years later, The Man In The Can would make up one part of a larger universe of heroes and villains? That's precisely where Tony Stark  finds himself, at a loss for where he fits in a world where aliens and gods are real.  And it's got him having  sleepless nights and anxiety attacks. Not only that, but he also has to contend with a terrorist calling himself The Mandarin and a rival businessman making moves on his girlfriend Pepper.

Worry not, if all that sounds a bit serious, because the keyword for Iron Man 3 is 'Fun'. While that other billionaire playboy/costumed hero spends a great deal of time brooding and beset by endless angst, Iron Man's Tony Stark is far more prone to letting loose with quips and one-liners than his DC counterpart. That's never been more apparent than with this third instalment in the series, which owes its enjoyment as much to the laughs as it does explosive spectacle.

As much as Iron Man 3 is obviously a comic book movie, with all the trappings that come with that sort of film, it's also very much a film of its writer-director, Shane Black. Black is responsible for writing action classics like Lethal Weapon and The Long Kiss Goodnight and all the trademarks of that sort of movie are there to see if you're a fan of his work; the snarky banter, an edginess to the material, the buddy movie element and, of course, that most Black-ian of touches, Christmas.

Black and co-writer Drew Pearce are smart enough to avoid the pitfalls of a third entry by bringing a welcome sense of freshness to the material. Taking away Stark's toys and forcing him to use his wits is a smart move and makes for an interesting story, certainly more so than its predecessor, the rather dull Iron Man 2.

The film doesn't fire on all cylinders from the get-go but rest assured, once it gets moving, it keeps building and building. Each set-piece tops the one that came before it, though the stand-out for this reviewer is surely a helicopter assault on the Stark homestead.

Black also does well not to lose sight of his characters amongst all the spectacle and he has a pretty good cast to help him in that regard. Guy Pearce and Gwyneth Paltrow put in good turns (Paltrow gets two very cool moments to shine) and Ben Kingsley surprises as the Mandarin.

It's a pity about Rebecca Hall though, who is a fine actress and does feel a bit wasted given her talents. Cheadle also feels slightly wasted but does get some great chemistry going with Downey when they pair up. I also enjoyed James Badge Dale, whose cool menacing gaze proves very effective as one of the villains.

This is still The Robert Downey Jr Show though, and after two movies he's comfortable enough with his character that even as Stark is taken out of his element, RDJ knows precisely which notes to hit. There's a naturally puckish quality about the actor that lends itself well to Stark.

It's also fun to see some of the small references to the other Marvel films. Lines about what happened in New York or mentions of "the guy with the hammer who fell from the sky" hint at a world beyond what's shown in the film and comic geeks (or any of the 580 million people who watched The Avengers) should get a kick out of this.

Perhaps due to its following in the wake of The Avengers' world saving antics, this one lacks the scope and scale of that film. And despite Black's efforts, this third Iron Man does occasionally feel as if it's treading ground already walked on.

As enjoyably twisty as it is, some viewers may feel that the story suffers one twist too many. As for the 3D, I can't say that it brings much to the table, barring a few instances.

This is looking to be another blockbuster season jam-packed with explosions and over the top special effects. Fun, funny, and action packed, Iron Man 3 has set the bar pretty high for the other big films that have yet to come out this year.

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