Iron Man 3 (Shane Black is Directing)

[Kanedas Bike]

Just saw it, I think this one had more "heart" than the other two exploring Tony's demons. Personal and those he created.

For the first time in a long time of watching adaptations of other works, I wished this would have followed more of the Extremis comic ark (which was f'ing amazing if you've never read it).

Loved the plot twist, but was mildly annoyed that it negated a really good debate a friend and I had about Sir Ben Kingsley's casting as Mandarin.

All in all I liked Iron Man 3 more than the other two if for no other reason as it didn't explicitly feel like a set up for another Marvel project but rather as a stand alone Iron Man story.

-b.

[myk]

Just saw it, I think this one had more "heart" than the other two exploring Tony's demons. Personal and those he created.

For the first time in a long time of watching adaptations of other works, I wished this would have followed more of the Extremis comic ark (which was f'ing amazing if you've never read it).

Loved the plot twist, but was mildly annoyed that it negated a really good debate a friend and I had about Sir Ben Kingsley's casting as Mandarin.

All in all I liked Iron Man 3 more than the other two if for no other reason as it didn't explicitly feel like a set up for another Marvel project but rather as a stand alone Iron Man story.

-b.

The demons that Tony Stark has to face is the only thing I rememeber about the character when I was reading Marvel comics in elementary school; in my opinion that's the most critical part of the Ironman saga, or any other one for that matter. Now, I absolutely LOVED Ironman 1, like the 2nd one, and out of all of these paper to film franchises the Ironman story is the best, IMO, but my one small criticism of RDJ's portrayal of Tony Stark was that he was TOO flamboyant, too cocky, too flashy, with not enough soul or depth to the character; I get the impression that this 3rd movie addresses this issue.

Now, this is tricky because I love the Ironman 'tech almost as much as I love the story as it was presented to us in the first movie, so if it is indeed true that there is less Iron, and more Man in this chapter then this might be a very disappointing experience or a great one; I hope I get to find out soon...

[Gakken85]

MYK - Agree. But it was for being a drunk. I wish the movies had the balls to show this.

I think his whole PTSD thing was a bit forced to be honest.

[Duke Togo]

MYK - Agree. But it was for being a drunk. I wish the movies had the balls to show this.

I think his whole PTSD thing was a bit forced to be honest.

I agree, on both points. And the PTSD was a perfect chance for them to work in the "demon in the bottle," but they completely missed it.

[taksraven]

I agree, on both points. And the PTSD was a perfect chance for them to work in the "demon in the bottle," but they completely missed it.

Marvel/Disney probably didn't want to upset any sponsors/advertisers in the liquor industry....

[Twoducks]

I agree, on both points. And the PTSD was a perfect chance for them to work in the "demon in the bottle," but they completely missed it.

They already did the “drunk” thing on IM2.

He almost killed his best friend and a bunch of people because he was drunk. He got his crap together instead of continuing to sob and drink; cutting that is what saved his life.

Not the whole “fight against alcoholism” some expected (they had to fit Shield and Shield, and a bit more Shield in the movie) but I think the character should be more than that ancient storyline. The movies have turned IM into something more than that “superhero with the suit that is an alcoholic”.

The movie character has gone beyond that and his evolution over the other three movies appearances could not have him walk backward into that direction.

The PSTD take was far more interesting than going back to feeling sorry for himself like in IM2. Why?

- Before Avengers, Tony saw himself as the most powerful being on the planet.

- In Avengers he was called out for being just a smart ass in a super suit by Cap.

- In Avengers he barely made it out alive while fighting monsters, aliens and gods.

- He has something to protect: Pepper.

- He doesn’t have to deal with the pressure of running his huge company. Girlfriend does that.

- Why would he hit the bottle when he has to prepare for whatever unexpected thing could pop up now after NY? The movie Tony is a workaholic when he has a goal.

- Since at the start of IM3 he believes that the suits are what make him able to protect his loved ones he goes crazy overdrive to make even more suits for every possible situation. In his head he is just a puny human without them. No time to drink or sleep, he has to build suits!!

