Iron Man 3

The third Iron Man is a bit too minimalist in my opinion and overloaded with too many alternative plot elements. The first one was nicely compact and light. The second was oversized, but the action scenes were breathtaking and spectacularly executed. The third one is chatty, somewhat funny, the inner "Dark Knight" mood of the main character is a bit excessive with a considerable amount of irony, and there is almost no action (only two scenes, one of which is breathtaking, and the other is traditionally overwrought). I wanted a summer blockbuster, but what could they come up with in the third installment (the fourth one if I count the pumped-up Avengers) to make it feel fresh, innovative, and entertaining for millions of people? There isn't much. They got serious and humanized Iron Man, some people like it, some don't. I wanted to be "carried away" and instead, I was forced to "think". (03/05/2013)

I kind of expected it and I'm glad for it anyway. The main star of the third Iron Man is actually Shane Black, who was as comfortable with Iron Man as anyone before him. The trailers beckoned to the darkened paths trodden by The Dark Knight, but the result is ultimately the most refreshing summer mix of a spectacular blockbuster adventure. For over two hours, I admired how Black makes it a personal race to be the better screenwriter or director, without compromising his claims to be the most entertaining character in the Marvel universe. He also does it with a sovereignty that is admirable in a man who is only in his second year behind the camera. Iron Man has ceased to be the pedestal of Downey's ego and instead is firmly gripped in a story that works in all areas without any of them fundamentally excluding each other: From great dialogues, perfect characters, great action, and an emotional whirlwind. For example, the episode with the little boy, where two tech enthusiasts meet, simply reminds the viewer that some of us never grow up. And then there’s the unconventional love story... when it's personal, you just perceive the action a bit differently, and honestly, without the suit. I'm tempted to shower superlatives like I rarely have before, but I'll allow myself at least one single (but for me perhaps quite crucial) criticism: in terms of the ultimacy of the action, the raid on Stark's house is just a slight hair better than the ending, so the action orgasm comes a bit sooner. Anyway, thanks for everything, Shane. And thank you, Marvel, for having the courage to trust your kids with unconventional creators. (How about the Asgardian god in the hands of Alan Taylor?) (02/05/2013)

The best Iron Man, sure, but nothing to write home about. It’s the same playful Marvel as we know it, it doesn’t get darker or rougher in any significant way. The one really interesting thing is the twist with the Mandarin, its ambition is something not very common for Marvel, with some tangible overlap, that is. But it all ends after a couple of sentences, the whole thing is quickly forgotten and plot moves forward to the mandatory and pathetic rescue of the scumbags and the American presidents of the world, with inconsistently explained rules and a bland villain. But it’s pretty good fun, even if some of the jokes are repeated, Stark’s seizures look from another (better) film and the action could be more clear and dynamic. What I liked the most were the retro end credits. 7/10 (04/05/2013)

I enjoyed the first part of Iron Man, but at the same time I realized that he’s not going to become my favorite character. Robert Downey Jr. portrays him really well, I’m not saying he doesn’t, but the mixture of opponents, settings and jokes is not something that I grew fond of. I skipped the second movie and all of a sudden I had the chance to watch the third one. There was nothing else on TV so I decided to watch it to enjoy a pleasant blockbuster. I actually watched the movie twice, I wasn’t sure whether I was in the right mood when I watched it for the first time, but even the second time around the movie didn’t really amaze me. The antagonist was actually quite OK, but I simply couldn’t find anything to hold on to that would attract me to the movie. Simply put, I was pretty bored for the entire two hours. You see I believe it’s two hours of an absolutely mediocre movie with good visual effects, which unfortunately are not everything. (24/01/2014)

I probably won't agree with others that Iron Man 3 is the best installment of the franchise, because I like the second one a bit more, but I'm not dissatisfied with this one. On the contrary, I'm cheering, because I've been waiting for this satisfaction as opposed to the boring The Avengers. Particularly with everything that takes place after the destruction of Stark's mansion, the third Iron Man is one of the funniest adaptations of Marvel comics (Thor's position is seriously threatened), it's also a very action-packed film, and it's gratifying that Tony Stark often gets into the action without his suit - for example, during his escape from his captors, which is quite possibly the best scene ever. The script doesn't lack emotion or insight, and I'm glad they're not copying The Dark Knight as much as I feared (the new Superman will be worse). Thanks to Brian Tyler, Iron Man finally has a proper musical theme (I have nothing against Debney). I would deduct points for Guy Pearce’s bland character, who was not very well thought out. In contrast, Ben Kingsley's unique Mandarin was perfect. (05/05/2013)