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LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- “Is This the End of Iron Man?”
“Iron Man 3”
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley
Directed by: Shane Black
Just
when superhero movies faced the danger of feeling too formulaic and
conventional, along comes “Iron Man 3” to give the genre a much-needed
kick in the spandex.
Despite
raising the bar over the years with the likes of “X2: X-Men United,”
“Spider-Man 2,” “The Dark Knight” and the first “Iron Man,” more recent
offerings from the first phase of the new Marvel Studios regime – which
consisted of “The Incredible Hulk,” “Captain America,” “Thor” and
especially “Iron Man 2” – felt like more of the same. Yes, even the
mighty “Avengers” appeared to be going through the motions, despite
being the third-highest grossing movie of all time with $1.5 billion
worldwide.
But “Iron Man 3”
celebrates the character’s 50th anniversary and kicks off Marvel’s
highly-touted second phase in the best possible way by stripping Tony
Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) of his iron-clad alter-ego and exposing his
vulnerabilities. Like Bruce Wayne in last year’s “The Dark Knight
Rises,” Stark not only spends most of his time out of costume, but the
state-of-the-art Iron Man prototype suit that he does wear is an
unreliable rust-bucket that’s far from being invincible.
WATCH: Robert Downey Jr. On Fighting For The Role Of ‘Iron Man’
As
directed and co-written by “Lethal Weapon” screenwriter Shane Black –
who also directed Downey in “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” – “Iron Man 3” is one
of the most character-driven comic book-based movies to hit the big
screen since “Spider-Man 2.” That gives Downey ample time to embrace the
razor-sharp dialogue and command the screen with the type of charm,
swagger and confidence that turned the first “Iron Man” into the rock
star of superhero movies.
But now
that his star has since faded, Black and co-writer Drew Pearce don’t
just bring Tony Stark back down to earth; they practically deconstruct
the entire superhero model by defying everyone’s expectations, making
“Iron Man 3” the most daring and rewarding installment yet. So while it
may not be as action-packed as its predecessors, it pays off in other
ways, thanks to some surprise plot twists, dynamic performances, lots of
humor and a finale that will knock your socks off.
WATCH: Gwyneth Paltrow Dishes On Putting On The ‘Iron Man’ Suit
After
nearly losing his life while fighting alongside The Avengers to save
the world from an alien invasion, Tony Stark finds himself prone to
anxiety attacks and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. His longtime
confidant (and lover) Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is now running
Stark Industries, leaving him plenty of time to toil away in his lab.
But
his past comes back to haunt him when an embittered scientist named
Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) teams up with a menacing terrorist called
the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) to bring the United States to its knees.
With Tony Stark already facing an existential crisis that shakes his
confidence to the core, could this be the end of Iron Man?
To
say anything more about the plot would spoil the many surprises, but
after teaming up with the world’s greatest superheroes to save the
planet, shouldn’t Tony Stark have, say, Captain America, Hawkeye or Nick
Fury on his speed-dial, just in case he needs them (like he does here)?
It’s
also worth mentioning that a terrorist attack on a famous Hollywood
landmark hits a little close to home after the recent bombings in
Boston.
WATCH: Joss Whedon Weighs In With ‘Avengers 2’ Update
Otherwise,
“Iron Man 3” tones down the spectacle, and the movie is all the better
for it. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley and
Don Cheadle (as the Iron Patriot) are all in top form here, and where
2010’s disappointing “Iron Man 2” featured pointless action scenes that
did little to advance the plot, the exciting money shots featured here
are bound to impress even the most jaded of moviegoers.
Just
like the first “Iron Man” raised the bar for superhero movies, “Iron
Man 3” raises the bar even further by taking chances, being more
ambitious, bringing the character full-circle and forcing him to
re-evaluate his priorities. So it’s more than just a kick in the
spandex: it’s the best of the bunch, but as for whether or not this is
truly the end of Iron Man, you’ll just have to stick around after the
closing credits to find out for sure.