- Cue IM3…

[badboy00z]

Now that Tony has

removed his arc reactor

, how will the suits be powered in future movies?

Also since when did the Mark II (War Machine/ Iron Patriot) allow "ejection" from the front?

[Twoducks]

Badboy00z, I edited your post to correct the spoler tag. It was not working.

[Kanedas Bike]

Apologies in advance for any potential spoilers, haven't figured out how, or if I can, add them using an iPad.

Am also glad they didn't turn Tony into an alcoholic, and as Twoducks points out they replaced it with him becoming a workaholic and then gave him anxiety attacks to boot.

The other point to consider, while IM 3 felt a quite a bit darker than the other two Marvel hasn't really seemed interested in pursuing that type of story-arc for the franchise. Especially if you consider that IM is arguably the most popular character in the current Marvel movie verse.

-b.

[Raptor One]

Now that Tony has

removed his arc reactor

, how will the suits be powered in future movies?

Also since when did the Mark II (War Machine/ Iron Patriot) allow "ejection" from the front?

The suits have had their own power supplies for a while now. That's how they all (including the Mk 42) are able to fly under their own power. That's also how Rhodey was able to steal the Mk II back in Iron Man 2. I think the Mk VII and onward had their own power supplies, along with the Mk II which Tony clearly retrofitted with it's own supply as a failsafe so Rhodey could use the suit if need be (cue Nick Fury "how could he just walk in and take your suit?").

As for the War Machine front ejection thing, that modification was probably done by AIM when they "upgraded" the armor into the Iron Patriot (as Tony says in the movie "Your Iron Patriot overhaul, that was AIM right?"). The Iron Patriot design is actually listed as "War Machine Mk II" in some outside material. For example Hot Toys has an upcoming War Machine Mk II armor which is the Iron Patriot design with the War Machine paint job. So this armor is the Mk II of the Mk II lol.

The fact that AIM is the one who upgraded his suit raises the question of why they couldn't just hack it remotely like Whiplash did. But maybe when Tony asked for Rhodey's log in info (WARMACHINEROX!) he put it in a failsafe to stop them from doing that. So they had to resort to brute force.

[VF-15 Banshee]

Just saw the movies and AWESOME!! Marvel phase 2 is supreme!! That said, I kinda wish they'd left in the Mandarin's magic abilities and gotten rid of that kid. You don't need a kid interacting with Iron Man to sell the movie to kids. When I was kid, I wanted to be Batman just 'cause he's the GUNDAMN BATMAN.

[azrael]

The suits have had their own power supplies for a while now. That's how they all (including the Mk 42) are able to fly under their own power. That's also how Rhodey was able to steal the Mk II back in Iron Man 2. I think the Mk VII and onward had their own power supplies, along with the Mk II which Tony clearly retrofitted with it's own supply as a failsafe so Rhodey could use the suit if need be (cue Nick Fury "how could he just walk in and take your suit?").

As for the War Machine front ejection thing, that modification was probably done by AIM when they "upgraded" the armor into the Iron Patriot (as Tony says in the movie "Your Iron Patriot overhaul, that was AIM right?"). The Iron Patriot design is actually listed as "War Machine Mk II" in some outside material. For example Hot Toys has an upcoming War Machine Mk II armor which is the Iron Patriot design with the War Machine paint job. So this armor is the Mk II of the Mk II lol.

The fact that AIM is the one who upgraded his suit raises the question of why they couldn't just hack it remotely like Whiplash did. But maybe when Tony asked for Rhodey's log in info (WARMACHINEROX!) he put it in a failsafe to stop them from doing that. So they had to resort to brute force.

Well, there was a pre-movie comic released...

And after Tony reclaimed the Mk.II, he gave Rhodey the new War Machine Mk. II. Also in that same comic, Tony had already built the many suits. So the front entrance/exit was probably built-in to all the suits after the Mk.VII. But I also see it as the evolution of the design. The Mk.V started it with the self-assembling armor. In the deleted scenes for Iron Man 2, the original ending to the movie had the Mk. VI displaying that ability to exit out the front of the armor. But that was scrapped in Avengers so it probably doesn't count. Technically, the Mk. VII had that ability considering it assembled on Tony just like the Mk.V.

