Film Review: Iron Man 3

Director: Shane Black

The third installment in the Marvel comics franchise which has proven easily the most popular out of all the individual super hero movies from the Avengers series. Robert Downey Jr returns as the millionaire Tony Stark who created the Iron Man suits. The film follows on from the ending of the Avengers Assemble movie where Iron Man flies into space to help save the world.

Tony Stark remembers a New Years Eve party in 1999 where he happens to meet Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who he confidently shrugs off and inevitably comes back to bite him. Stark has spent the time since creating multiple Iron Man suits that can be controlled remotely by either himself or Jarvis but is also suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. Now he must fight against the Mandarin that are committing random terrorist attacks and unusual bombings in a campaign against the United States and the world.

Tony Stark with an Iron Man suit

The third film was an important one for the Iron Man series as the second film was a slight disappointment and with the Avengers Assemble being so popular it needed a good movie to keep up the momentum. Much of the action revolving Tony Stark is similar with his brash attitude, having learnt nothing from his previous scrapes, but the Aldrich Killian lead Mandarin group makes this into a more dark and intrigung movie. The power attained by the villains gives the film a genuine threat but the motivation for the group called the Mandarin is very murky and unexplained. As always an enjoyable two hours with Downey Jr at the centre of things.

2.5/4 Refreshed and improved by a more impressive antagonist