In Iron Clad

Five years have passed since Iron Man graced theatres in 2008. Marvel's cinematic universe had finally begun. Iron Man 2 came along two years later toting Black Widow and hints of Thor and Captain America via clever easter eggs. However, in both films, Tony Stark was merely the man behind the armor. The Avengers spent more time focusing on the group as a whole while taking a few turns giving each member some independent screen time. It wasn't until 12:01 central standard time in Denton, Texas that I finally saw Stark at his most vulnerable, raw state. Don't get me wrong. This is still very much so Iron Man only with a hefty amount of character development. 

The story itself takes place some time after the events of the Avengers. How much time you ask? Well, enough for Stark to manufacture some plus or minus forty Iron Man variations. Tony's fallen into extreme panic attacks while trying to experiment with his suits and maintain his relationship with Pepper which is now faltering due to his obsession with perfecting the Iron Man suit. Tony now has the ability to call each individual piece to his body similar to how the wristbands worked in the Avengers. This small little scene harkens back to the first movie when he tested the repulsor strength on the second suit. Several new characters are introduced and are detailed below. Rebecca Hall comes in as Dr. Maya Hansen, an old flame of Stark's and inventor of the Extremis virus. This story focuses on Tony outside of the suit; vulnerable, beaten, weary, and trying to come to terms with his near-death experience in New York. His back-and-forth with ten year-old Harley was a fun bit of comic relief just to remind us this is still the same quick-witted, cynical, arrogant, yet kind-hearted (sort of) Tony Stark. 

Oh, this? I just wear it around the house

Shane Black taking the helm was a fantastic move. Jon Favreau directed the previous two films and put the happy in Happy Hogan. He knew what to do, how to do it, and why it needed to be done. Now, with Black finishing out the trilogy, the overall feel to the movie was definitely reflective of his cinematography. From Lethal Weapon to Marvel's flagship film series, Shane Black has come quite a long way. This is where the change occurs most. As I spoke earlier, Iron Man 3 is character driven. Not in a heavy sense that bogs down the film, but focusing on those we love and truly care about. 

Robert Downey Jr and Don Cheadle as Tony Stark and James "Rhodey" Rhodes complimented each other very well this time. We had some buddy-buddy moments in Iron Man 2, but once Rhodey went all War Machine on Tony's ass, all bets were off until the end. Lethal Weapon's "buddy cop" theme shined in multiple parts with Stark and Rhodey either shooting up a complex or taking out Extremis-powered henchmen. I enjoyed seeing their friendship a bit more fleshed out this time rather than covered up by Rhodey getting his hands on the soon-to-be War Machine suit. Don Cheadle gets a significant amount more screen time once Downey Jr steps away from the spot light in the form of Tony going MIA. As the Iron Patriot (fully decked out in red, white, and blue), Rhodey tries taking the fight to the Mandarin (a surprising performance by Sir Ben Kingsley) only to little avail. 

I keep thinking Captain America in powered armor

Speaking of Kingsley, the Mandarin is Iron Man's chief villain. An intelligent, menacing, and powerful foe, this character had the opportunity to become a terrifying foe to Stark. What we were given was more a bait-and-switch with Guy Pearce's character, Aldrich Killian, a scientist suffering from multiple debilitating diseases who eventually embraces the Extremis serum granting him regenerative powers as well as super strength and dragon-like qualities (you'll see). This was yet another attempt to re-create Dr. Erskine's formula used on Steve Rogers transforming him into Captain America. 

Pearce turned out to be a formidable foe more towards the end once his story arc came full circle. Until that point, James Badge Dale seemingly taking the role of Eric Savin/Coldblood proved enough of a fight. There comes a point around the middle of the movie when the Stark and Rhodes encounter the Mandarin. This was the biggest surprise of the story. I can't say I was disappointed, but more pleased on how Black worked with these characters. I won't give away any plot details beyond the above stated, but everything occurring between each character comes full circle at the end. You may be slightly confused/annoyed/angry at the mid-point, but trust me, everything works out pretty well. When Stark's so-called "Iron Legion" swings by, shit hits the proverbial fan hard. And I mean, holy f*ck this is f*cking Barney Stinson-style legendary. 

Aw, yeah!!!!!!!!

Iron Man 3 differed from the first two, but its differences made sense and brought the trilogy to a sensible close. I walked away after the must-see post-credits scene feeling satisfied and comfortable that justice was done to one of Marvel's greatest heroes. While it may seem to be dragging its feet through most of the film, Iron Man 3 takes every piece of the suit and assembles it perfectly without a hitch. Whether or not this along with Winter Soldier and Dark Worlds does enough to lead into the Avengers 2 is still up for debate. Tony's changed and the rest of the gang better follow suit. 

Iron Man 3 earns the score of "Get the f*ck off the couch and see this damn movie". 

Stay tuned next week for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby and Star Trek: Into Darkness on the 17th. 

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