[Mr March]

I saw Iron Man 3 on Saturday with three friends and we all enjoyed it. This third Iron Man film is certainly a good night out at the movies and was better than the average super hero film. Shane Black was a perfect choice for directing RDJ with some classic Stark-esque dialogue and Black's trademark self-aware humor. The opening to the film (and that song) was VERY ballsy. The action was solid as were all the performances, especially RDJ, Paltrow, Kingsley and of course, Guy Pearce continues his unstoppable run. I also really appreciate the twists this film had to offer, which is no small feat for big, box office summer movies that are far too often as predictable as sunrise. I didn't see the big reveal coming and I love that.

Despite Iron Man 3 representing a return to grace for the character, this movie was an absolute mess as far as plot. Even some characterization is pretty shaky. Plenty of the individual scenes were great, but very often big leaps of logic happen between those scenes or no logic is played at all. Lots of really stupid stuff happens without explanation (Extremis, Iron Patriot, Killian, etc) and too often the old "it happens because the script demands it" rules why events play out the way they do. As much fun as I had I definitely don't hold this film as high as the first Iron Man, which has no shortage of problems itself but is far more easy to forgive.

I'd give Iron Man 3 a solid 7 out of 10, but I won't be revisitng it like I do the first film.

[myk]

The ending credits are the most entertaining I've seen in a long time; I absolutely loved the music teamed up with the various I-man shots...

[kanedaestes]

I loved the film but I too felt like something towards to end was missing, like a big payoff. Maybe that comes from the fact the plot is not that strong so it felt like one action or character scene to another with no real through line for it all. None the less still loved every minute. RDJ and Black always make a great time as evidence by Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I also like how it was primarily focused on what makes Tony a hero. End credit scene, priceless.

[Raptor One]

Well, there was a pre-movie comic released...

And after Tony reclaimed the Mk.II, he gave Rhodey the new War Machine Mk. II. Also in that same comic, Tony had already built the many suits. So the front entrance/exit was probably built-in to all the suits after the Mk.VII. But I also see it as the evolution of the design. The Mk.V started it with the self-assembling armor. In the deleted scenes for Iron Man 2, the original ending to the movie had the Mk. VI displaying that ability to exit out the front of the armor. But that was scrapped in Avengers so it probably doesn't count. Technically, the Mk. VII had that ability considering it assembled on Tony just like the Mk.V.

Ahh that makes sense, I'll have to check that comic out.

[Gakken85]

It felt a lot more like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with the voice overs and narration.

And the way it was more about RDJ being RDJ than the actual Iron Man Suit.

I feel like maybe RDJ didn't want to be in the suit that much and do some acting as "less" of a super hero. Since he pretty much IS the franchise at this point it wouldn't shock me if the director/studio didn't cave a bit to his suggestions.

If so, I feel the film suffered for it.

[azrael]

It felt a lot more like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with the voice overs and narration.

And the way it was more about RDJ being RDJ than the actual Iron Man Suit.

I feel like maybe RDJ didn't want to be in the suit that much and do some acting as "less" of a super hero. Since he pretty much IS the franchise at this point it wouldn't shock me if the director/studio didn't cave a bit to his suggestions.

If so, I feel the film suffered for it.

He was a proponent of giving Gwyneth Paltrow some action in this movie, if anything. There was also a GQ article from March about life after Tony Stark after Avengers 2. Take these as you will. And I know he's in talks with Marvel about further Iron Man movies.

[kanedaestes]

He has been working non stopped for years with marvel and his Sherlock Holmes franchise. I think right now he just wants a break. Taking into account right after avengers he filmed this.

[David Hingtgen]

Quite skippable IMHO, if you've only got time/desire to see a couple movies this summer see Trek and Superman.

