Reviews

Nothing says cool better than "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist"! After the huge success of the Avengers and the high quality of this film, there's not a hero more at the top of his game than Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man.

By now everyone knows that Tony Stark's powers all come from his suit of armor. That along with his money, genius and unmatched wit are what make him larger than life. Tony's intellect is the key to his super powers and the brilliant foundation for this third movie. Hot on the heels of The Avengers, this was the perfect time to focus on Tony Stark the hero and the man. Seeing Tony interact with Thor, Bruce Banner and Captain America was indeed awesome but this back to the basics and return to Tony's world is just what we needed to see at this juncture. They perfectly remind the audience that his intellect that is really his super power. The amazing armor advancements we see in this film all stem from that fact. Yes, over three other wonderful films we've seen Tony exhibit an unfathomable understanding of technology but nothing like what's on display in this film.

Yes, there's a great deal of technology and action but it's wonderfully balanced by character and drama. Tony's command of sarcasm and his genuine wit have never been used better than it has been in this movie. RDJ charms the camera in every scene but what really brings out Tony's charm and gives the hero's story that extra interest is the character of Pepper Potts. Their relationship certainly has grown over three movies and in Iron Man 3, Pepper becomes even more important. It's one of the many reasons why this film lands above every other third film in a franchise that I've ever seen. Tony's love for Pepper and his obsession with technology and protecting her with that technology is moving and quite deep. It certainly is unique for a summer blockbuster to deliver those kinds of layers.

The stakes are very high as everyone from Pepper to Happy Hogan to the President of the United States is in danger from what will be considered the best bad guy to hit the screen in a long time. The Mandarin is amazing. He's not a jump off the screen kick your butt type of cheesy villain at all. He's crafty, diabolical and truly menacing. Speaking of layers, the ending of the movie will amaze for its plot as much as for its intensity and that's all I'm going to say about that subject. Also, Pepper is not a "damsel in distress" by any means in this film. This is where Iron Man lands above most other characters (Spider-Man for one). Pepper's roll and how she deals with the danger and what she becomes over the course of the film will surprise but please a lot of people.

Every side relationship works here, even the new characters that are introduced. The kid from Tennessee that interacts with Tony will get a LOT of buzz but I was just as impressed with the Rhodey stuff. That relationship is SO much better here than in Iron Man 2. Unlike Iron Man 2, there are incredible new characters that actually mean something to this plot and not to the next film down the line. There's a real focus on Tony's mind, body and spirit and the importance of protecting the most important relationships in life. It offers great balance to go along with great fun. This is NOT a dark brooding film at all which is great. It has many tones and does give us the humor and fun to go with a more complex take on the character. They just nailed it here.

In terms of where they go with future movies, who cares at this point? Sure everyone will want more after seeing this movie but that's Avengers 2 problem and something to dream about later. Right now, enjoy this thrill ride because I know I sure did.