Iron Man 3 review

You know Shane Black.
Even if you don't recognize the name, you know Shane Black.
He wrote the original Lethal Weapon in 1987. He wrote The Monster Squad, last Action hero and The Long Kiss Goodnight. Then, he disappeared for a few years. When he came back into the spotlight, it was with a small noir-comedy called Kiss Kiss Bang bang which starred athen- on the rebound after his many legal issues Robert Downey, Jr and Val Kilmer. While not many saw it in the theater, it has become much more well-known on video, although I still don't think it is as successful as it should be.
If you have not seen Kiss Kiss Bang bang yet, go see it.
Now.
I'm serious.
Go now.
I'll wait.
have you seen it?
Good.
Now, imagine an Iron Man film written and directed by the guy who wrote and directed Kiss Kiss Bang bang.
Imagining? Got it.
Good.
That is exactly what you will get.
By working at a movie theater as my second job, I got to see the employee screening very very late Tueday night and it was a great experience! I would highly recommend working at a movie theater just for all of the perks!
The Tony Stark in Iron man 3 is a different Tony Stark than the one in the original iron man. He has survived the destruction of New York in 'The Avengers' and that has changed him. He is now all about protecting Pepper Potts and attempting to become the man he thinks he should be. Only he is plagued by doubt, insomnia, anxiety attacks, and fear. Because of this, he must, again, go on the hero's journey and become the man he wants to be, both in the suit and out.
When a terrorist named 'The Mandarin' starts bombing areas around the world and announces it by breaking into all known TV broadcasts, and one of these bombings personally affects Tony, Stark goes on TV and threatens The Mandarin to come at him with all he's got. And he does.
He is destroyed by demons which he created (he says this himself in the first 30 seconds of the film, so it is not spoiler territory). He is destroyed by what he created and now he must face those demons and come back. Tony is dragged through hell in 'Iron man 3'. Those he loves and cares about are hurt and split apart from each other, he is left alone and must re-discover who he is and, once again, become Iron man.
Iron Man 3 is its own film. It does not have the same problem as Iron Man 2 where the Avengers plotline must be shoehorned in to make sure that the eventual upcoming film will tie in. The events of 'The Avengers' haunts Tony and it is omnipresent. Throughout Iron Man 3, Tony is plagued by his celebrity status as being both Tony Stark and Iron Man. He is asked for his autograph. He is put on a pedastal. At very inopportune times, he is asked to discuss the events of New York.One character even mentions Thor in a roundabout way, so it is not totally seperated from the mythology, but it is not tied down so much that it struggles to break free.
No, Iron man 3 is its own film. Shane Black makes sure of that. While Iron man 3 is very dark, it is also explosively funny and human, all at the same time. Tony Stark, Col Rhodes (Don Cheadle), all of the villains, are hiding in some way and trying to be more than they actually are and that conflict is apparent throughout.
In each of our lives, we are trying to become the best person we can in each area of our lives- husband, brother, father, son, wife, etc. and so are all of these characters. In 'Kiss Kiss', Downey's character of Harry was a thief pretending to be an actor who loved being a detective. Here, Downey's Stark is a reluctant at times superhero who is just trying to be the best he can be and stumbling through his own personal issues and ego and, when he falls, he must pick himself back up and rely on his friends and others to help make things right again.
This is just like all of us.
And this makes the film more human somehow.
Even with all of the snarkiness and flying metal suits.
Downey spends a lot of time both inside the suit and out. There is even a moment where, both unsuited, Downey and Cheadle are going against the bad guys with guns, bickering all the way, and it seems as though it might be a trial run of a reboot of the Lethal Weapon franchise with these 2 starring, and I would be all over it. The dialogue sparkles, the acting is top notch (especially for a "comic book movie") and it reminds you why there are actual actors involved- they raise the stakes high and bring humanity to this action adventure.
The plot is smart, the charcaters surprising, the dialogue i whip crackingly hilarious and intelligent, and the action is well-paced and effective.
As I said before, Iron man 3 is an Iron man film written by the creator of Kiss Kiss Bang bang, and it is everything you would expect and more. Well, except for the profanity. There is much less of that than you might expect coming from Black, but it isnt missed. Much. :)
Iron man 3 is playing in a Dolby Atmos theater at valley fair Mall in West Valley Utah for the next 2 weeks and I would highly recommend that sound mix as it brings you into the middle of the action with the suits flying all around and explosions rattling your seat.
Iron man 3 is a fantastic time at the movies.
Also, be sure to stay for a scene after the credits. While it does not lead to any of the other Mrvel movies, it is a fabulously funny sequence that also explains the narrative device.
iron Man 3 is my favorite film that I have seen this year- a fabulous way to start the summer movie season!

Film rating- 9
Movie rating- 10