REVIEW: IRON MAN 3

Marvel's comic book super hero Iron Man returns to the big screen in Iron Man 3 after two successful films in 2008 and 2010. Robert Downney Jr. returns as Tony Stark / Iron Man alongside Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes / War Machine. Together, they battle villain Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin and Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian. This film is helmed by Shane Black who directed Downey in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005).

When Shane Black was signed to direct Iron Man, I was skeptical he would be able to handle a big budget feature film as it would be only his second feature film. Last year, I doubted Joss Whedon directing The Avengers (also his second feature film) and he proofed me wrong. This year, Shane Black did it to me, again.

SYNOPSIS:
Iron Man 3 sees Tony Stark / Iron Man in peril. He is stripped of all his fancy technology and left to fend for himself. As he investigates the intentions of the villains, he operates with almost nothing and his ingenuity is dependent on the bare minimum. Of course, he has some help from Pepper Potts and James Rhodes.

SCRIPT:
Written by Shane Black and Drew Pearce, the film's script was pretty solid. There were enough jokes and witty remarks like the first two films. In fact, there are even better than the first two films. The introduction of a supporting role, not from the comic books, who becomes an unexpected ally to Stark was pretty smart.

ACTING:
A very good ensemble. The heroes were at their best. The villains even better. I especially liked Guy Pearce in this film who was pretty bad-ass. Ben Kingsley's gives an unforgettable performance. More screen time is given to Gwyneth Paltrow and Jon Favreau (who plays Stark's driver/bodyguard Happy Hogan).

FILMING:
The action scenes are pretty amazing. Fight scenes were cool. I especially liked the new way of how the Suit of Armor gets attached to Tony Stark. I expected the film to rely heavily on visual effects but it didn't. Despite Industrial Light & Magic not being involved like the previous films, the visual effects were very satiscatory.

PACING:
The film started off slow. Lots of dialogue and no action scenes. I guess this was critical in trying to establish the characters for the audience, especially to those who are not familiar with the Iron Man franchise. The film is 'quiet' in the middle. However, the film builds up to a spectacular finale which got many in the audience cheering.

TONE:
It is a total departure from the previous Jon Favreau's film. Iron Man 3 is more darker as it deals with depression, defeat and despair. Thanks to a well-written script with good insertion of jokes and wit, the film was not boring.

DOWNSIDE:
More dialogue scenes compared to action scenes. There is nothing wrong with this as both were executed well. If you are one of those people who expects action scenes from start to finish in the film, you will be disappointed.

UPSIDE:
There is more characterization in this film. We get to see more Tony Stark. The human factor type of storyline.

OVERALL:
Once again, Marvel has given us a well-made super hero film. Don't forget to stay till AFTER the end credits for a bonus scene. Recommended for family.

RATING:
8 out of 10