Avengers was a better "Iron Man movie". As was IM 2. (And I'm not a big fan of IM 2)

[Raptor One]

...both of which you haven't seen? How are you recommending them?

[David Hingtgen]

Their trailers alone seem to have more content worth watching than the whole of IM3.

The recommendation is more along the lines of "if you've only got time/money to see X number of movies this summer, IM 3 is definitely skippable---you won't miss much"

[CoryHolmes]

I disagree. Superman yes, but not Trek. And IM3 is worth the money theatres are charging these days.

[myk]

I don't know if $40 (for me and the flavor of the month) was worth it for I-man but I enjoyed myself nonetheless. As for the other movies, c'mon guys, we haven't even seen them yet lol...

[areaseven]

Thank goodness I have connections with the local board of censors, as I get to watch any movie for free (except at those VIP theaters with the lounge chairs and unlimited popcorn).

[David Hingtgen]

To me, IM3 felt like a re-hash of a bunch of other semi-recent movies put together, tied together with Tony Stark.

[Kanedas Bike]

Quite skippable IMHO, if you've only got time/desire to see a couple movies this summer see Trek and Superman.Avengers was a better "Iron Man movie". As was IM 2. (And I'm not a big fan of IM 2)

Don't necessarily agree with all of that, but if ones interest in an Iron Man movie is purely to see lots of suit action then David has a valid (and funny) point about Avengers vs. IM3.

I still think its worth a watch and would actually see it in theaters again if the opportunity presents itself.

-b.

[David Hingtgen]

I thought Avengers was also a better "Tony Stark being Tony Stark" movie. His interactions with the other Avengers rocked, and worked better because we knew the characters. Asides from Pepper, we didn't really know anybody he talked to in this movie, and a bunch of them were throwaway goons/side characters.

[myk]

Wha'choo talkin about Dave? I think his interaction with "Pony-tail Express" the henchman was very witty and in its own right makes a blu-ray purchase a certainty. Seriously you bring up a good point though: what I loved most about the Avengers movie was the Avengers interacting and fighting amongst each other, especially when Tony Stark was involved. The whole Stark and Potts trying to be sickly cute by talking over one another is old, and it would've been nice to see him banter with someone new...

[Raptor One]

I thought Avengers was also a better "Tony Stark being Tony Stark" movie. His interactions with the other Avengers rocked, and worked better because we knew the characters. Asides from Pepper, we didn't really know anybody he talked to in this movie, and a bunch of them were throwaway goons/side characters.

Both are excellent "Tony being Tony" movies. I like this one because of how it takes him out of his element, and somehow he's MORE Tony than ever lol. I know the whole movie he was thinking "If only Cap could see me now!"

[Uxi]

I was a bit... let down, particularly by the Mandarin.

. I wanted him to be real and to have a connection with the Ten Rings guys from the original.

Yeah, it totally makes sense but still. I think the panic attacks/PTSD thing was a bit overdone, as well. Didn't mind the kid as much. I liked Avengers better than IM3 but like IM2 more than the original (more because I'm increasingly hating origin stories).

[Briareos]

For those of you who were let down by the Mandarin, there could be some hope. Harry Knowles has some interesting points about the character. (Scroll down to his excerpt on the Mandarin.):

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62211

Of course go to the link expecting spoilers. If what Harry says is true, I will be looking at this movie in a whole new light.

[Duke Togo]

For those of you who were let down by the Mandarin, there could be some hope. Harry Knowles has some interesting points about the character. (Scroll down to his excerpt on the Mandarin.):

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62211

Of course go to the link expecting spoilers. If what Harry says is true, I will be looking at this movie in a whole new light.

Knowles is a clown.

[Briareos]

Knowles is a clown.

I completely agree that he is an asshat but one can still hope that his prediction becomes true.

[EXO]

I don't think they should revisit it just to fix something that didn't align in the comic book. I'm just hoping the next one has Tony back in the suit more and kicking ass. I'm not a big fan of the drone action. Kinda takes away from the danger aspect. Great movie though.