‘Iron Man 3’ continues Tony Stark’s brilliance

The Iron Man cinematic franchise is perhaps the most consistently rewarding series of superhero flicks in Hollywood history. The first installment catapulted Robert Downey Jr. to the top of the A-list, and kudos to whoever casted him in this iconic role. The second installment, admittedly weaker than the first, amped up the action, if not the storyline. The third take, again featuring Downey in the title role, is a return to brilliance. Iron Man 3 finds Stark battling the creepy Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), and it proves to be an epic battle.

Iron Man 3 continues much of the established story from its two predecessors. Stark lives a comfortable, billion-dollar life with an awesome mansion hanging over the cliffs of the California coastline. By his side is the ever-faithful Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who also serves as the CEO of Stark’s business.

But it’s not all about the present. We also come to learn of Stark’s past, circa late 1990s. It was then that the up-and-coming techie rebuffed a younger Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a competitor of sorts who had a new idea about the technological revolution on the horizon. Note to self: Don’t tick off people in your youth; they may grow to become villains one day.

In the present day, we find out that the Mandarin is terrorizing the world and apparently has access to all media channels. He explodes something and then takes to the airwaves to claim responsibility. There are obvious parallels to our actual society, terrorism and political situation.

It’s up to Stark, and his new cadre of Iron Men, to save the day and stop the Mandarin. Of course, Killian enters the picture somehow (best left a secret), and two hours later, Iron Man 3 has enough full-throttle action to be classified the first awesome blockbuster of 2013.

And, if the Mandarin isn’t motivation enough for Stark, that palatial California estate … yes, it goes kablooey. Never mess with a billionaire’s home. Never.

Director Shane Black knows how to keep the energy pulsating, but he also allows the screenplay (penned by himself and Drew Pearce) to tell a story with full characterizations. That is perhaps the greatest sin of the second installment: too much action, so little meaning. Tony Stark is an easy character to lose control of. He’s an egomaniac who has an impossible charm and commanding power. He toils away in his basement on new toys, and there seems to be little 9-to-5 responsibility left in his life. For some, this is a license to make everything video-game violent, a patchwork of strung-together action scenes. But the best superhero films (like this sequel and the original) are the ones that slow the pacing down slightly, and this gives the audience members a chance to appreciate the characters, catch their breath and savor the climax.

For more information on how to properly conduct oneself when making a superhero film, consult The Avengers.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Iron Man 3

• 2013

• Directed by Shane Black

• Written by Black and Drew Pearce

• Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley

• Running time: 130 minutes

• Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content

• Rating: